Comm Man.ppt

8/11/2019 Comm Man.ppt

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CDU School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 1

The greatest threat to many p ro jects is a fai lure

to commun icate.

Our culture does notportray IT professionals as

being good communicators.BUT, research shows that IT professionals must

be able to communicate effectively to succeed in

their positions.

Strong verbal skills are a key factorin career

advancement for IT professionals.

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT

Introduction


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Processes & Definitions

Communications planning: determining theinformation and communications needs of thestakeholders.

Information distribution: making neededinformation available in a timely manner.

Performance reporting: collecting anddisseminating performance information.

Administrative closure: generating, gathering,and disseminating information to formalizephase or project completion.


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Communications Planning

Every project should include a communications management

plan to guide project communications. A Communications

Management Plan should contain:

A description of a collection and filing structurefor

gathering and storing various types of information A distribution structuredescribing what information goes

to whom, when, and how

A formatfor communicating key project information

A project schedulefor producing the information Access methodsfor obtaining the information

A method for updatingthe communications management

plans as the project progresses and develops

A stakeholder communications analysis.


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Sample Stakeholder Analysis for Project Communications

Stakeholders Document Name Document

Format

Contact Person Due

CustomerManagement

Monthly StatusReport

Hard copy Gail Feldman,Tony Silva

First of month

CustomerBusiness Staff


Hard copy Julie Grant,

Jeff Martin

First of month

CustomerTechnical Staff


E-mail Evan Dodge,

Nancy Michaels

First of month

InternalManagement


Hard copy Bob Thomson First of month

InternalBusiness and

Technical Staff


Intranet Angie Liu First of month

Training

Subcontractor

Training Plan Hard Copy Jonathan Kraus 11/1/1999

SoftwareSubcontractor

SoftwareImplementation

Plan

E-mail Barbara Gates 6/1/2000


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Information Distribution

Gett ing the r igh t informat ion to the r igh t

peop le at the r ight t ime and in a useful fo rmat

is just as important as developing the information

in the first place.Important considerations include:

Using technologyto enhance information

distribution. Formal and informal methodsfor distributing

information.


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What Went Wrong?

A well publicized example of misuse of e-mail comes from the

1998 Justice Department's high profile, antitrust suit against

Microsoft. E-mail emerged as a star witness in the case. Many

executives sent messages that should never have been put in

writing. The court used e-mail as evidence, even though thesenders of the notes said the information was being

interpreted out of context.

Some companies, such as Amazon.com, have established

policies to encourage employees to watch their use of e-mail

and delete it often. Their "Sweep and Clean" programinstructed employees to purge e-mails that were no longer

required for business or legal purposes. They even offered

free caf lattes to employees who complied immediately.

Harmon, Amy, "E-mail comes back to haunt companies," November 29, 1998


7/24CDU School of Information Technology Communications Management - Slide 7

HIT241 - COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENTThe Impact of the Number of People on Communications Channels




Performance Reporting

Performance reporting keeps stakeholders informed

about how resources are being used to achieve project

objectives.

Status reports describe where the project stands ata specific point in time.

Progress reports describe what the project team

has accomplished during a certain period of time.

Project forecasting predicts future project statusand progress based on past information and trends.

Status review meetings often include performance

reporting.




Administrative Closure

A project or phase of a project requires closure.

Administrative closure produces:

Project archives.

Formal acceptance.

Lessons learned.




Suggestions for Improving Project Communications

The following are important issues that project

managers and team members must address if they

are to deliver effective project communications:

Resolve conflicts effectively.

Develop better communication skills.

Run effective meetings.

Use templates for project communications.




Conflict Handling Modes

There are five basic Conflict Handling Modes. In

preference order these are:

1. Confrontation or problem-solving: directly

face a conflict.2. Compromise: use a give-and-take approach.

3. Smoothing: de-emphasize areas of differences

and emphasize areas of agreement.4. Forcing: the win-lose approach.

5. Withdrawal: retreat or withdraw from an actual

or potential disagreement.




Develop better communication skills

Projects rely heavi ly on leadersh ip, teamwork ,

cooperat ion and mutual understanding. Empathy, a vital

ingredient of communication, is influenced by the attitude

and example of project managers and their ability in

interpersonal communication.

It takes leadership to help improve communication. Senior

management must set and lead by example.

Information technology professionals must have the

opportunity to develop communication skills. They need to

be able to gain experience in drafting reports, making

presentations, and managing important business

relationships.




