How to Manage Your Communications in Project Management

Communication to project management is like bones to a body. You aren’t going to get far without it. And as project managers well know, all of the different communication channels need to be organized, categorized, and managed. 

That’s why we are breaking down communication management, gathering all key components, and helping you develop your communication management plan. 

What is Project Communications Management?

Communication management in a project comprises a set of procedures designed to ensure that all the relevant information reaches the appropriate audiences and is accurately processed by the recipients. One of the core project competencies is managing project communications. 

Project communication management techniques have evolved over time, but they are still very easy to lose track of. 

In total, project communications management involves planning, gathering, creating, distributing, storing, retrieving, managing, regulating, monitoring, as well as disposing of project information in a timely manner. 

Accuracy is pretty important here. Communication with members of the team as well as other project stakeholders, both internal and external, and across all organizational levels, eats a lot of a project manager’s time. Especially when you are trying to retrace your steps and figure out where you put that one thing. 

It gets even more complicated when people with varied cultures and organizational backgrounds, skill sets, views, and interests—all of which have an impact on the project’s execution or conclusion—are trying to communicate with one another effectively. 

Without a structure for processing all the input and output, you will not be able to lay a strong foundation for the project’s success.

The Importance of Communications Management

Everyone in this industry understands the importance of managing your communications because there is just so much of it. Anyone out there who’s been a manager in this capacity for even five minutes can tell you it gets crazy quickly. 

The PMI has a table on “Poor Communications and the Impact on Our Projects” that gives you a good idea of just how messy things can get.

That’s why the ability to communicate effectively is crucial for high-end tasks like establishing and implementing plans. It safeguards data keeping it in safe hands. Effective communication is a critical factor in making sound management choices. Furthermore, management must inform employees of their decisions and intentions. It is almost impossible to command others if there is no way to get your message through. Management’s objectives and policies are more effectively implemented if the right communication channels are in place.

The goal of management is to get things done by people, and this goal cannot be reached unless there is harmony between purpose and effort. Uniformity of effort in pursuing a single goal is facilitated by the free flow of information and ideas fostered by communication. Because of this, the community is strengthened, and coordination becomes effortless.

Managerial effectiveness is boosted when there is good communication. The old saying, “nothing occurs in management until communication happens,” holds true. The success of every manager is contingent on his or her capacity to allow an open and honest dialogue with the team members. The only way for management to get the assigned tasks and responsibilities fulfilled and assess employee performance is through effective communication.

Members of an organization are more likely to work together and trust each other if they can talk effectively. Strong working relationships and stability in the workplace are impossible without open lines of communication. Workers’ complaints, issues, and ideas can only be addressed by the management if they are spoken about.

Any one of these things, when wrongly treated, can become a major time dump, and that’s the last thing we want. Along with communication management comes basic communication skills because you cannot just do this with one or the other. 

No leader will be effective without a foundation of good communication. 

Components of Effective Communication Management

Several elements may influence how well the information is conveyed. Different functions in project management are served by the following aspects of communication.

• Context
• Sender
• Ideas
• Encoding
• Medium
• Reciever
• Feedback 

Below, each one of these components is explained in detail. 

Context

Context is defined as the conditions that lead to an idea. Information that provides background or meaning. Whether a conversation is taking place in English or another language, it must indicate the context of the conversation. The same is applicable where there are cultural differences.

In a nutshell, the context of any given communication consists of all the extraneous factors that may affect the transmission of any message.

Sender

A sender communicates the message to the rest of the group. To ensure that the information is received and comprehended accurately, the sender will use a variety of verbal and nonverbal communication strategies, such as the use of words, drawings, symbols, numbers, body language, eye contact, and so on, as long as the information sent can be readily decoded (understood) by the recipients.

Ideas

Information is sent from one person to another, and that information takes the shape of thoughts or messages. For a more specific definition, ideas are the sender’s points of emphasis. Project management is often overflowing with ideas, and they need to be handled with care. 

Ideas must be straightforward to grasp if they are to be communicated quickly and effectively. Since textual communication lacks extra information provided by the tone of voice and facial expression, this is of paramount importance.

Encoding

Encoding is simply defined as the process of transmitting data via any combination of words and/or actions. Images, symbols (such as “? as” or “!”), emoticons, or even images may be used to accentuate and explain your message.

Encoding using visual aids like images and videos ensures that your audience fully grasps the material you’ll be covering. Using a question mark (?) after a live chat query is also a kind of encoding, as it shows that you expect an answer and want to keep the dialogue going.

Medium

Print, electronic, and audible media are the three primary forms of data dissemination. That’s how the word gets out. Keep in mind that the recipient’s interpretation of your message may change depending on the channel you choose to convey it. This is why it’s important to consider the recipient’s interests, the nature of the message, and the timeliness of the situation before deciding on a medium.

If you want to convey highly technical concepts, for instance, writing is your best bet. However, if you just have little information to provide about the project, you may find that a vocal announcement is more effective.

Receiver

When information is sent from one person to another, the individual who receives it is called the receiver (or decoder). The message and its context will be understood by the recipient. It’s crucial to remember that the recipient is shaped by their own experiences and perspectives while communicating with them.

Feedback

In communication, feedback refers to the reaction of the recipient to the message given. In addition to words, people may also convey their thoughts via body language. If the recipient has no further questions or comments, silence might be seen as feedback. Make it clear in your communication that you expect a response from the other person, either verbally or in writing.

Communication Channels

The components of communication (seen above) align with the concept of communication skills. The better you are at understanding the value and usage of all the components, the better you will be at communicating with team members and stakeholders. 

