PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION Project Management and Leadership – 2016

Changing priorities within organization – 40%

Inaccurate requirements – 38%

Change in project objectives – 35%

Undefined risks/opportunities – 30%

Poor communication – 30%

Undefined project goals – 30%

Inadequate sponsor support – 29%

Inadequate cost estimates – 29%

Inaccurate task time estimate – 27%

Resource dependency – 25%

Poor change management – 25%

Inadequate resource forecasting – 23%

http://www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/learning/translations/2015/capture-value-project-management-uk.ashx (p.25) WH

Y D

O P

RO

JEC

TS F

AIL

?

the social process in which two or more parties exchange information and share meaning

COMMUNICATION

(mod. GRIFFIN 2014, p.295)

ORG

ANIZ

ATIO

NAL

CO

MM

UN

ICAT

ION

Achieving coordinated action is the prime purpose of communication in organizations.

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION is realized through formal and informal networks.

(mod. GRIFFIN 2014, p.295) ORG

ANIZ

ATIO

NAL

CO

MM

UN

ICAT

ION

FORMAL COMMUNICATION

flows along the official paths prescribed by the organization’s chain of command and is shown by its organizational chart.

DOWNWARD

UPWARD

HORIZONTAL

(HAMILTON 2011, p.30) ORG

ANIZ

ATIO

NAL

CO

MM

UN

ICAT

ION

FORMAL NETWORKS ARE INEFFICIENT IN

Dealing with complex or detailed problems

Unanticipated communication needs

Exchanging information rapidly

Managing crises

Sharing personal information

(mod. HAMILTON 2011, p.33) ORG

ANIZ

ATIO

NAL

CO

MM

UN

ICAT

ION

IMPORTANCE OF GRAPEVINE (INFORMAL)

The type of information it carries indicates the organizational health

Information carried by the grapevine is 75 to 95% accurate

Information carried by the grapevine travels fast

People who regularly use the grapevine are more satisfied with their jobs and more committed to the organization

Effective managers use the grapevine

(HAMILTON 2011, p.33-34) ORG

ANIZ

ATIO

NAL

CO

MM

UN

ICAT

ION

THE COMMUNICATION NETWORK

(GRIFFIN 2014, p.308)

ORG

ANIZ

ATIO

NAL

CO

MM

UN

ICAT

ION

ROLES IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

GATEKEEPER

LIAISON

COSMOPOLITE

ISOLATE/

ISOLATED DYAD

(mod. GRIFFIN 2014, p.308)

ORG

ANIZ

ATIO

NAL

CO

MM

UN

ICAT

ION

A strategic position in the network allowing to control information moving in either direction through a channel

A bridge between groups, tying groups together and facilitating the flow needed to integrate group activities

links the organization to the external environment; may also be an opinion leader in the group

tend to work alone and to interact little with others

HIGHLIGHTS:

1. COMMUNICATION GIVES LIFE TO ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

2. INFORMAL COMMUNICATION IS NO LESS IMPORTANT THAN THE FORMAL ONE

3. POSITION IN THE COMMUNICATION NETWORK CAN GIVE YOU POWER

RANK KEY LEARNING AREA FREQ. %

1 Oral and written communication skills 25 13,7

1 Interpersonal skills 25 13,7

3 Financial/managerial accounting skills 22 12,1

4 Ability to think, be analytical, and make decisions 20 11,0

5 Strategic planning and goal setting 13 7,1

6 Motivation and commitment to the firm—giving “110 percent” 12 6,6

7 Understanding of economics 11 6,0

8 Management information systems and computer applications 9 4,9

8 Thorough knowledge of your business, culture, overall environment 9 4,9

8 Marketing concept (the customer is king) and skills 9 4,9

11 Integrity 7 3,8

11 Knowledge of yourself: setting career objectives 7 3,8

13 Leadership skills 6 3,3

13 Understanding of the functional areas of the business 6 3,3

15 Time management: setting priorities—work smart, not hard 1 0,5

(mod. CERTO & CERTO 2012, p.348)

> 50%

WH

AT S

KILL

S M

UST

CEO

s LE

AR

N?