Running effective meetings

A well-run meeting is an important means for

encouraging team building and reinforcing

expectations, roles, relationships, and commitment

to the project.However, a poorly run meeting can have a

detrimental effect on a project. In particular, many

people complain about the time they waste in

unnecessary, or poorly planned and poorly

executed meetings.


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Guidelines for effective meetings

Determine if a meeting can be avoided.

Define the purpose and intended outcome of the

meeting.

Determine who should attend the meeting. Provide an agenda to participants before the

meeting.

Prepare handouts, visual aids, and make

logistical arrangements ahead of time.

Run the meeting professionally.

Build relationships.


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Templates for project communications

To make the preparation of project communications

easier, project managers need to provide examples

and templates for common project communications

- eg: project descriptions, project charters, monthlyperformance reports, oral status reports, etc.

Good documentation from previous projects can be

an excellent source of examples.

Samples and templates of both written and oral

reports are particularly helpful for persons who are

preparing or presenting reports for the first time.


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Sample Template for a Monthly Progress Report

I. Accomplishments for Month of January (or appropriate month):

Describe most important accomplishments. Relate to project's Gantt chart

Describe other important accomplishments, one bullet for each. If any issues wereresolved from the previous month, list them as accomplishments.

II. Plans for February (or following month):

Describe most important items to be accomplished in the next month. Again relateto the project's Gantt chart.

Describe other important items to accomplish, one bullet for each

III.

Issues:Briefly list important issues that surfaced or are still important. Managers

hate surprises and want to help the project succeed, so be sure to list issues.

IV. Project Changes (Date and Description):List any approved or requested

changes to the project. Include the date of the change and a brief description.


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Sample Template for a Letter of Agreement for a Class Project

I. Project Description:Describe the project's objective, scope, assumptions, costinformation, and schedule information, as shown in Figure 9-2. Be sure to includeimportant dates that the project's sponsor needs to be aware of

II.

Organizational Goals and Expectations:Have the main sponsor from theorganization briefly state their goals and expectations for the project.

III.

Student Goals and Expectations:Students on the project team should brieflystate their goals and expectations for the project.

IV.

Meeting Information.It is a good idea for the project's sponsor and all studentson the project team to agree on at least one hour per week where all parties can meetto work on this project. The meeting place should be a convenient location withoutdistractions. Virtual meetings may be an option for some people and projects.

V.

Contact Information and Communications Plan:List the sponsor's andstudents' names, phone numbers, e-mails, and important procedures forcommunications. It is a good idea to set up a web site for all project information.

VI.

Signatures:Have the main sponsor and students on the project team sign theletter of agreement. Designate which student is the project manager. This studentshould be the main contact for all project information.


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Outline for a Final Project Report

I.

Cover page

II.

Table of contents and executive summary (for a long report)

III. Need for the project

IV. Project description and letter of agreement

V.

Overall outcome of the project and reasons for success or failure

VI.

Project management tools and techniques used and assessment of them

VII.

Project team recommendations and future considerations

VIII. Final project Gantt chart

IX.

Attachments with all deliverables


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Gantt Chart Template for a Class Project


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Developing a Communications Infrastructure

A communicat ions infrastructure is a set of too ls, techniqu es,

and pr inc iples that provide a found ation fo r the effect ive

transfer of information:

Toolsinclude e-mail, project management software, groupware,

fax machines, telephones, teleconferencing systems, document

management systems, and word processors.

Techniquesinclude reporting guidelines and templates,

meeting ground rules and procedures, decision-making

processes, problem-solving approaches, and conflict resolution

and negotiation techniques.

Principlesinclude using open dialog and an agreed upon work

ethic.


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Using Software

There are many software tools to aid in project

communications. However, organisations will

need to adjust existing communication systems

to meet the special needs of a project.Microsoft Project 98 (onwards) include an

increasing number of features to enhance

communications within projects (for example -

publishing project data as a HTML file).


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MS Project 98

Information

Saved as

HTML File


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Conclusion - 1

It is becoming more difficult to be a successful

project manager.

Projects are becoming more complex and project

team members more demanding.

Traditional management approaches have been

replaced with those that depend on mutually

beneficial linkage and relationship.


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Conclusion - 2

To develop these relationships, the project

manager must be a skilled communicator-

Skilled at getting information.

Skilled at expressing views without creating

problems.

Skilled at discussing behaviour issues.

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