Art of Effective Communication in Project Management

9/4/2015 Art
of Effective Communication in Project Management
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Home > Learning > Answers by Topic > Art Of Communication In Project Management
Art Of Communication In ADVERTISEMENT
Project Management
Sivasankari Rajkumar, Citigroup Services Japan, Tokyo, Japan
Indhu KP, Tata Consultancy Services, Bangalore, India
Communication works for those who work at it—John Powell
Abstract
This paper focuses on the importance of communication in project
management. Nothing is more important to the success of a project than
effective communication. More effective communication = Better project
management is obviously known to everyone in project management, but we
do face difficulties in implementing it due to various factors like the nature of
the project, structure of the organization etc. About 90% of the time in a Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Email More
project is spent on communication by the project manager. If this continues in
a project, there is a danger of missing the deliverables or other outcomes as
required by the sponsor. This paper highlights more specific details like, what
communication means in a project, the steps required for effective
Reprints & Permissions
communication, the major obstacles in communication, how to overcome
obstacles through communication sharing, the importance of communications
in diverse work groups and provides a fourstep process for effective
communication explained with a case study. As all of us know,
communication is not an absolute, finite thing. Developing an effective Search Articles & Topics
communication plan is explained in steps on how to identify communication
requirements: 5Ws (What, Why, Who, Where, When) and 1H (How). Search for Articles & Topics
Enterprise environmental factors and organizational process assets are also
described. So in short, if the steps outlined in this paper are considered and
followed, more time would be saved for the project manager. Therefore, he
or she can concentrate on other loopholes and successfully complete the
project. Related Articles
A Match Made In Heaven
Paving Paths
Setting The Course
Communication—The Life Blood The Future Is Now
Triple Threat
Communication is an essential process in our daytoday life, and the entire
world revolves around it. Lasswell's Maxim defines communication as “who
says what to whom in what channel with what effect”. Communication is
exchanging of information from one point of the project to the other point in
an efficient manner. Like this, there are various definitions and concepts Stay Connected
about communication in today's world. However, how important is this
communication in project management, we can say that this is “Project—Life
Follow PMI on:
Blood” as everything in a project is based on how efficiently we perform this.
Communication is an essential tool in the field of project management. It is Facebook
gaining importance everyday and is the center of all management processes
soon. The success of a project largely depends on the efficiency of its
Twitter
communication network. It starts working from day one of the venture and
continues for the entire life span of the project. It provides regular updates to
http://www.pmi.org/learning/effectivecommunicationbetterprojectmanagement6480?id=6480 1/14
9/4/2015 Art of Effective Communication in Project Management
notify the status of the project as well as its performance capacity. But
surprisingly, it has been found that most projects experience a breakdown in LinkedIn
communications. It has been said that 90% of a project manager's time is
spent communicating what is going to be done. This paper details what
YouTube
communication means in a project, the steps required for effective
communication, the major obstacles in communication, how to overcome
obstacles through communication sharing, the importance of communications Google+
in diverse work groups, and a fourstep process for effective communication.
Communication—Project Management
Starts With a Big “C”
The word communication comes from the Latin word communis, which
means common. When we communicate, we are trying to establish
“commonness” with someone. That is, we are trying to share information, an
idea, or an attitude among the team involved in that particular project.
One can never take for granted that the receiver will interpret the message
the same way as the sender intended it. Communication is not an absolute,
finite thing. To do this effectively, the project manager needs to consider all
the factors like the different realities, the space the communication takes
place in, verbal as well as nonverbal messages, and the intended meaning
versus the perceived meaning, etc. Figure 1 depicts the cost of bad
communication.
Figure 1. The Price of Poor Communication
Therefore, the communication process
needs to be efficient and effective.
Understanding the Communications Process
To communicate effectively, project managers must have a good
understanding of the communications process.
Figure 2. The Communications Process
To understand the communications process, project managers must
understand all the relevant factors.
1. The communications process requires a sender and receiver. The sender
formulates the message to communicate, which is meant for a receiver.
