Project Communications Management Terms

Question 1

Acknowledgment

Answer 1

The receiver signals that the message has been received. An acknowledgment shows receipt of the message, but not necessarily agreement with the message.

Question 2

Active listening

Answer 2

The receiver confirms that the message is being received through feedback, questions, prompts for clarity, and other signs of confirmation.

Question 3

Choice of media

Answer 3

The best modality to use when communicating that is relevant to the information being communicated.

Question 4

Communication assumptions

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

Communication barrier

Answer 5

Anything that prohibits communication from occurring.

Question 6

Communication channels formula

Answer 6

N(N – 1)/2, where N represents the number of identified stakeholders. This formula reveals the total number of communication channels within a project.

Question 7

Communication constraints

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

Effective listening

Answer 8

The receiver is involved in the listening experience by paying attention to visual cues from the speaker and paralingual characteristics, and by asking relevant questions.

Question 9

Feedback

Answer 9

The sender confirms that the receiver understands the message by directly asking for a response, questions for clarification, or other confirmation.

Question 10

Interactive communication

Answer 10

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 videoconferences.

Question 11

Lessons learned

Answer 11

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.

Question 12

Nonverbal

Answer 12

Facial expressions, hand gestures, and body language are nonverbal cues that contribute to a message. Approximately 55 percent of communication is nonverbal.

Question 13

Paralingual

Answer 13

The pitch, tone, and inflections in the sender’s voice affecting the message being sent.

Question 14

Performance report

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

Project reports

Answer 15

Reports are formal communications on project activities, their status, and conditions.

Question 16

Pull communication

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

Push communication

Answer 17

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.