Communications Management Flashcards
Acknowledgment
The receiver signals that the message has been received. An acknowledgment shows receipt of the message, but not necessarily agreement with the message.
Active listening
The receiver confirms that the message is being received through feedback, questions, prompts for clarity, and other signs of confirmation.
Choice of media
The best modality to use when communicating that is relevant to the information being communicated.
Communication assumptions
Anything that the project management team believes to be true but hasn’t proven to be true. For example, the project management team may assume that all of the project team can be reached via cell phone, but parts of the world, as of this writing, don’t have a cell signal.
Communication barrier
Anything that prohibits communication from occurring.
Communication channels formula
N(N – 1)/2, where N represents the number of identified stakeholders. This formula reveals the total number of communication channels within a project.
Communication constraints
Anything that limits the project management team’s options. When it comes to communication constraints, geographical locales, incompatible communications software, and even limited communications technology can constrain the project team.
Communications management plan
A project management subsidiary plan that
defines the stakeholders who need specific
information, the person who will supply the
information, the schedule for the information to
be supplied, and the approved modality to
provide the information.
Decoder
The device that decodes a message as it is being
received.
Effective listening
The receiver is involved in the listening
experience by paying attention to visual cues
from the speaker and para-lingual characteristics,
and by asking relevant questions.
Encoder
The device that encodes the message being sent.
Feedback
The sender confirms that the receiver
understands the message by directly asking for a
response, questions for clarification, or other
confirmation.
Influence/impact grid
Stakeholders are mapped on a grid based on
their influence over the project in relation to
their influence over the project execution.
Information presentation tools
A software package that allows the project
management team to present the project’s
health through graphics, spreadsheets, and text.
(Think of Microsoft Project.)
Information retrieval system
A system to quickly and effectively store, archive,
and access project information.
Interactive communication
This is the most common and most effective
approach to communication. It’s where two or
more people exchange information. Consider
status meetings, ad-hoc meetings, phone calls,
and video conferences.
Lessons learned
This is documentation of what did and did not
work in the project implementation. Lessons
learned documentation is created throughout
the project by the entire project team. When
lessons learned sessions are completed, they’re
available to be used and applied by the entire
organization. They are now part of the
organizational process assets.
Medium
The device or technology that transports a
message.
Noise
Anything that interferes with or disrupts a
message.
Nonverbal
Facial expressions, hand gestures, and body
language are nonverbal cues that contribute to a
message. Approximately 55 percent of
communication is nonverbal.
Para-lingual
The pitch, tone, and inflections in the sender’s
voice affecting the message being sent.
Performance report
A report that depicts how well a project is
performing. Often, the performance report is
based on earned value management and may
include cost or schedule variance reports.
Project presentations
Presentations are useful in providing information
to customers, management, the project team,
and other stakeholders.
Project records
All the business of the project communications is
also part of the organizational process assets.
This includes e-mails, memos, letters, and faxes.
Project reports
Reports are formal communications on project
activities, their status, and conditions.
Pull communication
This approach pulls the information from a
central repository, like a database of information.
Pull communications are good for large groups of
stakeholders who want to access project
information at their discretion. Consider a project
web site where stakeholders can periodically
drop by for a quick update on the project status.
Push communication
This approach pushes the information from the
sender to the receiver without any real
acknowledgment that the information was really
received or understood. Consider letters, faxes,
voicemail messages, e-mails, and other
communications modalities that the sender
packages and sends to receivers through some
intermediary network.
Receiver
The person who receives the message.
Sender
The person who is sending the message.
Sender–receiver models
Feedback loops and barriers to communications.
Stakeholder notifications
Notices to the stakeholders about resolved
issues, approved changes, and the overall health
of the project.
Status review meeting
A regularly scheduled meeting to discuss the
status of the project and its progress toward
completing the project scope statement.
Time reporting system
A system to record the actual time to complete
project activities.
