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Lecture 24
Project Communications
Management
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Chapter 9:
Project Communications
Management
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Importance of Good Communications
• 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
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Project Communications
Management Processes
• Communications planning: determining the
information and communications needs of the
stakeholders
• Information distribution: making needed information
available in a timely manner
• Performance reporting: collecting and disseminating
performance information
• Administrative closure: generating, gathering, and
disseminating information to formalize phase or project
completion
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Communications Planning
• 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
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Communications Management Plan
Contents
• A description of a collection and filing structure for gathering
and storing various types of information
• A distribution structure describing what information goes to
whom, when, and how
• A format for communicating key project information
• A project schedule for producing the information
• Access methods for obtaining the information
• A method for updating the communications management plans
as the project progresses and develops
• A stakeholder communications analysis
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Information Distribution
• 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
• Important considerations include
– using technology to enhance information
distribution
– formal and informal methods for distributing
information
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What Went Wrong?
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.
Harmon, Amy, "E-mail comes back to haunt companies," November 29, 1998
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Figure 9-1. The Impact of the Number of
People on Communications Channels
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Performance Reporting
• Performance reporting keeps stakeholders informed
about how resources are being used to achieve project
objectives
– 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
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Administrative Closure
• A project or phase of a project requires closure
• Administrative closure produces
– project archives
– formal acceptance
– lessons learned
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Suggestions for Improving Project
Communications
•
•
•
•
Manage conflicts effectively
Develop better communication skills
Run effective meetings
Use templates for project communications
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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
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Conflict Can 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 taskrelated conflict often improves team
performance, but emotional conflict often
depresses team performance
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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
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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
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Using Templates 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
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Figure 9-2. Sample Template for a Project
Description
Project 98 file
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Table 9-3. Sample Template for a
Monthly Progress Report
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Table 9-4. Sample Template for a Letter
of Agreement for a Class Project
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Table 9-5. Outline for a Final Project
Report
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Table 9-6. Final Project Documentation
Items
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Figure 9-3. Gantt Chart Template for a Class Project
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Table 9-7. Guidance for Student’s
Lessons Learned Report
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Table 9-8. Sample Template for a
Project Web Site
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Developing a Communications
Infrastructure
• A communications infrastructure is a set of tools, techniques,
and principles that provide a foundation for the effective transfer
of information
– Tools include e-mail, project management software,
groupware, fax machines, telephones, teleconferencing
systems, document management systems, and word
processors
– Techniques include reporting guidelines and templates,
meeting ground rules and procedures, decision-making
processes, problem-solving approaches, and conflict
resolution and negotiation techniques
– Principles include using open dialog and an agreed upon
work ethic
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Using Software to Assist in Project
Communications
• There are many software tools to aid in project
communications
• The What Went Right? example describes
several new web-based and wireless
communications tools
• Microsoft Project 2000 includes several features
to enhance communications
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chapter sixteen
Communication
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Contemporary Management, 5/e
Copyright © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
• Explain why effective communication helps an
organization gain a competitive advantage.
• Describe the communication process, and explain
the role of perception in communication.
• Define information richness, and describe the
information richness of communication media
available to managers.
16-30
Learning Objectives
• Describe the communication networks that exist in
groups and teams.
• Explain how advances in technology have given
managers new options for managing
communications.
• Describe important communication skills that
managers need as senders and receivers of
messages.
16-31
Communication and Management
• Communication
– The sharing of information between two or more
individuals or groups to reach a common
understanding.
16-32
Communication and Management
• Importance of Good Communication
– Increased efficiency in new technologies and
skills
– Improved quality of products and services
– Increased responsiveness to customers
– More innovation through communication
16-33
The Communication Process
• Phases of the Communication Process:
– Transmission phase in which information is shared
by two or more people.
– Feedback phase in which a common
understanding is assured.
16-34
The Communication Process
Figure 16.1
16-35
Question?
What part of the communication process has the
sender translating the message into symbols or
language?
A. Message
B. Encoding
C. Decoding
D. Feedback
16-36
The Communication Process
• Sender – person wishing to share
information with some other person
• Message – what information to communicate
• Encoding – sender translates the message
into symbols or language
• Noise – refers to anything that hampers any
stage of the communication process
16-37
The Communication Process
• Receiver – person or group for which the
message is intended
• Medium – pathway through which an encoded
message is transmitted to a receiver
• Decoding - critical point where the receiver
interprets and tries to make sense of the message
16-38
The Communication Process
• Feedback phase is initiated by the receiver
• Receiver decides what message to send to the
original sender
• Feedback eliminates misunderstandings, ensures
that messages are correctly interpreted
16-39
Verbal & Nonverbal
Communication
• Verbal Communication
– The encoding of messages into words, either
written or spoken
• Nonverbal
– The encoding of messages by means of facial
expressions, body language, and styles of dress.