The sender creates the content with some intent in mind. The receiver, of
course, receives the message and then deals with it according to personal
reactions. He or she may accept, revise, or reject the message. For
example, a project manager informs the customer that a slide on a major
milestone will occur and provides reasons. The customer, in turn, may
make a decision based upon that information.
2. The communications process requires a medium to communicate the
content of a message. The medium may take just about any form, each
unique in its ability to influence the receptivity of the receiver. As with the
message itself, the receiver may elect to accept or reject the medium
employed. The receiver may even elect to alter the medium so that he or
she can receive and interpret the message according to his or her
preferences. In the earlier example with the schedule slide, a project
manager may send the message as email rather than have a faceto
face meeting with the customer.
3. The communications process requires a message. The message can take
many different forms, usually in hard or soft format. The hard format is
usually written on paper whereas soft format is electronic. Regardless of
the format, a message is necessary to initiate a communication and
stimulate a relationship between two or more people. In the previously
mentioned example, the message is that the project will slide a major
milestone and it is sent in a soft (e.g., electronic) format.
4. The communications process requires feedback between the sender and
receiver. Feedback may be positive, negative, or neutral, indicating the
receptivity of the sender or receiver. Feedback can also be simple or
complex. Simple feedback occurs when it involves just two people;
complex feedback is when the process involves three or more people.
The movement from simple to complex is because the number of
channels and opportunities for misinterpretation increase geometrically as
each one codes their message and the other decodes the same. In the
last example, the customer gives negative feedback in soft copy format
but suggests a followup meeting to discuss the results.
5. The communications process is rarely “clean,” meaning that what the
recipient receives may not be necessarily what the sender sent. A number
of variables can affect the quality of a message including the following:
beliefs, values, the emotional impact of a message, and the medium
employed. These variables and others often referred to as “noise,” can
affect the degree of receptivity of a message and the feedback on the part
of the sender or receiver. For example, the sender may not really believe
in a message he or she formulates, but this person may be compelled to
send it; the content of the message and its mode of delivery may influence
the quality of the message and, ultimately, its receptivity. For example, a
project manager may decide to communicate via email rather than in
person to key stakeholders. The reason may be to avoid direct conflict
with the recipients of the message due to the personalities involved.
6. The communications process will always be in a setting or context that
influences results. This context often involves time, space, and structure.
Time may refer to the day of the week. Space may be as simple as the
location of a person, or it may involve a project spread over a wide
geographical area. Structure may be the organizational network in place
for supporting the communications process of a project. For example, a
project manager may want to communicate negative information about a
schedule performance only in a specific setting, such as a project status
review. Understanding the influence and interplay of the different variables
involved requires a deep appreciation of these elements: sender and
receiver, message, medium, feedback, variables, and setting.
The basic communication model is explained here using fax machine as an
example,
Figure 3. A Communications Model
Figure 2 explains how communication moves from one person to another. If
we imagine each portion of the model as a fax machine, it would be easier to
visualize the components.
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.
Similarly, there may be many reasons for misinterpretation of information
within the project team. In order to avoid this, each project manager should
follow some basic steps to be effective in this communication process. Let us
see how in the further sections.
Effective Communication Steps: To
Keep Communication Alive
Communication is a vital element of a wellmanaged project. There are two
main groups of people with whom the project manager needs to ensure clear
and effective communication, the stakeholders and the project team. Every
project will be sponsored by a part of the business with a stake in the
outcome. They will likely be represented on the project board, which sets the
objectives for the project and monitors progress over time. The project board
will include others with a stake in the outcome, for example, those who will
need to implement the project outcomes and those who will need to supply
resource once the project outcomes have been met. All of these stakeholders
will need regular updates, and it is imperative that communication with them
is regular, clear and complete.
In addition, projects often involve the need for the project manager to
coordinate the work of a large group of people working on different aspects
of the project (often referred to as work streams). The project manager is
required to ensure that everyone is clear about what he or she must achieve
and he or she also needs to clearly report on progress to the project board
and/or project sponsors. There are many opportunities for things to go badly
wrong if an effective communication is not established and maintained.