But communication in project management is bigger than its components. It’s essential for management teams to have available channels for messages to move upwards, downwards, diagonally, and horizontally. 

Information needs to be able to be moved around and tracked. That’s why we also have to discuss the following means of contact, including

• Communication methods approved by the system
• Subtle methods
• Means not authorized

Methods Sanctioned by The System

It’s the standard method of business correspondence. Organizational objectives, policies, and procedures are all transmitted via official channels of communication. In this kind of transmission, messages are organized into hierarchies and sent accordingly. To put it another way, a manager’s subordinates are the conduit via which his or her instructions are communicated to the next tier of employees. Examples include corporate newsletters, business plans, directions, yearly reports, agreements, company-wide communications, board presentations, etc.

Subtle Methods

There are fewer restrictions on how one should speak while still maintaining official status. In this kind of interaction, a traditional line of command or hierarchy may not be necessary. There will be a lot of formal communication when the chain of command is unnecessary but yet occurs. Workplace chats answering team members’ questions, talking over lunch, and numerous emails when a formal command is unnecessary (e.g., a request for short information) are all excellent. The official setting makes use of both formal and informal channels. 

Means Not Authorized by the Proprietary Institution

Unofficial channels of interaction also exist. Workers have off-site conversations on things other than work. Unofficial channels are used for general social, sporting, political, and personal communication. Management, however, must be aware of the presence of such a channel and the data that passes over it. Gossip and rumors are familiar sources of vital information that would otherwise be unavailable.

Mades for Effective Communication Management

Nowadays, companies around the world are using certain tools for effective communication management. The company uses a broad range of communication channels both internally and externally. Postal service, electronic mail, telephone, mobile phone, smartphone, computer, video conferencing, web conferencing, social media, and online cooperation and efficiency platforms are all examples of such devices.

• Mail
• Email\Telephones
• Interacting with others through text message
• Videoconferencing
• Conference calls via the Internet
• Intranet
• Conversing in real time over IM
• Slack/Airtable etc. 

Consider Using a Communication Management Plan

A project manager is just one part of the puzzle, but it’s an important one. And a person in that role needs to be able to handle all those different channels on any given day. That’s why we suggest using a communication management plan. 

When beginning a new project, it’s important to remember that the success of the project relies on your ability to communicate with multiple levels regarding different issues and topics at any one time. This means you need to build rapport with any stakeholders involved. 

Developing trust with your project’s stakeholders is one of the best ways to ensure a positive result. You also need to make sure this happens either before the project starts or while it’s in the early stages. Don’t wait until you have to corner someone to get your needs met and that is the first interaction you’ve had with that person. Let them know who you are before it gets to that point. 

Also, establish an understanding of how each person prefers to be communicated with. Does stakeholder A prefer an email, a meeting, or a call? And how often should that happen? You need to know who you are communicating with. 

That is where your plan comes in. The Project Management Institute recommends having two different plans, a simple one and a detailed one. 

The simple one includes

• Who you are communicating with and their role
• Roughly what will be communicated with them
• When that communication should take place
• How do you get in contact with them
• The format of the meeting (email, face-to-face, call, etc.)

Depending on the scope of your project, the above points may be all you need.

Detailed Communication Management Plan For Project Managers

If you are entering a more complicated project or becoming part of a program or operation, we recommend using a more detailed plan. It will cover all of the above points and much more. 

Everyone in project management knows that documentation is always your friend, and this is just an extension of that concept. It may seem like it’s just more work and not all that necessary, but that could not be farther from the truth. It’s a vital part of keeping your project moving when things go perfectly, hit the fan, or somewhere in between. 

This more detailed plan includes

1. Each name of each stakeholder, along with
   1. Their responsibility on the project
   2. Their contact information, including
      1. Email
      2. Phone number
      3. Other (Slack or Airtable info)
2. Each stakeholder’s requirements, categorized by the group or individual
3. Requirements for allocating information, including
   1. What information will be distributed to that stakeholder or group
   2. The date information needs to be shared by
   3. Who you are communicating with
   4. The name and information of the person responsible for communication on the team (If Needed) 
   5. What method is used to deliver the information
      1. Call
      2. Email
      3. Etc.
4. Requirements to be aware of for gathering or reporting information
   1. What is needed from relevant stakeholder(s)
   2. The name and relevant information of the person on the team responsible for either collecting or reporting information (If Needed)
   3. The stakeholder responsible for either communicating or sharing the information delivered
   4. Any relevant due dates
5. Guidelines for allowed methods of storing or distributing information
   1. How and where the information is stored (i.e., Google Drive, Microsoft One Drive, DropBox, etc.)
   2. Approved methods of communication, such as
      1. Email
      2. Text Message
      3. Phone Call
      4. Zoom Call
      5. Chat Platforms (Slack, etc.)
      6. In-Person Meeting

Don’t Dismiss Communication Management

If you are just starting out in project management, these kinds of plans are extremely helpful. Our more seasoned veterans may scoff at this level of consideration, but remember, if something saves you time, it’s ultimately worth it. 

Creating a communication management plan is going to take a lot of clicking, searching, and sorting for half an hour today and save you hours in the long run. 

For each aspect of a project, it’s evident that effective management of communication encourages workers and stakeholders alike to voice concerns, obtain answers, and move on with tasks knowing exactly what is expected from them. Stakeholders will sleep better at night and bug you a lot less. 

Surveys, focus groups, one-on-one meetings, and other communication activities are all examples of methods used for management communication. By helping the utilization of data to evaluate plans and choices, communication tools help organizations strengthen their project communication strategy.

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