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Project Communication Management is a very broad term that refers to all of the communication activities associated with the project. Communication is a key attribute of project management.

Quick reference

Communication Management

Project Communication Management is a very broad term that refers to all of the communication activities associated with the project.  Communication is a key attribute of project management. 

When to use

Communication occurs continuously throughout the lifecycle of the project.  Since communication is occurring, it needs to be managed.  

Instructions

Communications management relies on both the communication technology and the communications methodology.  The technology is the tools used and the methodology is the procedures followed.  Communication is at the heart of project management.  Virtually every project management tool and technique has a communication component. The project leader should consider that communication management is a major portion of their role.  There are many approaches that could be used in communication.  Any and all of them will work if they are implemented well.  The techniques and methodology used should be determined based upon the organizational culture and systems.

A best practice we recommend is to require feedback communication following all communications that involve the assignment of actions or decisions. This feedback is to ensure that understanding has occurred.  There are several potential reasons for misunderstanding, the message of the communication is converted into words, graphics, or another communication medium, transferred to the receiver, and then decoded by the receiver.  There can be misunderstandings occurring at any of these steps.  The feedback message will reduce the likelihood that the misunderstanding goes unnoticed.

Communication Core Characteristics

When communicating in project teams, there are five core characteristics that should be acknowledged and considered in all communication.

  • Communication is interpersonal – there are people on both sides.
  • Communication is inescapable – it is a basic element of business.
  • Communication is irreversible – you can’t “take it back.”
  • Communication is intricate – there are many factors that impact communication.
  • Communication is in the moment. – it is influenced by whatever is currently occurring.

Hints & tips

  • Leverage existing communication channels and methods if they are working well.
  • Most people won’t tell you when they are in trouble.  If a team member “goes silent,” investigate to determine whether there is a project issue or another personal or organizational issue that could create a project problem.
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  • 00:04 Hi, I'm Ray Sheen.
  • 00:05 Let's talk about communication management on projects.
  • 00:09 The Project Management Body of Knowledge, the PMBOK Guide,
  • 00:12 defines communication technology as specific tools, systems,
  • 00:16 computer programs, etc., used to transfer information among project stakeholders.
  • 00:21 Well, that's one piece of the puzzle that we want to discuss.
  • 00:25 Now for the next.
  • 00:26 The Project Management Body of Knowledge, the PMBOK Guide,
  • 00:30 defines communication methods as a systemic procedure, technique or
  • 00:34 process used to transfer information among project stakeholders.
  • 00:38 Those two sound quite similar, and that's because they are.
  • 00:41 The technology is the tool and the method is the process, but both are so
  • 00:45 intertwined that it may be hard to tell them apart at times.
  • 00:49 Either way, communication is at the heart of effective project management.
  • 00:53 Every project management activity has a communication component.
  • 00:57 Project leaders should be spending much of their time communicating in
  • 01:01 order to create and maintain alignment and focus for the project goals.
  • 01:05 There are many different approaches to communication.
  • 01:08 The bottom line is that the project leader needs to use the approach that works best
  • 01:13 with their team and their stakeholders.
  • 01:16 Whether that's formal or informal, vertical-horizontal,
  • 01:18 internal-external, visual-verbal.
  • 01:20 Whatever it might be, use what works.
  • 01:23 Let's start with some core characteristics of team communication.
  • 01:26 When these are inhibited or their importance is not recognized,
  • 01:30 the team communication will suffer.
  • 01:32 First, team communication is interpersonal.
  • 01:34 It's not like writing for a newspaper or
  • 01:37 magazine where the author doesn't know who will read it.
  • 01:40 Rather, these are your teammates you're communicating with,
  • 01:43 they're individuals with whom there is a relationship.
  • 01:46 That personal relationship can accelerate communication, but it also must be
  • 01:51 managed as part of the communication so as not to offend or break the relationship.
  • 01:56 Communication on teams is inescapable, you can't refuse to communicate and
  • 02:00 be an effective team member.
  • 02:01 I've occasionally seen team members on business teams take the childish approach
  • 02:06 of refusing to communicate with someone because they're angry with them.
  • 02:10 That destroys the effectiveness of the team.
  • 02:13 If there's a problem, work it out.
  • 02:16 Next, communication is irreversible.
  • 02:19 A team member can't unhear a derogatory comment.
  • 02:23 It's out there, and it will influence the relationship of team members.
  • 02:27 Many people have found out the hard way that electronic communication,
  • 02:31 such as emails, tweets, or posts, will remain accessible forever.
  • 02:36 Communication is also intricate.
  • 02:38 There are several layers to many communications, such as the tone of voice,
  • 02:43 body language, eye contact, and the specific words or pictures used.
  • 02:48 In addition, the emotional state of the sender and the receiver can
  • 02:52 significantly impact the effectiveness and clarity of team communication.
  • 02:56 All these should be considered when communicating.
  • 03:01 The final core characteristic to be aware of is the communication is in the moment.
  • 03:05 The interpretation and
  • 03:06 understanding of your communication is based upon the experience of the receiver.
  • 03:10 And the most recent experience is the most influential.
  • 03:15 A comment provided to an individual when celebrating a success
  • 03:18 could be warmly received.
  • 03:19 And the very same comment could be viewed as an insult if the team
  • 03:23 member had just experienced a failure on a team activity.
  • 03:28 These core characteristics should influence the timing and
  • 03:31 content of any communication.
  • 03:34 So when communicating project information,
  • 03:36 you have to realize that your team members are often busy and distracted.
  • 03:40 You need to account for that in the communication.
  • 03:42 So when you want to send a message to them,
  • 03:44 you have to first determine the best way to send it.
  • 03:48 The sender encodes the message into the words, or the email, or
  • 03:51 whatever other document you're using.
  • 03:54 It gets sent over to the receiver, but the receiver might be distracted and
  • 03:59 there may be noise in the line somewhere that leads to misunderstanding.
  • 04:04 To minimize this, I establish with my team members the practice of sending a return
  • 04:09 message whenever the original message contains action items or decisions.
  • 04:14 This reduces misunderstanding significantly.
  • 04:17 As I mentioned, communication is a vital part of project management.
  • 04:21 Many project issues can be avoided or
  • 04:23 easily resolved with a little bit of proactive communication.

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