The following steps will help the project manager to communicate effectively,
An Effective Communications Plan in Place is the Key
Based on stakeholder analysis, the project manager and the project team
can determine the communications that are needed. There is no advantage
of supplying stakeholders with information that isn't needed or desired, and
the time spent creating and delivering such information is a waste of
resources.
A communications management plan can organize and document the
process, types, and expectations of communications. It provides the
following:
The stakeholder communications requirements in order to communicate
the appropriate information as demanded by the stakeholders.
Information on what is to be communicated. This plan includes the
expected format, content, and detail—thinks project reports versus quick
email updates.
Details on how needed information flows through the project to the correct
individuals. The communication structure documents where the
information will originate, to whom the information will be sent, and in what
modality the information is acceptable.
Appropriate methods for communicating include emails, memos, reports,
and even press releases.
Schedules of when the various types of communication should occur.
Some communications, such as status meetings, should happen on a
regular schedule, while other communications may be prompted by
conditions within the project.
Escalation processes and timeframes for moving issues upwards in the
organization when they can't be solved at lower levels.
Methods to retrieve information as needed.
Instructions on how the communications management plan can be
updated as the project progresses.
A project glossary.
The communications plan may also include information and guidelines for
project status meetings, team meetings, emeetings (that's electronic
meetings, not meetings about the letter e), and even email. Setting
expectations for communications and meetings early in the project
establishes guidelines for the project team and stakeholders.
Four Steps Process for Effective
Communication
Identify Communication Requirements
The project manager and the project team work together to identify who
needs what information. In other words, project management needs to know
what the requirements of successful communications are in order to plan on
how to achieve those requirements.
First, the team to whom communication is essential needs to be determine
the number of channels of communication possible using the communication
formula as illustrated in A Guide to the Project Management Body of
Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide)—Fourth Edition (Project Management Institute
[PMI]. 2008) This is a very simple equation that any good program and
project manager should know which is: N(N1)/2.
Using the formula, let us take an example with a small project team of five
people where the formula calculates that there are 10 possible channels of
communication as:
5(51)/2 = 5(4)/2 = 20/2 = 10. So the project manager must ensure
that five people on th team are communicating real time, and that
there are no gaps in everyone's' understanding that they need to
manage only 10 communication channels among the team.
Stakeholders will need different types of information, depending on their
interest in project and the priority of the project. The project manager will
need to complete the analysis of the identified stakeholders to determine
what information they actually need as well as how often the information is
needed. The project manager and the project team can identify the demand
for communications using the following,
Organization charts,
The project structure within the performing organization,
Stakeholder responsibility relationships,
Departments and disciplines involved within the project work,
The number of individuals involved in the project and their locales,
Internal and external information needs, and
Stakeholder information.
1. Identify the 5Ws (Why, What, When, Where, Who) and 1H (How)
Who needs to be communicated to. This is based on the communication
formula and needs to be determined.
What needs to be communicated. All information related to the project
need not be communicated to everyone in the team.
When it should be communicated. The timeline of communication should
be monitored.
Where should it be communicated. If the team involves many people, then
individual level and team level communications needs to be resolved.
Why communication of information is essential and to what level is
important. Why is it not encouraged as it is blame rather than change.
How the communication needs to be done. Is it conducted via email,
phone, or a presentation done to the team members?
Figure 4. The 5 “W's” and 1 “H”
2. Identify and Accommodate the Enterprise Environmental Factors
Much of the communications management processes are linked to the
enterprise environmental factors. Enterprise environmental factors that affect
project communications are as follows:
Organizational culture and structure,
Standard and regulations the project must comply with,
The logistics and the organizational infrastructure,
The human resources the project will rely on and interact with,
The policies and procedures for personnel administration,
The project's work authorization system,
The marketplace conditions,
Stakeholder risk tolerances,
Commercial databases that the project may use for estimating, and
Project management information system.
