According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), "Project Communications includes the processes required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, dissemination, storage, and ultimate disposition of project information. It provides critical links among people, ideas, and information that are necessary for success. Everyone involved in the project must be prepared to send and receive communications, and must understand how the communications in which they are involved affect the projects as a whole".
What does this mean in the real world? Keep those that need to know informed. Use face-to-face meetings, phone calls, e-mails, status reports, project status web sites, meetings, and other ways to keep users abreast of project progress, issues, and concerns.
Be aware that on many projects there will be stakeholders that are out to sabotage your project. Sometimes these actions will be obvious, and sometimes the signs will be subtle. Occasionally the saboteur doesn't even realize the damage they are doing. It could be just the way in which they go about doing their job. They may be confrontational with everyone they work with and they may not care what others think. Be prepared to gently confront these stakeholders and escalate through the management chain if necessary to keep your project's communications effective and relevant.
PMI considers Project Communications to be very important. It is one of the nine knowledge areas as defined by PMI's PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge). It is an area of knowledge you must master to be a successful project manager, and if you hope to pass the Project Management Professional certification exam.
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Project Communications
Good communications are a necessity if you want to have success on your projects. You need continual, effective communications among all team members during the life of the project if you want to minimize problems with stakeholders.
Agreements must be made early on regarding goals, how problems will be addressed and solved, how resources will be managed, and how the expectations of stakeholders will be satisfied. Project Communications are conducted throughout the lifecycle of the project. When the customer creates a business case or project request they start the communications process and the activities that follow (Project Charter, Statement of Work, Work Breakdown Structure, etc) support the project's communications effort. All project teams need to keep in mind the four major communication areas they must support.
RESPONSIBILITY: Each member of the team needs to be aware of their role on the team and their responsibilities.
COORDINATION: Information among team members is shared and each member works to carry out their assignments in the time allotted.
STATUS: Progress is tracked, issues are identified, and action is taken to remedy any problems. Project status reports are distributed to all project stakeholders.
AUTHORIZATION: Team members must be kept informed about decisions made by customers, vendors, sponsors, and management personnel that relate to the project.
Agreements must be made early on regarding goals, how problems will be addressed and solved, how resources will be managed, and how the expectations of stakeholders will be satisfied. Project Communications are conducted throughout the lifecycle of the project. When the customer creates a business case or project request they start the communications process and the activities that follow (Project Charter, Statement of Work, Work Breakdown Structure, etc) support the project's communications effort. All project teams need to keep in mind the four major communication areas they must support.
RESPONSIBILITY: Each member of the team needs to be aware of their role on the team and their responsibilities.
COORDINATION: Information among team members is shared and each member works to carry out their assignments in the time allotted.
STATUS: Progress is tracked, issues are identified, and action is taken to remedy any problems. Project status reports are distributed to all project stakeholders.
AUTHORIZATION: Team members must be kept informed about decisions made by customers, vendors, sponsors, and management personnel that relate to the project.
Initial Posting
As a project manager working for a County Government I am faced with challenges everyday that I didn't often experience in the private sector. Hidden agendas, internal politics, and silo mentalities make for an environment that has many pitfalls, but also many rewards.
In the seventeen years I have been a project manager I have prided myself on my ability to work with others towards a common goal. I feel that a project manager's greatest attribute is his or her communication skills and the ability to be flexible when presented with a challenge. My goal in creating this BLOG is to pass along some of my thoughts and learnings, which will hopefully help you to avoid repeating the mistakes I have made over the years.
Stephen Seay, PMP
In the seventeen years I have been a project manager I have prided myself on my ability to work with others towards a common goal. I feel that a project manager's greatest attribute is his or her communication skills and the ability to be flexible when presented with a challenge. My goal in creating this BLOG is to pass along some of my thoughts and learnings, which will hopefully help you to avoid repeating the mistakes I have made over the years.
Stephen Seay, PMP