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PM00.6 Project Management Preparation for Success * Manage Communication *

Learn the importance of communication in project management and how to effectively communicate with stakeholders and project teams. Discover best practices for status reporting, managing expectations, and conducting effective status meetings.

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PM00.6 Project Management Preparation for Success * Manage Communication *

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  1. PM00.6Project Management Preparation for Success * Manage Communication *

  2. The Importance of Communication The ability to communicate heads the list of criteria for success….. Peter Drucker “A high percentage of the frictions, frustrations and inefficiencies in our working relationships is traceable to poor communication. In almost every case, the miscommunication of a design drawing, a misunderstood change order, a missed delivery date or the failure to execute instructions is the result of a breakdown in communication.” Richard W. Sievert, Jr., Project Management Journal

  3. Group Exercise Review - • List the ways project managers communicate status at your company? • Is anyone doing anything unique? • Discuss for all organizations in each group.

  4. Manage Communication • Proper communication is a critical success factor • Deliver the right information to the right audiences • Project team to project manager • Project manager to stakeholders • Minimum, report status on all projects • Status Reports • Status meetings

  5. Basic Status Reporting Purpose • Report on project progress against the workplan • Report project management concerns • Schedule • Budget • Issues • Scope change • Risks • Manage expectations

  6. Project Progress Change Requests Status Report Synthesize Issues Log Other Relevant Info Basic Status Reporting

  7. Basic Status Reporting • Communicate with the target audience in mind (not the sender) • Doesn’t have to be on paper • If you ask for information, use it • Make use of exception reporting

  8. Basic Status Reporting • Use standardized reports • Synthesize and summarize as you go higher in the organization • Green / yellow / red status indicators • Be clear on when communication is due

  9. Basic Status Reporting • Make sure your reporting periods are realistic • Short project – more frequent • Long project – less frequent • Be creative in how you share information • Voicemail • Email • Paper • Web …

  10. Basic Status Reporting Warning: Don’t depend on status reports alone to keep your customer / manager fully informed, especially if you are communicating bad news.

  11. Managing Expectations In many (most?) cases where conflicts arise, it is not because of the actual problem, but because the customer / manager was surprised

  12. Manage Communication How do you manage expectations effectively?? COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE

  13. Managing Expectations • Must have a common agreement to begin with • Communicate proactively to manage changes • Periodically assess performance and expectations • Deliver against the expectations • Reset expectations if necessary (once if possible) • Complete the agreement

  14. Status Meeting Meeting Fundamentals • Create agenda • Ask for participant preparation  • Invite only those people who are needed • Start on time (but allow for prior meetings)  • Explain the purpose and expected outcome • Follow the agenda, and watch the time • Document action items • Recap action items, who is responsible and due date • Recap any decisions

  15. Basic Status Reporting Major Deliverables • Individual status report • Team members to project manager • Weekly / monthly project status report • Project manager to stakeholders • May have multiple formats for different audiences • Status meetings

  16. Manage Communication Q: How do you make sure you get the right information about your project to the right audiences, in the most effective manner? Answer:PLANNING

  17. The Communication Plan

  18. Communication Plan • Determine the project stakeholders and their communication needs • For each stakeholder, brainstorm how to fulfill the communication need • Prioritize the communication options • Implement any communications that are mandatory • Implement high value communication options • Add the resulting activities to the workplan

  19. High Impact Low Impact High Effort Low Effort Communication Plan Focus here first

  20. Communication Plan • Compliance • Reporting, required data, status, “push” • Information • Education, “how to”, “pull” • Marketing • Sell, keep sold, “push”

  21. Communication Plan Compliance examples • Project Status Reports • Regular voicemail updates (of status) • Status meetings • Meetings with Steering Committee • Regular conference calls and videoconferences with remote stakeholders • Government required reports and other information • Financial reporting such as budget status, headcount, run rate etc.

  22. Communication Plan Information examples • Awareness building sessions (not training, build awareness.) • Project deliverables placed in a common repository, directory or library that people can access • Project information on a website

  23. Communication Plan Marketing examples • Project newsletters, with positive marketing spin • Contests with simple prizes to build excitement • Project acronyms and slogans to portray positive images • Project countdown till live date • Celebrations to bring visibility to the completion of major milestones • Project memorabilia - pins, pencils, cups, T-shirts, etc.

  24. Branding a Project • More sophisticated form of marketing communication • Establish an identity that conjures up a positive image and goodwill. • Associate an image and a feeling when a person hears of your project

  25. Branding a Project • Proactively build your image, rather than have one branded on you • Examples include: • Establish a positive project name / acronym • Establish an image / logo • Trinkets, logo material - t-shirts, pencils, cups, etc.

  26. Advanced Communications Major Deliverable • Communication Plan

  27. Case Study #9 – Manage Communication Building a Communication Plan • Review the class case study • Determine the communication needs of the major stakeholders • Sponsor (both) • Director • Project team • Vendor team • Determine method and frequency of delivering the communication and who will be responsible • USA Finance Managers • USA users • International managers • Other

  28. Manage the Project • Manage workplan • Manage issues • Manage scope • Manage communication • Manage risk • Manage documentation • Manage quality • Manage metrics

  29. Learning Objectives By the end of class, each participant should be able to: • Understand the value of project management processes • Review the various aspects of defining a project • Build and maintain an appropriate project workplan • Identify and manage issues, scope and communication • Identify and manage project risks • Determine methods to manage project documentation • Identify and manage to the appropriate level of quality • Identify metrics to improve processes and declare success

  30. Questions??

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