These enterprise factors should be identified and reviewed and the project
manager should align his or her project initiative considering all of these
factors.
3. Identify Organizational Process Assets
The organizational process assets affect how the project manager, project
team, and the stakeholders will communicate within a project. The primary
organizational process assets that affect communication include the
following:
Standards and policies unique to the organization;
Organizational guidelines, work instructions and performance
measurement criteria;
Organizational communication requirements for all projects considering
required and approved technology, security issues, archiving and allowed
communication media;
Project closure requirements;
Financial controls and procedures;
Issue and defect management procedures for all projects;
Change control procedures;
Risk control procedures;
Work authorization systems;
Process measurement database;
Project file structure, organization, and retention;
Historical information and lessons learned requirements;
Issue and defect management databases;
Configuration management databases; and
Project financial databases detailing labor hours, costs, budget issues,
and cost overruns.
These process assets may be unique for each organization, but if this is
reviewed before the initiation of the project and reflected in the
communication to the team, then there will never be a problem throughout
the project.
What are the Major Obstacles in
Communication?
In order to understand major obstacles that come a long way in a project, it is
essential to know the interfaces any project may have. The interfaces are as
follows:
Between organizations (e.g., customersupplier);
Between departments within an organization (e.g., marketingIT);
Between teams within a department (e.g., testersdevelopers); and
Within distributed teams (e.g., part of the team is in Seattle and the other
in Sydney).
The main communication obstacles (across interfaces listed earlier) can be
drilled down to the following three broad areas:
1. Political: Whenever there are many groups involved, there is the
possibility of vested interests and power games getting in the way of
dialogue. Such political obstacles usually originate in the upper ranks of
an organizational hierarchy, a step or two above levels at which projects
are planned and executed. Project managers therefore need to make
special efforts to be aware of the key political players in the organization.
In traditional corporate environments, these might be functional or senior
level managers who are not always obvious project stakeholders.
Once the political players have been identified, the project manager
should take steps to gain their confidence and buyin on project goals.
This should help eliminate political barriers to project communications. It is
best to settle political issues at the level where they originate; escalating
political problems up the hierarchy (i.e., to the manager's manager)
generally does not help, and may even be counterproductive.
2. Cultural: Organizational culture, which is essentially the totality of
assumptions and values commonly held within an organization need to be
dealt with. Clearly, this can vary considerably between organizations—
some may be more open than others may, for example. Communication
at the interface between two organizations with vastly differing cultures
can be difficult. For example, one might expect some differences of
opinion at a joint project planning session involving a very forwardlooking,
cando supplier and a conservative, riskaverse customer. Project
managers can ease such difficulties by understanding the divergences in
attitudes between the parties involved, and then acting as intermediaries
to facilitate communication. In geographically distributed (or virtual) teams,
differences between regional cultures can come into play. These could
manifest themselves in a variety of ways, such as differences in fluency of
language or social attitudes and behaviors. Here again, the project leader,
and the rest of the team for that matter, need to be aware of the
differences and allow for them in project communications.
3. Linguistic: Linguistic needs to be understood in the sense of specialized
terminology used by different disciplines such as accounting, IT,
marketing, etc. Often when specialists from diverse areas get together to
discuss project related matters, there is a tendency for each side to make
assumptions (often tacitly) regarding a common understanding of
specialized jargon. This often leads to incomplete (at best) or incorrect (at
worst) communication. So practical techniques that would solve the above
three obstacles needs to be identified and implemented. In other words,
communication sharing should be best at any project level
Communication Sharing is the Solution
There are many different avenues a project manager and a project team can
take to communicate. Project teams can effectively communicate through
hallway meetings or formal project status meetings. Information can be
transferred from stakeholder to stakeholder through anything from written
notes to complex online databases and tracking systems.
As part of the communications planning, the project manager should identify
all of the required and approved methods of communicating. Some projects
may be highly sensitive and contain classified information that not all
stakeholders are privy to, while other projects may contain information that is
open for anyone to explore. Whatever the case, the project manager should
identify what requirements exist, if any, for the communication modalities.
Communication modalities can also include meetings, reports, memos, e
mails, etc. The project manager should identify the preferred methods of
communicating based on the conditions of the message to be communicated.
Consider the following, which may have an effect on the communication plan:
Urgency of the information: When the information is communicated can
often be as important as what is being communicated. For some projects,
information should be readily available, while other projects are less
demanding.
Technology: Because of the demands of the project, technology
changes may be needed to fulfill the project request. For example, the
project may require an internal Web site that details project progress. If
such a Web site does not exist, time and money will need to be invested
into this communication requirement.
Project staffing: The project manager should evaluate the abilities of the
project team to determine if appropriate levels of competency exist to fulfill
the communication requirements or if training will be required for the
project team.
Project length: The length of the project can have an influence on the
project technology. Advances in technology may replace a longterm
project's communication model. A shortterm project may not have the
same technology requirements as a longterm project, but could benefit
from the successful model a larger project uses.
Project environment: How a team communicates often depends on its
structure. Consider a collocated team versus a virtual team. Each type
can be effective, but there will be differing communication demands for
each type of team.
The project manager may need to be in touch with people in the same
location or various other locations in which project work is being performed. It
is the project manager's duty to determine how to do this information sharing;
he or she should categorize the means of communication. Information
sharing in the current world makes us think of fax machines, telephone, e
mail, and similar tools. How do you prioritize the means of communications
and convey what is really required?
1) In person: The best communication is still facetoface. The project
manager can determine the person's body language and get their tone
and nuances. Very importantly, this often tells more about what is going on
in the project.
2) Telephone: The tone of the voice can be heard. Note that you should
always smile into the telephone, which gives a feeling of upbeat and
confidence in the project.
3) Videoconferencing: This is very useful in saving travel costs.
4) Email: The most popular of these is obviously email next to the
telephone. It is amazing that people are taught how to use an email
system, but are not provided with any guidelines on effective use. Here are
some specific guidelines that would help to increase the efficiency of
communication via email:
• Avoid using email for any sensitive topics;
• Assume that everyone in the company will read your emails;
• Think about what medium to use for communications before you resort to
email;
• Make sure that the title of the email is either very specific or very general;
and
• Avoid using email to discuss an issue in any depth. Email was never
intended to be used as groupware.
5) Fax: This is not highly recommended nowadays, as it is not possible to
confirm if the sent fax was received until the receiver confirms.
Examining Communication Factors
The most common type of communication between a sender and a receiver
is verbal communication. When verbal communication is involved, the project
manager should remember that half of communication is listening. This
means that the project manager must confirm that the receiver understands
the message being sent. The confirmation of the sent message can be seen
in the recipient's body language, feedback, and verbal confirmation of the
sent message. Five terms are used to describe the process of
communicating. They are as follows:
Paralingual: The pitch, tone, and inflections in the sender's voice affect
the message being sent.
Feedback: The sender confirms that the receiver understands the
message by directly asking for a response, questions for clarification, or
other confirmation of the sent message.
Active listening: The receiver confirms that the message is being
received through feedback, questions, prompts for clarity, and other signs
of confirmation.
Effective listening: The receiver is involved in the listening experience
by paying attention to visual clues from the speaker and paralingual
characteristics and by asking relevant questions.
Nonverbal: Approximately 55% of communication is nonverbal. Facial
expressions, hand gestures, and body language contribute to the
message
Did You Know?
“Only 7% of our communication is verbal—the content of our communication.
Thirtyeight percent is conveyed through the quality of voice—tone, volume,
speed and pitch. Fiftyfive percent is through posture, movements, gestures,
facial expressions, breathing and skincolor changes.”
Today in this globalized world, communication between diverse groups is a
major challenge. Let's take a sneak peek.
Importance of Communication in
Diverse Work Groups
Work forces today reflect diverse backgrounds, experiences, and
perspectives. However, while the term diverse includes a larger range of
differences: economic level, educational level, lifestyle, sexual orientation,
geographical and regional differences, plus many other descriptors. The
presence and acknowledgment of these kinds of differences in people can
help a work group communicate effectively and work productively.
