Project communications management
- 2. Introduction Project mangers spend most of their time (about 90%) communicating with team members and other project stakeholders — internal or external to the organization.
- 3. Importance of Communication Management The project manager should effectively and efficiently communicate with stakeholders. Managing communications is very vital for any project. A failure in communication can have a negative impact on the project. The greatest threat to many projects is a failure to communicate Our culture does not portray IT professionals as being good communicators Research shows that IT professionals must be able to communicate effectively to succeed in their positions Strong verbal skills are a key factor in career advancement for IT professionals
- 4. Project Communication Management Process Communications planning: determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders (Planning) Information distribution: making needed information available in a timely manner (Execution) Performance reporting: collecting and disseminating performance informationControl) Administrative closure: generating, gathering, and disseminating information to formalize phase or project completion (Closing)
- 5. Communication Planning 14th of 21 planning phase process incorporates all planning required to ensure timely and appreciate development, collection, dissemination, storage, and disposition of project information. Every project should include some type of communications management plan, a document that guides project communications Creating a stakeholder analysis for project communications also aids in communications planning
- 6. Inputs to Communications Planning Communications requirement – include who needs what type of information, when they need the information, how to distribute the information (i.e. who, what, when how) Communications technology – methods and tools used to transfer information among stakeholders – face-to-face conversation, knowledge repository database, on-line schedules, email, video-conference, voice mail, stream video, newsletters and web sites. Constraints – restriction that affect the performance of the project. Assumptions – factors that for planning purposes
- 7. Tools and Techniques Stakeholder analysis – provides the methods and techniques to determine a systematic and logical view of the information requirements of stakeholders, and how to meet those needs.
- 9. Information Distribution 4th of 7 executing phase process involves making information that stakeholders need on a timely basis – Getting the right information to the right people at the right time and in a useful format is just as important as developing the information in the first place By properly executing the communications management plan – using the information retrieval and distribution tools – responding to unexpected requests for information – ensure all stakeholders have the information they need.
- 10. Misuse of Information Distribution A well publicized example of misuse of e-mail comes from the 1998 Justice Department's high profile, antitrust suit against Microsoft. E-mail emerged as a star witness in the case. Many executives sent messages that should never have been put in writing.The court used e-mail as evidence, even though the senders of the notes said the information was being interpreted out of context.
- 11. The Impact of the Number of People on Communications Channels
- 12. Performance Reporting 6th of 8 controlling phase process – collecting and distributing information to stakeholders on how the project is performing Performance reporting keeps stakeholders informed about how resources are being used to achieve project objectives –This process involves progress reports, status reports, and forecasts. – Status reports describe where the project stands at a specific point in time – Progress reports describe what the project team has accomplished during a certain period of time – Project forecasting predicts future project status and progress based on past information and trends – Status review meetings often include performance reporting
- 13. Administrative Closure 1st of 2 closing phase process A project or phase of a project requires closure – closing the administrative functions takes place at the end of the project. – Because projects are temporary, project closure briefings and lessons-learned documents provide important feedback –They keep valuable knowledge inside the organization and contribute to improvements in the next cycle of project.
- 14. Suggestions for Improving Project Communications Manage conflicts effectively Develop better communication skills Run effective meetings Use e-mail effectively Use templates for project communications
- 15. Conflict Handling Modes, in Preference Order Confrontation or problem-solving: directly face a conflict Compromise: use a give-and-take approach Smoothing: de-emphasize areas of differences and emphasize areas of agreement Forcing: the win-lose approach Withdrawal: retreat or withdraw from an actual or potential disagreement
- 16. 16 ConflictCan Be Good Conflict often produces important results, such as new ideas, better alternatives, and motivation to work harder and more collaboratively Groupthink can develop if there are no conflicting viewpoints Research by Karen Jehn suggests that task-related conflict often improves team performance, but emotional conflict often depresses team performance
- 17. 17 Developing Better Communication Skills Companies and formal degree programs for IT professionals often neglect the importance of developing speaking, writing, and listening skills As organizations become more global, they realize they must invest in ways to improve communication with people from different countries and cultures It takes leadership to improve communication
- 18. 18 Running Effective Meetings Determine if a meeting can be avoided Define the purpose and intended outcome of the meeting Determine who should attend the meeting Provide an agenda to participants before the meeting Prepare handouts, visual aids, and make logistical arrangements ahead of time Run the meeting professionally Build relationships
- 19. 19 Using E-Mail Effectively Make sure that e-mail is an appropriate medium for what you want to communicate Be sure to send the e-mail to the right people Use meaningful subjects Limit the content to one main subject, and be as clear and concise as possible Limit the number and size of attachments Delete e-mail you don’t need, and don’t open it if you question the source Make sure your virus software is up to date Respond to and file e-mails quickly Learn how to use important features
- 20. 20 UsingTemplates for Project Communications Many technical people are afraid to ask for help Providing examples and templates for project communications saves time and money Organizations can develop their own templates, use some provided by outside organizations, or use samples from textbooks Recall that research shows that companies that excel in project management make effective use of templates