16-40
The Role of Perception in
Communication
• Perception
– process through which people select, organize, and
interpret sensory input to give meaning and
order to the world around them
16-41
The Role of Perception in
Communication
• Biases
– systematic tendencies to use information about
others in ways that can result in inaccurate
perceptions
16-42
The Role of Perception in
Communication
• Stereotypes
– often inaccurate beliefs about the characteristics of
particular groups of people
– can interfere with the encoding and decoding of
messages
16-43
The Dangers of Ineffective
Communication
• When managers and other members of an
organization are ineffective communicators,
organizational performance suffers and any
competitive advantage the organization might
have is likely to be lost
16-44
Information Richness and
Communication Media
• Managers and their subordinates can become
effective communicators by:
– Selecting an appropriate medium for each
message—there is no one “best” medium.
– Considering information richness
• A medium with high richness can carry much more
information to aid understanding.
16-45
Question?
What is the amount of information that a
communication medium can carry?
A. Channel capacity
B. Information richness
C. Bandwidth
D. Message capacity
16-46
Information Richness
• The amount of information that a
communication medium can carry
• The extent to which the medium enables the
sender and receiver to reach a common
understanding
16-47
Information Richness of Communication
Media
Figure 16.2
16-48
Communication Media
• Face-to-Face
– Has highest
information
richness.
– Can take advantage
of verbal and
nonverbal signals.
16-49
Communication Media
• Face-to-Face
– Provides for instant feedback.
– Management by wandering around takes advantage
of this with informal talks to workers.
– Video conferences provide much of this richness
and reduce travel costs and
meeting times.
16-50
Communication Media
• Spoken Communication Electronically
Transmitted
– Has the second highest information richness.
– Telephone conversations are information rich
with tone of voice, sender’s emphasis, and quick
feedback, but provide no visual nonverbal cues.
16-51
Communication Media
• Personally Addressed Written
Communication
– Has a lower richness than the verbal forms of
communication, but still is directed at a given
person.
– Personal addressing helps ensure receiver actually
reads the message—personal letters and e-mail
are common forms.
16-52
Communication Media
• Personally Addressed Written
Communication
– Does not provide instant feedback to the sender
although sender may get feedback later.
– Excellent media for complex messages requesting
follow-up actions by receiver.
16-53
E-Mail Dos and Don’ts
• E-mail allows telecommuting employees to work
from home and keep in contact.
• The use of e-mail is growing rapidly and e-mail
etiquette is expected:
– Typing messages in all CAPITALS is seen as
“screaming” at the receiver.
– Punctuate your messages for easy reading and don’t
ramble on.
– Pay attention to spelling and treat the message like a
written letter.
16-54
Communication Media
• Impersonal Written Communication
– Has the lowest information richness.
– Good for messages to many receivers where
little or feedback is expected (e.g., newsletters,
reports)
16-55
Communication Media
• Many managers do not have time to read all the
electronic work-related information available to
them
• Problem with information overload is the
potential for important information to be
ignored or overlooked
• Can result in lost productivity
16-56
Communication Networks
• Communication Networks
– The pathways along which information flows in
groups and teams and throughout the
organization.
16-57
Communication Networks
• Type of communication network depends on:
– The nature of the group’s tasks
– The extent to which group members need to
communicate with each other to achieve group
goals.
16-58
Communication Networks in
Groups and Teams
Type of Network
Wheel Network
Information flows to and from one central
member.
Chain Network
Members communicate only with the people next
to them in the sequence.
Wheel and chain networks provide little interaction.
Circle Network
Members communicate with others close to them
in terms of expertise, experience, and location.
All-Channel
Network
Networks found in teams with high levels of
communications between each member and all
others.
16-59
Communication
Networks in
Groups and
Teams
Figure 16.3
16-60
Organization Communication
Networks
• Organization Chart
– Summarizes the formal reporting channels in an
organization.
– Communication in an organization flows
through formal and informal pathways
– Vertical communications flow up and down the
corporate hierarchy.