Figure 5. Diversity in the Workforce
Communicating in diverse work groups is a business issue. Many
organizations are realizing the value of different perspectives that come with
a diverse work group. Diversity can lead to more ideas and higher levels of
creativity, giving the organization more options and choices; thus resulting in
better outcomes for the organization and better products and services for its
customers.
However, communication within a diverse work group can create complex
and challenging situations. People with varying perspectives and experiences
have different meanings and contexts for words and phrases. They also use
nonverbal expressions differently. What is appropriate to one person may be
offensive to another.
Figure 6. Mechanics of Basic Communication
Successful communication in diverse work groups extends beyond mastering
the mechanics of basic communication (Figure 6); it involves learning to
understand and effectively use words and phrases. Effective communicators
gain knowledge about other people's backgrounds and develop positive work
group relationships.
Tips for Individuals to Communicate to
Achieve Success in a Team
1. Recognize and understand the differences
Know whom you are communicating with. What is the background of each
team member? What are their experiences and how do they shape the team
members' views, opinions, perspectives, and biases? It is imperative to keep
an open and flexible mind.
Recognizing differences means acknowledging and respecting individuals for
who they are; it does not necessarily imply agreement with their perspectives,
nor is it a like/dislike dimension.
You (the sender) need to consider how you are different from the intended
audience. What is your background and experience, and how does the past
shape your views? What are your opinions and biases? Communication is a
twoway process, and you, as the sender, play an important role.
2. Create the appropriate message to communicate
Be clear about the content and goal of your message. Are you
communicating to inform? Asking for input? Clarifying an issue? Resolving a
problem? How should your message be formulated given the differences
between yourself and your audiences? Should your message be direct and to
the point, or should it be more subtle and indirect?
3. Deliver the message
Your message can be delivered in many different ways such as written
document, a team meeting, voice mail, email, or facetoface
communication. Each communication mode has its own advantages and
disadvantages. Select the type that will maximize the successful delivery of
your message given the diversity issues involved. Knowing your audience
can greatly help determine when and how to deliver the message.
4. Obtain the feedback
You will want to check for understanding and ensure that your message was
accurately received. The important point is to ensure accurate
comprehension, not necessarily agreement.
Case Study: FourStep Process for
Effective Communication
Springfield Community Hospital is a large hospital located in the northwest
portion of the United States. They have eight campuses throughout
Washington and Oregon. Their hospitals specialize in general practice, heart
health, longterm care, and health education. This is a key example for the
four steps for effective communication.
The project, led by Martin Anderson, was a paperless initiative that allowed
doctors and nurses to use wireless technologies with patient interaction. The
project, while large and ambitious, helps patients receive more care that is
accurate, reduces paperwork, and streamlines processes throughout the
hospital.
1. Identify Communication Requirements
“A project of this size, with this vast amount of stakeholders, requires this
much communication,” said project sponsor Kisper, as she stretched her
arms wider and wider apart. “Communication is, without a doubt, a project
manager's most important job.”
Throughout the project, Anderson had to work with interfaces from medical,
technical, legal, public relations, business managers, the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA), inspectors from the Office
for Civil Rights, and personnel from the Department of Health and Human
Services. One of the first tasks within the project was to create a project team
directory that included emails, phone numbers, campus locations, and roles
for each project team member. This directory was published in print and on
the hospital's intranet. Because of the variety of the project team members, it
was not ideal to locate all of the project team members in one place
physically, but the directory helped bring the project team closer together.
2. Identify the 5Ws (Why, What, When, Where, Who) and 1H (How)
Who—Anderson, the project manager, had a large project team to work
with. His team included network engineers, wireless engineers, nurses,
doctors, and other health liaisons to incorporate into the project team.