COMMUNICATION

the relational process of creating and interpreting messages that elicit a response messages can be in any medium

creating: the communicator makes a conscious choice of message form and substance

interpreting: words and other symbols are polysemic—open to multiple interpretations

relational: is between two or more persons, affects the nature of the connections

elicits: if the message stimulates no reaction, it is not communication

(mod. GRIFFIN 2011, p.6-9)

INTE

RPES

RON

AL

COM

MU

NIC

ATI

ON

The INFORMATION TRANSFER model

SOURCE RECEIVER ENCODING DECODING MESSAGE

SOURCE RECEIVER ENCODING DECODING FEEDBACK MESSAGE

‘NOISE’

INTE

RPES

RON

AL

COM

MU

NIC

ATI

ON

THE TWO PURPOSES OF COMMUNICATION

1. INFORMATION

2. INFLUENCE

INTE

RPES

RON

AL

COM

MU

NIC

ATI

ON

1. ANALYZE the receiver

2. PLAN the approach (the goal, the channel, encoding, noises)

3. DELIVER the message

4. GET RESPONSE

TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

(mod. CAMPBELL 2009, p.59)

INTE

RPES

RON

AL

COM

MU

NIC

ATI

ON

The sense of harmony, recognition and mutual acceptance

RAPPORT

existing between people when they are at ease with one another and where communication is occurring easily

INTE

RPES

RON

AL

COM

MU

NIC

ATI

ON

Ego suspension

Artificial time constraints

Slower rate of speech

Reciprocal altruism

Quid pro quo

Sympathy/assistance

Validation

Ask HOW, WHEN, and WHY questions

Accommodating nonverbals

TECHNIQUES FOR BUILDING QUICK RAPPORT

(mod. HADNAGY 2014, p.179-181)

INTE

RPES

RON

AL

COM

MU

NIC

ATI

ON

MOST CRITICAL to LEAST CRITICAL

PROBLEM/SOLUTION

BIG PICTURE/SMALL PICTURE

COMPARE/CONTRAST

TACTICS FOR INFORMATION DELIVERY

(based on CAMPBELL 2009, p.65)

INTE

RPES

RON

AL

COM

MU

NIC

ATI

ON

PRIMACY

EMOTION

FREQUENCY

RECENCY

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION DELIVERY

(based on CAMPBELL 2009, p.69-70)

INTE

RPES

RON

AL

COM

MU

NIC

ATI

ON

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

ORGANIZATIONAL INDIVIDUAL

Information overload

Information distortion

Specialty area jargon

Time pressures

Cross-cultural barriers

Network breakdown

(HITT et al. 2011, pp.343-350)

Different perceptions (frames)

Semantic differences

Status differences

Consideration of self-interest

Personal space

Poor listening skills

HIGHLIGHTS:

4. COMMUNICATION SKILLS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR A LEADER/MANAGER

5. ANALYZE YOUR TARGETS – PLAN – DELIVER – GET RESPONSE

6. RAPPORT IS ESSENTIAL FOR INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

PURPOSE

PREPARATION

PROCESS

PARTICIPATION

PROGRESS

THE 5Ps OF PRODUCTIVE MEETINGS

Plan, compose, revise clear, complete, concise messages

Personalize messages

Include a specific and complete subject line (eom)

Max. 4-5 lines in a paragraph; blank lines between paragraphs

Add attachments before composing a message

Use ‘high importance’ flags and CAPS sparingly

25% of all emails are open at 08-09 and 15-16

E-MAIL TIPS

PRESENTING TO PUBLIC

ANXIETY …is an evolution’s way of keeping us safe

OPTIMAL AROUSAL THEORY

SOCIAL FACILITATION THEORY

(YERKES & DODSON 1908)

(ZAJONC 1965)

PRES

ENTI

NG

TO

PU

BLIC

TO GET OPTIMUM TENSION

1. USE POSITIVE SELF-TALK

2. DO MENTAL SIMULATION

3. OVERLEARN

PRES

ENTI

NG

TO

PU

BLIC

1. THINK OF THE HEADLINES FIRST

1. Gather ideas

2. Sequence them

3. Prepare an OUTLINE

PRES

ENTI

NG

TO

PU

BLIC

2. TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OUR MIND’S ABILITIES

1. The ‘magical’ number is 4*

2. We can have 7-10 min of sustained attention

3. We have different learning styles

4. Pictures beat text

and abilities to see colour

*(COWAN 2010): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2864034/

at font size ≥ 30

PRES

ENTI

NG

TO

PU

BLIC

3. USE STORIES

1. Facts give stories substance; stories give facts meaning

2. Stories engage listeners emotionally

3. Stories can be boiled down to ‘experiences’

4. Yet, stories are not a panacea

PRES

ENTI

NG

TO

PU

BLIC

4. PUBLIC SPEAKING IS A PERFORMANCE ART

1. Have a remote control

2. Practice x3

3. Dress up

4. Looking authentic takes time

PRES

ENTI

NG

TO

PU

BLIC

HIGHLIGHTS:

7. WORK ON YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS