Modes of Communication in Project Management

In the workplace today, communication occurs via different modalities including email, voicemail and in person. The modality used provides different levels of control between the sender and receiver (Ferraro, 1999).

E-mail or Written Communication

A message that is emailed is under the control of the writer and reader (1999). The writer has the control to provide a concise message that gets to the point. The reader has the control to interpret the message for any hidden meanings and/or re-read it to increase comprehension. This mode of communication is effective when it is necessary to reinforce information from verbal conversations; provide references to ensure everyone has the same information and an opportunity for the receiver to review as many times is needed for comprehension.

One-way Verbal Communication or Monologue

When a message is left on a voicemail, the control is also shared between the speaker and listener (1999). The speaker can control what they say and the tone of their voice. The listener has control to interpret the tones and words spoken. This mode of communication is effective when there is an informational message, not requiring immediate response or a face to face conversation is completed as a follow-up. Like e-mail or written communication, this mode allows the receiver to review the information as many times as necessary for comprehension.

In person Communication or Dialogue

Finally, with an in person conversation, the speaker has greater control to use facial expressions, body language, and voice tone to deliver the message to the listener (1999). The listener can interpret all verbal cues, but can also ask questions to clarify information. This mode of communication is effective when collaboration and consensus is required around a complex topic or on a way to move forward; and is useful in resolving issues, sharing information when dialogue is necessary.

Apply Communication Modes to Project Management

As a project manager, it is important to utilize the best methods of communication to ensure the message is clear and meets the need of the receiver as well as the sender. Using the three different means of communication, e-mail, voicemail, and in person; all three have their uses and can be very effective in different situations.

According to the authors of Project Management, Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling Projects, to obtain the desired results of a project, you will need team members to help (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, Kramer, 2008). The author’s further suggest six strategies to work with team members and achieve the desired results. Using these six strategies can help the success of the team; and how you utilize the modalities of communication to apply these strategies may help to increase the opportunity for success.

Applying Communication Modes to PM Strategies

The above table illustrates the strategy and preferred modality when communicating with team members. It is important to note that layered communication modes can help reinforce information; so although there may be one preferred communication mode, others may also help to reinforce the message.

“Every project should have a communication plan” (Roberts, 2009). By applying the strategies listed and utilizing the different modes of communication, a project manager can build a strong communication plan.

References

Ferraro, Vincent (1999). Speech. Differences between oral and written communication. Retrieved from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/speech/differences.htm

Portny, S., Mantel, S., Meredith, J., Shafer, S., Sutton, M., Kramer, B. (2008). Project Management, Planning, Scheduling and Controlling Projects. John Wiley & Sons. Danvers, MA 01923. P. 257-258

Roberts, R. (2009). Communicating Effectively with Your Project Team. Brighthub.com. Retrieved from: http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/60211.aspx#ixzz1S2OZerFu

 

Learning Project Post-Mortem

A post-mortem or as it is defined in the free online dictionary, “an analysis or review of a finished event” is an effective way to “take stock at the end of a project...” so as not to repeat the same mistakes during another project (Greer, 2010).

An effective post-mortem includes reviewing the deliverables, processes, and people that were a part of the project. The review takes place at the levels of the project from stakeholders and/or sponsors, to subject matter experts, instructional designers and project managers. The post-mortem begins with asking questions of the participants, gathering their answers and then analyzing the results and using them to improve the next project (Greer, 2010). For a learning project, the post-mortem can be used to begin the evaluation phase of the ADDIE model by providing useful information to continue to not only improve the next project, but also the content.

When conducting a post-mortem on a e-learning development project that was completed in 2010, the stakeholders and subject matter experts were asked about their experiences with the design team and deliverables throughout the design and development phase. The feedback included a bit of confusion when the process was explained during the kick-off meeting; and a question about how we would know if all the work that was done would make a difference. Through this basic questioning, we identified gaps in the process that included the need to break down the process and expectations in plain English; and in establishing basic knowledge of the target learning audience through the use of a pre-test before content is launched.

Some of the benefits of breaking down the processes and expectations into plain English is that it provides the SME clear role definition and clarification which allows them to plan their schedule to meet the tasks and deadlines required by the project (ACS White Paper, 2008). For the next project, we began to review the specific phase of the process before we executed it which provided further opportunities to check on comprehension, gain agreement and share ownership of the project. This ownership and agreement makes it a team effort that can have positive outcomes for everyone involved instead of a solo effort where the subject matter expert has no ownership or responsibility in the outcome.

By capturing the learners knowledge before they complete instruction and then capturing their knowledge after the instruction, we are able to better evaluate and quantify the learner transfer; diagnose potential problems and improve content and tools for the manager on the job.

Post-mortems help to improve processes by providing valuable data that the project manager may not have otherwise had. It will be up to the project manager to sort through all of the data, identify relevant information and then use that information to improve or change processes to enable an effective project team that meets the expected outcomes. Without the post-mortem and more importantly including the sponsors and subject matter experts in the process, our next project where we implemented new elements of the process, may not have been as successful.

References:


Greer, M. (2010). The Project Management Minimalist: Just Enough PM to Rock Your Projects! Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5364556&Survey=1&47=6368695&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1


Post-mortem. (2011). Free online dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/postmortem


Working with subject matter experts. (2008). ACS Expertise in ActionTM White Paper. Retrieved from http://www.trainingindustry.com/uploadedFiles/Our_Community/List_of_Sponsors/Elite_Sponsors/ACS_Working-With-SMEs.pdf