HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Introduction

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.

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 1

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Processes & 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.

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 2

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Communications 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

to whom, when, and how describing what information goes   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.

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 3

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT Sample Stakeholder Analysis for Project Communications Stakeholders

Customer Management Customer Business Staff Customer Technical Staff

Document Name

Monthly Status Report Monthly Status Report

Document Format

Hard copy Hard copy Monthly Status Report Internal Management Internal Business and Technical Staff Training Subcontractor Monthly Status Report Monthly Status Report Training Plan Software Subcontractor Software Implementation Plan CDU – School of Information Technology E-mail Hard copy Intranet Hard Copy E-mail

Contact Person Due

Gail Feldman, Tony Silva Julie Grant, Jeff Martin Evan Dodge, Nancy Michaels Bob Thomson First of month First of month First of month First of month Angie Liu Jonathan Kraus Barbara Gates First of month 11/1/1999 6/1/2000 Communications Management - Slide 4

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Information 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.

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 5

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

What 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 CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 6

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT The Impact of the Number of People on Communications Channels

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 7

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Performance 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.

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 8

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Administrative Closure

A project or phase of a project requires closure.

Administrative closure produces:  Project archives.

 Formal acceptance.

 Lessons learned.

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 9

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Suggestions 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.

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 10

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Conflict Handling Modes

There are five basic Conflict Handling Modes. In preference order these are: 1.

Confrontation or problem-solving

face a conflict.

: directly 2.

3.

4.

5.

Compromise

: use a give-and-take approach.

Smoothing

: de-emphasize areas of differences and emphasize areas of agreement.

Forcing

: the win-lose approach.

Withdrawal

: retreat or withdraw from an actual or potential disagreement.

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 11

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Develop 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.

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 12

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Running 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 MANAGEMENT

Guidelines 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.

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 14

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Templates 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.

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 15

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Sample Template for a Monthly Progress Report

I.

Accomplishments for Month of January (or appropriate month):

  Describe most important accomplishments. Relate to project's Gantt chart Describe other important accomplishments, one bullet for each. If any issues were resolved from the previous month, list them as accomplishments.

II.

Plans for February (or following month):

 Describe most important items to be accomplished in the next month. Again relate to the project's Gantt chart.

 Describe other important items to accomplish, one bullet for each

III.

Issues:

Briefly list important issues that surfaced or are still important. Managers hate surprises and want to help the project succeed, so be sure to list issues.

IV.

Project Changes (Date and Description):

List any approved or requested changes to the project. Include the date of the change and a brief description.

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 16

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT Sample Template for a Letter of Agreement for a Class Project I.

Project Description:

Describe the project's objective, scope, assumptions, cost information, and schedule information, as shown in Figure 9-2. Be sure to include important dates that the project's sponsor needs to be aware of

II.

Organizational Goals and Expectations:

Have the main sponsor from the organization briefly state their goals and expectations for the project.

III.

Student Goals and Expectations:

Students on the project team should briefly state their goals and expectations for the project.

IV.

Meeting Information.

It is a good idea for the project's sponsor and all students on the project team to agree on at least one hour per week where all parties can meet to work on this project. The meeting place should be a convenient location without distractions. Virtual meetings may be an option for some people and projects.

V.

Contact Information and Communications Plan:

List the sponsor's and students' names, phone numbers, e-mails, and important procedures for communications. It is a good idea to set up a web site for all project information.

VI.

Signatures:

Have the main sponsor and students on the project team sign the letter of agreement. Designate which student is the project manager. This student should be the main contact for all project information.

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HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Outline for a Final Project Report

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

Cover page Table of contents and executive summary (for a long report) Need for the project Project description and letter of agreement Overall outcome of the project and reasons for success or failure Project management tools and techniques used and assessment of them Project team recommendations and future considerations Final project Gantt chart Attachments with all deliverables CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 18

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Gantt Chart Template for a Class Project

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 19

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Developing 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.

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 20

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Using 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).

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 21

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

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 22

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Conclusion - 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 MANAGEMENT

Conclusion - 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.

CDU – School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 24