Managing Communications Effectively and Efficiently

Seminar in the Management of Communication

Educ 107

NIKKOLO PAULO E. ATABELO

MAT-English 2
Introduction

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 a particular situation.

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 non-verbal messages, and the intended meaning versus the
perceived meaning.

Communication is an essential process in our day-to-day 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.

To lead others, you must demonstrate effective communication skills. Otherwise,

a manager will lack the credibility to implement his employer's objectives, and
struggle to rally worker teams behind them. Managers who communicate well
are also more likely to become good problem solvers, which is an essential skill
to function well in an international workplace where diversity is increasingly the
norm. Employees who show an aptitude for verbal and written communication
are more likely to advance up the corporate ladder, as well. Effective
communication between managers and employees is requisite for a
well-functioning workplace. The best managers understand the need for
building alliances and communicating throughout all levels of the organization.
Effective communications skills are a must for breaking down barriers, which
promotes the collaborative atmosphere that an organization needs to thrive. A
typical employee's engagement and interest in work varies from day to day.
Astute managers accept this reality but can tailor their own communication
style to motivate an employee to achieve the desired result.

This paper details what communication means in any organization, the steps
required for effective communication, the major obstacles in communication,
how to overcome obstacles through communication sharing, the importance
of communications in diverse work groups, and a four-step process for effective
communication.

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 e-mail rather than have a
face-to-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 follow-up 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 e-mail
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,

Effective Communication Steps: To Keep Communication Alive

Communication is a vital element of a well-managed 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 e-mail
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 e-mails, 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, e-meetings (that's electronic meetings,
not meetings about the letter e), and even e-mail. Setting expectations for
communications and meetings early in the project establishes guidelines for
the project team and stakeholders.

The Impact of Cultural Differences on Communications

Communication across cultural boundaries adds an element of complexity

and challenge in our communications on projects. We need to consider the
best ways to communicate with others dependent on a number of factors such
as their attitudes toward hierarchy, their communication styles with others,
ability to understand our language and how they might interpret and process
what we tell them in our communications. Nonverbal behaviors are often the
most challenging because individuals of different cultural backgrounds may
react differently to our body movements, facial expressions, eye movements,
and the tone of our voice. For example, in the United States there is a tendency
to be very direct in communications and our approach with others; however, in
other cultures, such as certain parts of Asia, there is a tendency to be more
indirect and soft-spoken (Brislin, 2008, p. 34). As another example, we might use
hand gestures to make our point; however, in some parts of Asia, exaggerated
hand gestures or dramatic facial expressions are distracting and considered
rude. Or, we might ask stakeholders if they have questions about the project,
and hearing none assume everyone is on board and understands what is going
to happen and where they are needed. Only to learn that for the culture with
which we were interacting, asking questions is not a common practice as it is
seen as critical of the speaker or shows weakness on the part of the questioner.
There are a number of resources (some listed in the references in this paper) to
help us understand how others communicate and how they expected to be
communicated with. Understanding a variety of cultures enables us to more
effectively tailor our communications to those individuals.

When you need to communicate across boundaries with stakeholders who

may speak limited English, try the following best practices:

 Keep the number of topics to be discussed in one meeting at a minimum,

be aware of information overload

 In your presentation use visuals and charts to help communicate your ideas

 Use simple terminology – don't use slang, jargon or terms that may not be
universally understood

 Speak clearly and ask specific questions rather than “yes,” “no,” or “do you
understand”

 Be aware of nonverbal cues from stakeholders that may indicate a lack of

understanding

Barriers to effective stakeholder communications are a combination of cultural

biases (our impressions of others), a lack of awareness of cultural differences,
language differences, ethnocentrism and poor listening skills (Brislin, 2008).
When we learn how to get past these barriers and communicate inclusively, we
develop a better understanding of how stakeholders from different cultures
than our own hear and process what we say in our communications to them.

Simple Communication Plan Components

Your simple communication plan should capture the following elements:

 With whom you will communicate (e.g., leadership team)

 What will be communicated (e.g., status report on project)

 When you will communicate (e.g., monthly)

 How you will communicate (e.g., at the leadership meeting)

 Format for your communications (e.g., presentation at the meeting)

The simple communication plan enables for a high-level overview of your

communications with stakeholders. By focusing on stakeholder groups (e.g.,
leadership team), it enables for more effective and efficient communications.
Unless there is a pressing reason to do so, I want to keep my stakeholders
grouped for communications rather than communicating with every single
individual stakeholder. This enables me to better control and manage my
communications overall and reduce the time I need to spend in
communications.

Detailed Communication Plan Components

The detailed communication plan should include much more information

about your stakeholders and your communications to stakeholders, including
guidelines for distributing information about the project and how information
will be gathered from stakeholders.