16-61
Organization Communication
Networks
• Organization Chart
– Horizontal communications flow between
employees of the same level.
– Informal communications can span levels and
departments—the grapevine is an informal
network carrying unofficial information
throughout the firm.
16-62
Formal and Informal Communication
Networks in an Organization
Figure 16.4
16-63
Technological Advances in
Communication
• Internet
– Global system of computer networks that is easy
to join and is used by employees to
communicate inside and outside their companies
• World Wide Web (WWW)
– “Business district” with multimedia capabilities
16-64
Technological Advances in
Communication
• Intranets
– A company-wide system of computer networks
for information sharing by employees inside the
firm.
• Advantages of intranets
– Lies in their versatility as a communication
medium
– Can be used for a number of different purposes
by people who may have little expertise in
computer software and programming
16-65
Technological Advances in
Communication
• Groupware
– Computer software that enables members of
groups and teams to share information with each
other and improve communication.
16-66
How to Be Successful Using
Groupware
1. Work is team-based and members are
rewarded for group performance
2. Groupware has full support of top
management
3. Culture of the organization stresses
flexibility
4. Groupware is being used for a specific
purpose
5. Employees receive adequate training
16-67
Groupware
• Employees are likely to resist using groupware
when:
– people are working primarily on their own
– people are rewarded for their own individual
performances
– People are reluctant to share information
16-68
Groupware
• Collaboration software
– groupware that aims to promote collaborative,
highly interdependent interactions among members
of a team and provide the team with an electronic
meeting site for communication
16-69
Barriers to Effective Communication
– Messages that are unclear, incomplete, difficult to
understand
– Messages sent over the an inappropriate medium
– Messages with no provision for feedback
– Messages that are received but ignored
– Messages that are misunderstood
– Messages delivered through automated systems that
lack the human element
16-70
Communication Skills for
Managers as Senders
– Send clear and complete messages.
– Encode messages in symbols the receiver understands.
– Select a medium appropriate for the message and,
importantly, one that is monitored by the receiver.
– Avoid filtering (holding back information) and distortion
as the message passes through other workers.
– Include a feedback mechanism is in the message.
– Provide accurate information to avoid rumors.
16-71
Communication Skills for
Managers as Senders
• Jargon
– specialized language that members of an occupation,
group, or organization develop to facilitate
communication among themselves
– should never be used when communicating with
people outside the occupation, group, or
organization
16-72
Discussion Question?
What is the most important communication skill
for managers?
A. Be a good listener: don’t interrupt
B. Be empathetic
C. Ask questions to clarify your understanding
D. Understand linguistic styles
16-73
Communication Skills For
Managers as Receivers
–
–
–
–
Pay attention to what is sent as a message.
Be a good listener: don’t interrupt.
Ask questions to clarify your understanding.
Be empathetic: try to understand what the sender
feels.
– Understand linguistic styles: different people speak
differently.
– Speed, tone, pausing all impact communication.
16-74
Movie Example: The Terminal
Is there communication
between Viktor and
Frank?
Why or why not?
16-75
Effective Communication
Overview
•
•
•
•
Functions of Communication
The Communication Process
Communication Fundamentals
Key Communication Skills
Functions of Communication
•
•
•
•
Control
Motivation
Emotional Expression
Information
The Communication Process
Sourc
e
Encodin
g
Channe
l
Feedbac
k
Decoding
Receiver
Communication Fundamentals
Direction:
• Downward
• Upward
• Crosswise
Networks:
• Formal vs. Informal
Communication Networks
Chain
Wheel
All Channels
Barriers to Effective Communication
•
•
•
•
Filtering
Selective Perception
Emotions
Language
Key Communication Skills
• Listening Skills
• Feedback Skills
• Presentation skills
Basic Communication Skills
Profile
________________________________________________
Communication Order Learned Extent Used Extent Taught
____________________________________________
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
First
Second
Third
Fourth
First
Second
Third
Fourth
Fourth
Third
Second
First
Meaning
•
•
•
•
•
•
Listening Is With The Mind
Hearing With The Senses
Listening Is Conscious.
An Active Process Of Eliciting Information
Ideas, Attitudes And Emotions
Interpersonal, Oral Exchange
Fallacies about Listening





Listening is not my problem!
