introduction
welcome back
this is Maher islaieh and welcome to first article of knowledge Area ((Project Communication Management))
from formal definition of communication manager in PMBOK 6th Edition >>
Project Communications Management includes the processes necessary to ensure that the information needs of the project and its stakeholders are met through development of artifacts and implementation of activities designed to achieve effective information exchange
Project Communications Management plays a key role in keeping all members of the project management team on the same page.
Without communication among all team members and project stakeholders there can be a breakdown in processes which could have a negative impact on the final product.
You may wonder when you know that Project Manager spending 90% of time in Communication
How Project Manager Manage Communications
The project manager must know the communication processes involved in effective project management.
First of all there should be planning to determine what information needs to be communicated to all stakeholders in the project.
that information must be made readily available to the stakeholders and generated in a timely fashion
Performance must also be accounted for by reporting the project status, as well as measuring progress and forecasting.
communication with project stakeholders must be managed so that all requirements are met and issues are promptly resolved.
Project Communications Management can be broken down into essential knowledge and skills as follows:
- Managing a meeting by having an agenda as well as resolving conflict
- Writing style to be used
- Method of communication; written or oral, informal memo or formal report, face-to-face or email, all of which are dependent on the situation at hand
- Techniques for presentation including whether to use visual aids and effective use of body language
- Possible barriers or feedback loops that influence communication
Communication Management Benefits
Communication Management has Many Benefits , including but NOT limited to :
Expectations:
- Project communication plan helps in setting standards for how and when communication should take place.
- This help a manager in maintaining the project control and ensuring that all the stakeholders receive the required information.
Consistency:
- With a proper communication plan, a project manager becomes more consistent in handling project activities.
- Also, it gives the team members a direction following which they can communicate with the rest of the team and stakeholders consistently.
Productivity:
- Efficient project management plan keeps all the team members well informed about the project happenings.
- This way they are always equipped with the information that they need instead of halting the work and look for missing information.
Outcome:
- It establishes a proper and clear communication channel between the team and the stakeholders which ensures that the team knows exactly what the stakeholders want, need and expect from the project output.
Controlled Communication:
- Communication management also ensures that the right information is delivered to the right people and at the right time.
- This leaves no space for ambiguity or confusion and provides a smooth flow of communication.
Project Team Collaboration
- Good communication often results in better collaboration among the team members and enhances focus on the whole.
Effective Kickoff Meeting :
- A well-organized communication management plan gives a good kick off to the projects as it ensures that the project and methodologies are discussed and reviewed at a high-level.
- Once this is ensured further communication processes are expressed and agreed upon by the team members which gives them a clear picture of what will happen next and what their role in the project.
The Price of Poor Communication
The Price of Poor Communication could lead to project fail as per PMI diagram below
A Communications Model
A Communications Model
- Sender: This refers to the person who first initiates the communication. Let’s say a document related to the project is being faxed by the project manager.
- Encoder: This device encodes the message to be sent. In this case, it is the fax machine.
- Medium: This is the device or technology to transport the message between the encoder and the decoder. Here it is the telephone line.
- Decoder: This device decodes the message to be received. Here it is the fax machine itself.
- Receiver: This refers to the person who receives the communication finally. The receiver may interpret the information, make a comment, and send it back to the sender.
- Feedback: The communication may be disrupted by noise and misinterpret the message. A part of the message may be faded out or discolored etc. This would have been caused by the distortion of phone line.
Project Communication Management Processes
- 10.1 Plan Communication Management (Planning )
- 10.2 Manage Communication (Executing )
- 10.3 Control Communication (Monitoring & controlling )
conclusion
his was briefly an overview about knowledge area ( Communication Management )
next articles we will discus each process in Communication management in Fully Details