Capture the following elements in more detailed communication plans:

 List of all stakeholders (individual names), including their responsibility on the

project and contact information (along with time zone differences where
they exist)

 Stakeholder information requirements by group and/or individual

 Requirements for how information will be distributed to stakeholders

including:

o What will be communicated (e.g., status report, project budget)

 o Due dates for communications

o With whom you are communicating (e.g., stakeholder group and/or

individual)

o Person on the team responsible for the communication component

o How you will distribute the information (e.g., email, presentation, via a
portal)

 Requirements for how information will be gathered and reported on,

including:

o What information is needed from stakeholders (e.g., information on the

budget, scope of project)

o Team member responsible for collecting and reporting on the information

o Stakeholder responsible for communicating/sharing the information

o Due dates

 Guidelines for gathering and distributing information

o How project information will be stored

o Approved communications methods and technologies

In addition to using detailed communication plans for complex projects, they

are often of value when managing a variety of stakeholders who must
contribute significantly to the project and/or managing stakeholders who are
very detail oriented in their approach to the project.

Communication plans must be updated on a regular basis. As the project

changes and progresses, your project communications will need to change.
You may also identify new stakeholders to whom you must communicate in a
way differently from your current stakeholders.
Communication Modes and Styles

There are a variety of communication modes and styles. Modes are of

particular importance depending on your stakeholder audience, what you are
communicating and how urgent the communication is to the project. Styles
are based on our own preference for communicating and receiving
communications.

Individuals communicate using a variety of communication styles along a

continuum (Arredondo, 2000, p. 53) that includes passive at one end –
expressive in the middle – aggressive at the other end. There is also the
possibility of a passive-aggressive communicator who moves rapidly from one
end of the continuum to the other. The well-balance communicator is
“expressive” (Arredondo, 2000, p. 55). As a project manager you want to be
“expressive” in your communications. Project managers who are expressive in
their communications are better able to engage stakeholders and keep them
committed throughout the project initiative. They communicate effectively by
enabling for a two-way conversation with stakeholders. They engage their
stakeholders through effective listening skills, communicating in a way that is
non-confrontational but candid so as to establish trust and enabling for better
conversations overall.

When communicating with a wide audience, especially on complex projects

with stakeholders that come from a variety of locations, use a variety of modes
or channels to communicate. Certainly the more complex the project, the
more modes will be used to capture the greatest number of stakeholders in a
way that works for them. For simpler projects, communications via a few
meetings and/or via email may suffice.
Modes, or channels, for communicating might include:

 One-on-one meetings/casual conversations in the hallway or in the cafe for

those who are local to you

 Small group or department meetings

 All-staff meetings

 Lunch and learns or before or after hours get-togethers

 Internal website or portal established specifically for the project

 Email

 Chat technology

 Project newsletters

 Virtual meetings

 Conference calls/videoconference calls

The more methods used to communicate about the project, the more likely I
am to engage stakeholders and keep them engaged. As a best practice, I
make the business case to have one face-to-face stakeholder meeting prior to
the start of the project and, ideally, one other meeting at the end of the
project. In my first communication with stakeholders, I share the variety of
modes I will use to communicate (e.g., bi-weekly emails, monthly stakeholder
meetings, etc.) and ask individuals if there are particular ways that will work
better for them than others. This is particularly important when working with
stakeholders from a variety of countries or who are remote/virtual stakeholders.

Communication for Virtual Teams

When working with virtual teams – as most project managers are doing these
days – you want to be sure to set up essential processes and procedures for
effective communications early on for the team. Similar to the need to
manage stakeholder communications to enable for more efficient and
effective communications, you must do the same with your project team.
Otherwise, you risk spending far too much time on communications with and
between the team and neglecting your stakeholders and/or your project.

Involve the team in planning communications and processes and procedures

for communicating. When involved, team members are more apt to follow the
rules and to be engaged in communications.

When developing your communication plan for communications with and

between virtual team members, include these components:

 What needs to be communicated and when

 How communications will flow – from whom to whom on the team

 What communication modes/channels will be used for communications

 Communication response times (e.g., four hours for emails, two hours for
emergencies, etc. – keeping in mind time zone differences, holidays and
vacation time)

 Communication status (e.g., priority, important, routine, information only, etc.

– include a status in the subject line of each message – especially for
complex projects that require frequent communications, e.g., PRIORITY:
Updated Project Plan)

 Timing of regular communications (e.g., weekly, bi-weekly)

It is also important to designate modes for specific communications. For

example, the team may choose to use email for “need to know” information,
instant messaging for emergencies or a collaboration portal to share
documents.

As with stakeholder communication plans, team communication plans must be

evaluated on a regular basis to ensure they are still effective and make sense.
Changes to the project, new team members joining the team or others leaving
the team, new stakeholders, etc. all impact the communication plan.