What—The project team, in its early stages, stayed very segmented
between the technical staff and the medical staff. Each part of the project
team had never really worked with each other. Once the project team
began to see how they needed to work with each other in order for the
project deliverable to be successful, the walls began to break down and
thoughtful communication began
When—The initial phase of the project went well thanks to the planning
and simulations the project team completed. Once the first campus was
moved to the wireless system, the project team monitored the facets of
the project and then reported them as expected to the project manager.
Anderson then worked with the project team experts to create solutions
for any problems that cropped up and within two weeks' time, the system
was functional. The first campus served as a model for the remaining
campuses
Where—Anderson created, with the project team's help, a schedule for
weekly status reports throughout the project. In addition, the
communications management plan defined the following:
• When the project team would be expected to report variances in the project
implementation;
• How the project team was to interact with other team members through the
project's work authorization system;
• The expectations from management for status reports, variance reports,
and project summary reports;
• The hospital's public relations department role announcing and reporting on
the project progress;
• The expected communication among the project team, Anderson, and the
functional managers of the project team members;
• The expected modalities for the types of communication; and
• The knowledge management system the hospitals use to store and retrieve
project communications.
Why—In order for the project to succeed, Anderson knew that effective
communication was paramount. In addition to the large project team, he
had considerations from the hospital board of directors, the community,
and ultimately the hospital patients. Very early in the project Anderson
addressed the Communications Management Plan
How—The project communications management was based on a
template for all projects within Springfield Community Hospital. This
project plan, however, addressed new areas of communication demands
because of the structure of the IT department compared to the structure
of the medical staff, their expectations, and availability for communication.
Anderson continually reinforced the pending communication expectations
to keep the project team, stakeholders, and management abreast of the
project
The project team also relied on one another. One of the first tasks within
the project was to create a project team directory that included emails,
phone numbers, campus locations, and roles for each project team
member. This directory was published in print and on the hospital's
intranet. Because of the variety of the project team members, it was not
ideal to locate all of the project team members in one place physically, but
the directory helped bring the project team closer together. Regular status
meetings, email, phone conferences, and impromptu hallway meetings all
contributed to the project's success.
3. Identify and Accommodate the Enterprise Environmental Factors
This project focused on changing the culture to a paperless working
environment. They had to comply with the expected norms and standards of
any health organization. They used the intranet within the organization. The
major databases that provided inputs were the patient records, medical
history, etc.
4. Identify Organizational Process Assets
Hospital standards and policies;
Hospital guidelines, work instructions and performance measurement
criteria;
This was a paperless initiative that allowed doctors and nurses to use
wireless technologies with patient interaction;
Future use of tablet PCs to assist with health care administration, patient
interviews, and hospital rounds;
Project closure requirements;
Financial controls and procedures;
Process measurement database;
Project file structure, organization and retention; and
Historical patient information.
Conclusion
This paper strongly suggests communication is the key for success for any
project. It lists the importance of communication, the communication process,
the steps to keep communication alive, an effective communication plan, four
steps for effective communication, the obstacles in communication,
importance of communication in a diverse work group and tips for any
individual to communicate effectively in a team. Finally, it elaborates a case
study for the fourstep effective communication. It saves time and money,
makes life easier, makes you more profitable, and it just makes sense!
References
Alby, T. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.projectmanagementknowledge.com
Binder, J. (2007). Global project management: Communication, collaboration and
management across borders. Aldershot, UK: Gower.
CBS Interactive Inc. (n.d.). Retrieved from Resources.bnet.com
Hallows, J. (2005). Information systems project management: How to deliver function and
value in information technology projects. New York: AMACOM.
Kliem, R. L. (2008). Effective communications for project management. Boca Raton, FL:
Auerbach Publications.
Kuga, L. A. (1996). Communicating in a diverse workplace: A practical guide to successful
workplace communication techniques. Irvine, CA: Richard Chang Associates, Inc.
Phillips, J. (2007). CAPM/PMP project management allinone exam guide. New York:
McGrawHill.
Project Management Institute. (2008). A guide to the project management body of
knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (4th ed.). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management
Institute.
Project Smart. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.projectsmart.co.uk
Wideman, M. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.maxwideman.com
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author.
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