The greatest threat to many projects is a failure to communicate.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTIntroduction

• The greatest threat to many projects is a failure
  to communicate.
• Our culture does not portray IT professionals as
  being good communicators.
• BUT, 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.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTProcesses
Definitions

• 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.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTCommunications
Planning

• Every project should include a communications
  management plan to guide project communications.
  A Communications Management Plan should contain
• 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.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTSample
Stakeholder Analysis for Project Communications
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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTInformation
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.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTWhat 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. Some companies, such as Amazon.com,
have established policies to encourage employees
to watch their use of e-mail and delete it often.
Their "Sweep and Clean" program instructed
employees to purge e-mails that were no longer
required for business or legal purposes. They
even offered free café lattes to employees who
complied immediately.
Harmon, Amy, "E-mail comes back to haunt
companies," November 29, 1998
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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTThe Impact of
the Number of People on Communications Channels
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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTPerformance
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.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTAdministrative
Closure

• A project or phase of a project requires closure.
• Administrative closure produces
• Project archives.
• Formal acceptance.
• Lessons learned.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTSuggestions
for Improving Project Communications

• The following are important issues that project
  managers and team members must address if they
  are to deliver effective project communications
• Resolve conflicts effectively.
• Develop better communication skills.
• Run effective meetings.
• Use templates for project communications.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTConflict
Handling Modes

• There are five basic Conflict Handling Modes. In
  preference order these are
• 1. Confrontation or problem-solving directly
  face a conflict.
• 2. Compromise use a give-and-take approach.
• 3. Smoothing de-emphasize areas of differences
  and emphasize areas of agreement.
• 4. Forcing the win-lose approach.
• 5. Withdrawal retreat or withdraw from an actual
  or potential disagreement.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTDevelop better
communication skills

• Projects rely heavily on leadership, teamwork,
  cooperation and mutual understanding. Empathy, a
  vital ingredient of communication, is influenced
  by the attitude and example of project managers
  and their ability in interpersonal communication.
• It takes leadership to help improve
  communication. Senior management must set and
  lead by example.
• Information technology professionals must have
  the opportunity to develop communication skills.
  They need to be able to gain experience in
  drafting reports, making presentations, and
  managing important business relationships.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTRunning
effective meetings

• A well-run meeting is an important means for
  encouraging team building and reinforcing
  expectations, roles, relationships, and
  commitment to the project.
• However, a poorly run meeting can have a
  detrimental effect on a project. In particular,
  many people complain about the time they waste in
  unnecessary, or poorly planned and poorly
  executed meetings.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTGuidelines for
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.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTTemplates for
project communications

• To make the preparation of project communications
  easier, project managers need to provide examples
  and templates for common project communications -
  eg project descriptions, project charters,
  monthly performance reports, oral status reports,
  etc.
• Good documentation from previous projects can be
  an excellent source of examples.
• Samples and templates of both written and oral
  reports are particularly helpful for persons who
  are preparing or presenting reports for the first
  time.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTSample
Template for a Monthly Progress Report
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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTSample
Template for a Letter of Agreement for a Class
Project
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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTOutline for a
Final Project Report
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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTGantt Chart
Template for a Class Project
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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTDeveloping 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.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTUsing Software

• There are many software tools to aid in project
  communications. However, organisations will need
  to adjust existing communication systems to meet
  the special needs of a project.
• Microsoft Project 98 (onwards) include an
  increasing number of features to enhance
  communications within projects (for example -
  publishing project data as a HTML file).

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT
MS Project 98 Information Saved as HTML File
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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTConclusion - 1

• It is becoming more difficult to be a successful
  project manager.
• Projects are becoming more complex and project
  team members more demanding.
• Traditional management approaches have been
  replaced with those that depend on mutually
  beneficial linkage and relationship.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTConclusion - 2

• To develop these relationships, the project
  manager must be a skilled communicator -
• Skilled at getting information.
• Skilled at expressing views without creating
  problems.
• Skilled at discussing behaviour issues.