Talking It Out: Simple, Sublime & (sort of) the Key to Project Success
Project Management Communication
Colleen Brennan-BarryMonroe Community College / Rochester, NY@ColB ** #TalkItOut
80% of a Project Manager’s time
is spent communicating.
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Three Realities for Every PM
Three Realities for Every PMYou set the tempo.
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Three Realities for Every PM
The types of project stakeholders – and communication needs – are legion.
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Three Realities for Every PM
Project communication can make or break a project.
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NO PRESSURE.
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Project Communications:BASELINES
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“Systematic planning, implementing, monitoring, and revision of all the channels of communication within an organization, and between organizations”
Project Communications:
Project Communicator Roles• Cruise Director
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Project Communicator Roles• Cruise Director• Drill Sergeant
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Project Communicator Roles• Cruise Director• Drill Sergeant• Archivist
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Project Communicator Roles• Cruise Director• Drill Sergeant• Archivist• Troubleshooter
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Project Communicator Roles• Cruise Director• Drill Sergeant• Archivist• Troubleshooter• Distributor
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Project Communicator Roles• Cruise Director• Drill Sergeant• Archivist• Troubleshooter• Distributor• Translator
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Project Communicator Responsibilities
“Planning is worthless unless there is first a strategic vision.”
– John Naisbitt
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In a nutshell:
Sharing the rightmessages withthe rightpeople in the right way.
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Project Communications:PLANNING
Planning: Step 1Get Educated: Intake and Initiation
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Planning: Step 2Lay the Project Out
• What is the content? (Content & Deliverables)
Planning: Step 2Lay the Project Out
• Who needs & manages the content? (Roles & Personalities)
Planning: Step 2Lay the Project Out
• How do they need it, & how can we deliver it? (Channels & Resources)
Planning: Step 2Lay the Project Out
• When do they need it? (Timeline & Frequency)
Planning: Step 2Lay the Project Out
• What is its importance? (Prioritization)
Planning: Step 2Lay the Project Out
• How do we complete it? (Benchmarks)
Planning: Step 2Lay the Project Out
• How do we measure and evaluate? (Metrics)
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Planning: Step 3Identify
Stakeholders
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Planning: Step 4
Create Documentation &
Workflows
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Planning: Step 5Set the Structure and the Beat
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Project Communications:STYLES & STRATEGIES
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4 Types of CommunicatorsAccording to American Management Association
Controller
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4 Types of CommunicatorsAccording to American Management Association
Analyzer
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4 Types of CommunicatorsAccording to American Management Association
Supporter
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4 Types of CommunicatorsAccording to American Management Association
Promoter
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3 Types of Communication1. Oral2. Written 3. Non-Verbal
OralMeetings, meetings, meetings
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WrittenDocument, document, document
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Non-VerbalObserve, observe, observe
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“Written words are only painted fire; a look is the fire itself.”
- Mark Twain
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Select Your Channels
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Communication Qualities
A key part of the communicator’s job:
Determine each communication’s type and traits.
Tailor Your Communications:
Effective project communication is audience- and situation-specific.
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For Example: Upward Communication
• To Project Sponsor / Higher Ups• More formal • More official • Written or formal presentation• “Big Picture” and progress
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For Example: Lateral Communication
• To Project Team• Informal• Both official and unofficial• Oral and written• Project detail, vision, motivation
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For Example: Tertiary Communication
• To General Stakeholders• Intermediate formality• Official• Written• Overview and non-detailed
updates
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ConsiderationsCulture
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ConsiderationsIndustry
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ConsiderationsChange
“Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for change.” - Goethe
ConsiderationsConflict Strategy
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ConsiderationsSimplicity
“The more we elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.”- J. B. Priestly
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Project Communications:TOOLS
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Consider your WHOLE toolbox.
Tools: Traditional
• Phone• Meetings• Documentation• Email
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• Blogs• Wikis• Bug & Ticket Tracking• Collaborative PM Systems• Cloud Docs & Tools
Tools: Technical
• Blogs
• Wikis• Bug & Ticket Tracking• Collaborative PM Systems• Cloud Docs & Tools
Tools: Technical
• Blogs• Wiki
• Issue Ticket Tracking
• Collaborative PM Systems• Cloud Docs & Tools
Tools: Technical
• Blogs• Wiki• Issue Ticket Tracking
• Collaborative PM Systems
• Cloud Docs & Tools
Tools: Technical
• Blogs• Wiki• Issue Ticket Tracking• Collaborative PM Systems
• Cloud Docs & Tools
Tools: Technical
Tools: Software
Project Communications:IN SUMMARY
• Communication sets project tempo, tone and success.
• Project communication is layered and complex, and needs a full plan to guide it.
• Communication happens in many ways and forms, and must be tailored to each audience /use case.
• Use available tools to help reach communication goals.