Effective Use of Technology to Communicate in Global Environments

Use technology to enable for more effective and efficient communications

with stakeholders and others. When selecting an appropriate technology,
consider challenges such as:

 Lack of specific technology in a particular country or lack of sufficient

access to that technology

 Lack of or limited knowledge of the technology; unsure how to use it

 Using the wrong technology to accomplish a task

 Overuse of technology thereby reducing more personal communications

Consider any of the following tools/technology to effectively communicate in

a global environment:

 Use of Skype, Webex, NetMeeting or other virtual meetings tools that include
virtual white boards

 Use of collaboration portals (Microsoft SharePoint, GoogleDocs) or intranet

sites

 Instant messaging/texting

 Email

 Telephone/audio or video conferencing

Using a variety of methods enables for increased engagement of a variety of

stakeholders – including simpler (phone call or email) to more complex
methods (collaboration portal) in order to meet a variety of needs and comfort
levels with the technology. As a best practice, for more complex projects,
provide stakeholders and team members with a hand out describing
technology to be used, how it will be used, how to access it and any other
relevant information to increase usage of the tool and comfort levels.

Be sure to use the appropriate tool/technology for the appropriate situation

(Derosa & Lepsinger, 2010, p. 143). For example, for sharing information with
stakeholders or getting answers to questions on the project, you might use
teleconferencing, email, virtual meetings or a collaboration site. However, if
you want to brainstorm with stakeholders to resolve a problem or determine
whether to expand project scope, you would want to use virtual meetings or
collaboration site to collaborate as conference calls or emails will not be very
effective.

A collaboration portal is a great tool to have a “one-stop shop” for all things
related to the project. Use of a collaboration portal might reduce the amount
of communications with stakeholders as they can utilize the portal for:

 Status reports

 Project schedule/timeline

 Project documentation/information

 Access to a team member directory

 A forum to ask questions about the project or to log issues/concerns

The more complex your project, the more effectively you can manage your
communications with stakeholders through the use of a portal solution. You
might utilize the portal to share all communications about the project and
eliminate the need for excessive face-to-face, virtual or audio conference
meetings. In such situations, set up a few initial meetings with the stakeholders
then transition them to using the portal for future standard communications,
such as status reporting on the project. If you take this approach however, be
sure to hold a stakeholder meeting at least occasionally – whether bi-monthly
or quarterly for longer projects and hold a last meeting to wrap up the project
(your lessons learned meeting). Of course, should decisions need to be made,
or challenges arise on the project, or extraordinary circumstances occur,
reinstate meetings with stakeholders to ensure continued engagement and
involvement rather than rely on the portal for these communications.

CONCLUSION

If we don't plan for communications with stakeholders early on in the project,

we run the risk of either spending too little time on communications so as to
disengage our stakeholders or spending so much time being inefficient in our
communications that we are unable to effectively manage our project.
Planning for communications means that we take the time to understand our
stakeholders and how they want to be communicated with so that we engage
them in the project and get what we need to be effective in meeting the goals
of the project.

When working with virtual stakeholders with a variety of cultural backgrounds,

an understanding of their communication needs and expectations is essential
for success. Cultural differences can have a negative impact on our project
communications when we believe we can simply communicate as we always
do without taking into consideration the needs of others. Taking the time to
build relationships and understand your stakeholders enables for improved
communications.

Use a variety of communication modes to capture the greatest number of

stakeholders – keeping them engaged and communicating in a way that
works for them. The use of technology enables for better control of
communications -especially on complex global projects.
As a best practice, take time upfront before the project officially starts, to
develop your communication plan and outline the ways and tools to be used
for communications. Validate this information with your stakeholders to be sure
it will meet their needs.
References

Abudi, G. (2012). Communicating with stakeholders in ways that work for

them. Retrieved on August 9, 2013

Abudi, G. (2012). Effective communications for complex projects. Retrieved on

August 9, 2013
from http://www.ginaabudi.com/effective-communications-for-comple
x-projects/.

Abudi, G. (2013). Best practices to increase the success of your virtual project
team. Retrieved on August 9, 2013
from http://www.ginaabudi.com/best-practices-to-increase-the-success
-of-your-virtual-project-team-v/.

Arredondo, L. (2000). Communicating effectively. Madison, WI: CWL Publishing

Enterprises.

Brislin, R. (2008). Working with cultural differences. Westport, CT: Praeger

Publishers.

Career Trends: Why Is Effective Communication Important in Management?

Derosa, D., & Lepsinger, R. (2010). Virtual team success. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.

Forbes: Effective Managers Earn Trust Quickly By Doing Five Things Well
from http://www.ginaabudi.com/communicating-with-stakeholders-in-w
ays-that-work-for-them/.

https://work.chron.com/effective-communication-important-management

https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/effective-communication

Rajkumar, S. (2010). Art of communication in project management. Paper

presented at PMI® Research Conference: Defining the Future of
Project Management, Washington, DC. Newtown Square, PA: Project
Management Institute.
The Wall Street Journal: How to Manage Different Generations