Project Commn

7/29/2019 Project Commn

1/22

Project Communications Management


2/22

Importance of Good CommunicationsThe greatest threat to many projects is a failure tocommunicate

Our culture does not portray IT professionals asbeing good communicators

Research shows that IT professionals must beable to communicate effectively to succeed in their positions

Strong verbal skills are a key factor in career advancement for IT professionals

2


3/22

Project CommunicationsManagement Processes

Communications planning : determining theinformation and communications needs of thestakeholders

Information distribution : making needed informationavailable to project stakeholders in a timely manner

Performance reporting : collecting and disseminatingperformance information, including status reports,progress measurement, and forecasting

Managing stakeholders : managing communicationsto satisfy the needs and expectations of project

stakeholders and to resolve issues3


4/22


5/22

Communications Planning

Every project should include some type of communications management plan, adocument that guides project communications

Creating a stakeholder analysis for projectcommunications also aids in communicationsplanning

5


6/22

Communications Management

Plan ContentsStakeholder communications requirements

Information to be communicated, includingformat, content, and level of detail

The people who will receive the information andwho will produce it

Suggested methods or technologies for conveying the information

6


7/22

Information DistributionGetting the right information to the right peopleat the right time and in a useful format is just asimportant as developing the information in thefirst place

Important considerations include:

Using technology to enhance information distribution

Formal and informal methods for distributinginformation

7


8/22

Distributing Information in an

Effective and Timely Manner Dont bury crucial information

Dont be afraid to report bad information

Oral communication via meetings and informaltalks helps bring important information good and

bad out into the open

8


9/22

Importance of Face-to-Face

CommunicationResearch says that in a face-to-face interaction:

58 percent of communication is through body language35 percent of communication is through how the wordsare said7 percent of communication is through the content or words that are spoken

Pay attention to more than just the actual words

someone is saying A persons tone of voice and body language say alot about how he or she really feels

9


10/22

Encouraging More Face-to-Face

InteractionsShort, frequent meetings are often very effective inIT projects

Stand-up meetings force people to focus on whatthey really need to communicate

Some companies have policies preventing the useof e-mail between certain hours or even entiredays of the week

10


11/22

Understanding Group and

Individual Communication NeedsPeople are not interchangeable parts

As illustrated in Brooks book The Mythical Man-Month , you cannot assume that a task originallyscheduled to take two months of one personstime can be done in one month by two people

Nine women cannot produce a baby in one month!

11


12/22

Other Communication

ConsiderationsRarely does the receiver interpret a messageexactly as the sender intended

Geographic location and cultural backgroundaffect the complexity of project communications

Different working hours

Language barriers

Different cultural norms12


13/22

Performance ReportingPerformance reporting keeps stakeholdersinformed about how resources are being used toachieve project objectives

Status reports describe where the project stands at aspecific point in time

Progress reports describe what the project team has

accomplished during a certain period of timeForecasts predict future project status and progressbased on past information and trends

13


14/22

Managing StakeholdersProject managers must understand and work withvarious stakeholders

Need to devise a way to identify and resolveissues

Two important tools include:

Expectations management matrix

Issue log

14


15/22

Suggestions for Improving Project

CommunicationsManage conflicts effectively

Develop better communication skills

Run effective meetings

Use e-mail and other technologies effectively

Use templates for project communications

15


16/22

Conflict Handling Modes

1. Confrontation : directly face a conflict using aproblem-solving approach

2. Compromise : use a give-and-take approach

3. Smoothing : de-emphasize areas of differenceand emphasize areas of agreement

4. Forcing : the win-lose approach

5. Withdrawal : retreat or withdraw from an actualor potential disagreement

16


17/22

Conflict Can Be GoodConflict often produces important results, such asnew ideas, better alternatives, and motivation towork harder and more collaboratively

Groupthink : conformance to the values or ethicalstandards of a group; groupthink can develop if there are no conflicting viewpoints

Research suggests that task-related conflict oftenimproves team performance, but emotional conflictoften depresses team performance

17


18/22

Developing Better Communication

SkillsCompanies and formal degree programs for ITprofessionals often neglect the importance of speaking, writing, and listening skills

As organizations become more global, they realizethey must invest in ways to improve

communication with people from differentcountries and cultures

It takes leadership to improve communication18


19/22

Running Effective Meetings

Determine if a meeting can be avoidedDefine the purpose and intended outcome of themeeting

Determine who should attend the meetingProvide an agenda to participants before themeetingPrepare handouts and visual aids, and makelogistical arrangements ahead of timeRun the meeting professionallyBuild relationships

19


20/22

Using E-Mail, Instant Messaging,and Collaborative Tools Effectively

Make sure that e-mail, instant messaging, or collaborative tools are an appropriate medium for what you want to communicate

Be sure to send information to the right people

Use meaningful subject lines and limit the content of

emails to one main subject, and be as clear andconcise as possible

Be sure to authorize the right people to share and

edit your collaborative documents20


21/22

Project Archives

It is also important to organize and prepareproject archivesProject archives are a complete set of organized

project records that provide an accurate history of the projectThese archives can provide valuable informationfor future projects as well

21


22/22

Project Web Sites

Many project teams create a project Web site tostore important product documents and other information

Can create the site using various types of software, such as enterprise project managementsoftware

22

Documents

Project Commn