Lecture 24 Project Communications Management Copyright Course Technology 2001 1

Lecture 24

Project Communications Management

Copyright Course Technology 2001 1


Chapter 9:Project Communications

Management


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


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


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


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


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


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


Figure 9-1. The Impact of the Number of People on Communications Channels


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


Administrative Closure

• A project or phase of a project requires closure

• Administrative closure produces– project archives– formal acceptance– lessons learned


Suggestions for Improving Project Communications

• Manage conflicts effectively

• Develop better communication skills

• Run effective meetings

• Use templates for project communications


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


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 task-related conflict often improves team performance, but emotional conflict often depresses team performance


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


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


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


Figure 9-2. Sample Template for a Project Description

Project 98 file


Table 9-3. Sample Template for a Monthly Progress Report


Table 9-4. Sample Template for a Letter of Agreement for a Class Project


Table 9-5. Outline for a Final Project Report


Table 9-6. Final Project Documentation Items


Figure 9-3. Gantt Chart Template for a Class Project


Table 9-7. Guidance for Student’s Lessons Learned Report


Table 9-8. Sample Template for a Project Web Site


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


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

Communication

McGraw-Hill/IrwinContemporary Management, 5/e

Copyright © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

chapter sixteen

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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.

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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.

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Communication and Management

• Communication– The sharing of information between two or more

individuals or groups to reach a common understanding.

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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

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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.

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Figure 16.1

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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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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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.

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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

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• Biases – systematic tendencies to use information about

others in ways that can result in inaccurate perceptions

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• Stereotypes – often inaccurate beliefs about the characteristics of

particular groups of people– can interfere with the encoding and decoding of

messages

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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

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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.

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Question?

What is the amount of information that a communication medium can carry?

A. Channel capacity

B. Information richness

C. Bandwidth

D. Message capacity

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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

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Information Richness of Communication Media

Figure 16.2

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Communication Media

• Face-to-Face– Has highest

information richness.

– Can take advantage of verbal and nonverbal signals.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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

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Communication Networks

• Communication Networks– The pathways along which information flows in

groups and teams and throughout the organization.

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• 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.

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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.

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Figure 16.3

Communication Networks in Groups and

Teams

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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.

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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.

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Formal and Informal Communication Networks in an Organization

Figure 16.4

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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

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• 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

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• Groupware– Computer software that enables members of

groups and teams to share information with each other and improve communication.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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Movie Example: The Terminal

Is there communication between Viktor and Frank?

Why or why not?

http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0362227/TT002.jpg.html?seq=2

Effective Communication

Overview

• Functions of Communication

• The Communication Process

• Communication Fundamentals

• Key Communication Skills

Functions of Communication

• Control

• Motivation

• Emotional Expression

• Information


Receiver

Feedback

DecodingChannel

Encoding

Source

Communication Fundamentals

Direction:• Downward• Upward

• Crosswise

Networks:• Formal vs. Informal


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 First First Fourth Speaking Second Second Third Reading Third Third Second Writing Fourth Fourth 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 inWhat does the audience wantWhat does the audience already know and needs to

knowWhat are their needs, expectations from this

presentationHow 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 BeginingShould be carefully designedGet attention - shock, humour, question, story, facts &figures - well rehearsed yet naturalMotivate audience to listen - listen to their needs

Presentation Skills

Preparation – StructureSequence should be logical & understandableInterim summaries- RecapsValue of visual aids-flip charts, handouts etc.

Presentation Skills

Prepare ClosingLast 2 to 2.5 minutes are as critical as the first

five minutes for a successful presentationSummarize- highlight important pointsSuggest action- what to do and when, where and

how to do it

Presentation Skills

Stage FrightEveryone has it to some degreeCan be used constructivelyKey issue is not elimination of fear

Instead channel the energy it generates for an effective presentation

Presentation Skills

Effective DeliveryBe active - moveBe purposeful - controlled gesturesVariations – vocal (pitch, volume, rate)Be naturalBe direct – don’t just talk in front of the

audience talk to them

Group Facilitation

Verbal Communication- barriersSpeaking too fastUsing jargonTone and contentComplicated or ambiguous languageNot questioningPhysical State of the audience

Presentation Skills

Sensitivity to the audience

“see” the audienceTake non-verbal feedback

-congruent and incongruent body languageModify to meet audience needsDon’t just make it as a presentation

Presentation Skills

Handling Questions

Do not get confusedYou are not supposed to know everythingAnticipate and keep answers readySometime questions themselves give you a lead

to highlight your point of view

Presentation Skills

Visual AidsWhile using a over head projector face the

audience while talkingPoint with a penAppropriate lightingWatch the coloursEnsure clear visibility10 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 March AprilBlue Balls 20.4 27.4 90 20.4Red Balls 30.6 38.6 34.6 31.6

Graphs - Good

Items Sold in First Quarter of 2002

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

January February March April

Blue Balls

Red Balls

Graphs - Bad

20.4

27.4

90

20.4

30.6

38.6

34.631.6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

January February March April

Blue Balls

Red Balls

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

Documents

Lecture 24 Project Communications Management Copyright Course Technology 2001 1