Listening and hearing are the same
Good readers are good listeners
Smarter people are better listeners
Listening improves with age





Learning not to listen
Thinking about what we are going to say rather than listening to a speaker
Talking when we should be listening
Hearing what we expect to hear rather than what is actually said
Not paying attention
( preoccupation, prejudice, self-centeredness, stero-type)

Listening skills are difficult to learn
Stages of the Listening Process
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hearing
Focusing on the message
Comprehending and interpreting
Analyzing and Evaluating
Responding
Remembering
Barriers to Active Listening
• Environmental barriers
• Physiological barriers
• Psychological barriers
 Selective Listening
 Negative Listening Attitudes
 Personal Reactions
 Poor Motivation
How to Be an Effective Listener
 What You Think about Listening ?





Understand the complexities of listening
Prepare to listen
Adjust to the situation
Focus on ideas or key points
Capitalize on the speed differential
 Organize material for learning
How to Be an Effective Listener
(cont.)
 What You Feel about Listening ?






Want to listen
Delay judgment
Admit your biases
Don’t tune out “dry” subjects
Accept responsibility for understanding
Encourage others to talk
How to Be an Effective Listener
(cont.)
 What You Do about Listening ?






Establish eye contact with the speaker
Take notes effectively
Be a physically involved listener
Avoid negative mannerisms
Exercise your listening muscles
Follow the Golden Rule
Feedback Skills
• Positive vs. Negative Feedback
• Positive feedback is more readily and accurately perceived than
negative feedback
• Positive feedback fits what most people wish to hear and already
believe about themselves
• Negative feedback is most likely to be accepted when it comes
from a credible source if it is objective in form
• Subjective impressions carry weight only when they come from
a person with high status and credibility
Developing Effective Feedback Skills
•
•
•
•
•
•
Focus on specific behaviours
Keep feedback impersonal
Keep feedback goal oriented
Make feedback well timed
Ensure understanding
Direct feedback toward behaviour that is controllable
by the recipient
Group Think
• Phenomena in which the norm for consensus
overrides the realistic appraisal of alternative
course of action
Presentation Skills
Ideas, concepts or issues talked about or spoken to a
group or audience
Public speaking is one of the most feared things
“I could make such a fool of myself”
Skills required to give a good presentation can be
developed
Preparation is the Key
Presentation Skills
Preparation/ Planning is the first step on the ladder to
success
Aspects in the development of a good presentation
 Self Centered (Self)
 Audience Centered (Audience)
 Subject Centered (Material)
“I want (who) to (what) (where, when and how)
because (why)”
Presentation Skills
• Helpers
What do you want to present (content)?
Why do you want to present (purpose)?
Where will you be presenting (place)?
How do you want to present (words to be used or not,
slides to be used)
Who is your audience?
Presentation Skills
• Preparation: Audience Analysis
What is the audience interested in
What does the audience want
What does the audience already know and needs to
know
What are their needs, expectations from this
presentation
How will the audience benefit from this presentation
Presentation Skills
• Structure the content in line with the
audience’s needs
• What do you want to tell the audience?
• What is your objective?
• Prepare keeping in mind the time allotted
• Anticipate the questions and prepare
• Collect material from a variety of sources
• Arrange points logically and sequentially
• Prepare handouts as well
Presentation Skills
• Structuring the presentation
2 to 2.5 mins--- opening/beginning
20 to 21 mins--- middle section
2 to 3 mins --- closing/end
5 mins --- questions
Presentation Skills
The Begining
Should be carefully designed
Get attention
- shock, humour, question, story, facts &figures
- well rehearsed yet natural
Motivate audience to listen
- listen to their needs
Presentation Skills
Preparation – Structure
Sequence should be logical & understandable
Interim summaries- Recaps
Value of visual aids-flip charts, handouts etc.
Presentation Skills
Prepare Closing
Last 2 to 2.5 minutes are as critical as the first
five minutes for a successful presentation
Summarize- highlight important points
Suggest action- what to do and when, where and
how to do it
Presentation Skills
Stage Fright
Everyone has it to some degree
Can be used constructively
Key issue is not elimination of fear
Instead channel the energy it generates for an
effective presentation
Presentation Skills
Effective Delivery
Be active - move
Be purposeful - controlled gestures
Variations – vocal (pitch, volume, rate)
Be natural
Be direct – don’t just talk in front of the
audience talk to them
Group Facilitation
Verbal Communication- barriers
Speaking too fast
Using jargon
Tone and content
Complicated or ambiguous language
Not questioning
Physical State of the audience
Presentation Skills
Sensitivity to the audience
“see” the audience
Take non-verbal feedback
-congruent and incongruent body language
Modify to meet audience needs
Don’t just make it as a presentation
Presentation Skills
Handling Questions
Do not get confused
You are not supposed to know everything
Anticipate and keep answers ready
Sometime questions themselves give you a lead
to highlight your point of view
Presentation Skills
Visual Aids
While using a over head projector face the
audience while talking
Point with a pen
Appropriate lighting
Watch the colours
Ensure clear visibility
10 lines, 10 words per line
Presentation Skills
So to conclude :
Always prepare
Channelize you fear
Interact with your audience
Making PowerPoint Slides
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Bad Slides
Tips to be Covered
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Outlines
Slide Structure
Fonts
Colour
Background
Graphs
Spelling and Grammar
Conclusions
Questions
Outline
• Make your 1st or 2nd slide an outline of your
presentation
– Ex: previous slide
• Follow the order of your outline for the rest of
the presentation
• Only place main points on the outline slide
– Ex: Use the titles of each slide as main points
Slide Structure – Good
•
•
•
•
Use 1-2 slides per minute of your presentation
Write in point form, not complete sentences
Include 4-5 points per slide
Avoid wordiness: use key words and phrases
only
Slide Structure - Bad
• This page contains too many words for a
presentation slide. It is not written in point
form, making it difficult both for your audience
to read and for you to present each point.
Although there are exactly the same number of
points on this slide as the previous slide, it looks
much more complicated. In short, your
audience will spend too much time trying to
read this paragraph instead of listening to you.
Slide Structure – Good
• Show one point at a time:
– Will help audience concentrate on what you are
saying
– Will prevent audience from reading ahead
– Will help you keep your presentation focused
Slide Structure - Bad
• Do not use distracting animation
• Do not go overboard with the animation
• Be consistent with the animation that you use
Fonts - Good
• Use at least an 18-point font
• Use different size fonts for main points and
secondary points
– this font is 24-point, the main point font is 28-point,
and the title font is 36-point
• Use a standard font like Times New Roman or
Arial
Fonts - Bad
•
If you use a small font, your audience won’t be able to read what you have written
• CAPITALIZE ONLY WHEN NECESSARY.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO READ
• Don’t use a complicated font
Colour - Good
• Use a colour of font that contrasts sharply with
the background
– Ex: blue font on white background
• Use colour to reinforce the logic of your
structure
– Ex: light blue title and dark blue text
• Use colour to emphasize a point
– But only use this occasionally
Colour - Bad
• Using a font colour that does not contrast with
the background colour is hard to read
• Using colour for decoration is distracting and
annoying.
• Using a different colour for each point is
unnecessary
– Using a different colour for secondary points is also
unnecessary
• Trying to be creative can also be bad
Background - Good
• Use backgrounds such as this one that are
attractive but simple
• Use backgrounds which are light
• Use the same background consistently
throughout your presentation
Background – Bad
• Avoid backgrounds that are distracting or
difficult to read from
• Always be consistent with the background that
you use
Graphs - Good
• Use graphs rather than just charts and words
– Data in graphs is easier to comprehend & retain than
is raw data
– Trends are easier to visualize in graph form
• Always title your graphs
Graphs - Bad
January February
Blue Balls
20.4
27.4
Red Balls
30.6
38.6
March
90
34.6
April
20.4
31.6
Graphs - Good
Items Sold in First Quarter of 2002
100
90
80
70
60
Blue Balls
Red Balls
50
40
30
20
10
0
January
February
March
April
Graphs - Bad
100
90
90
80
70
60
Blue Balls
50
Red Balls
38.6
40
34.6
31.6
30.6
27.4
30
20.4
20.4
20
10
0
January
February
March
April
Graphs - Bad
•
•
•
•
•
Minor gridlines are unnecessary
Font is too small
Colours are illogical
Title is missing
Shading is distracting
Spelling and Grammar
• Proof your slides for:
– speling mistakes
– the use of of repeated words
– grammatical errors you might have make
• If English is not your first language, please have
someone else check your presentation!
Conclusion
• Use an effective and strong closing
– Your audience is likely to remember your last words
• Use a conclusion slide to:
– Summarize the main points of your presentation
– Suggest future avenues of research
Questions??
• End your presentation with a simple question
slide to:
– Invite your audience to ask questions
– Provide a visual aid during question period
– Avoid ending a presentation abruptly