Importance of Good Communications IT Project Management, Third
Edition Chapter 10 2 The greatest threat to many projects is a
failure to communicate Our culture does not portray IT
professionals as being good communicators Research shows that IT
professionals must be able to communicate effectively to succeed in
their positions Strong verbal skills are a key factor in career
advancement for IT professionals
Slide 3
Project Communications Management Processes IT Project
Management, Third Edition Chapter 10 3 Communications planning:
determining the information and communications needs of the
stakeholders Information distribution: making needed information
available in a timely manner Performance reporting: collecting and
disseminating performance information Administrative closure:
generating, gathering, and disseminating information to formalize
phase or project completion
Slide 4
Communications Planning IT Project Management, Third Edition
Chapter 10 4 Every project should include some type of
communications management plan, a document that guides project
communications Creating a stakeholder analysis for project
communications also aids in communications planning
Slide 5
Communications Management Plan Contents IT Project Management,
Third Edition Chapter 10 5 A description of a collection and filing
structure for gathering and storing various types of information A
distribution structure describing what information goes to whom,
when, and how A format for communicating key project information A
project schedule for producing the information Access methods for
obtaining the information A method for updating the communications
management plans as the project progresses and develops A
stakeholder communications analysis
Slide 6
Sample Stakeholder Analysis for Project Communications IT
Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 10 6
Slide 7
Information Distribution IT Project Management, Third Edition
Chapter 10 7 Getting the right information to the right people at
the right time and in a useful format is just as important as
developing the information in the first place Important
considerations include using technology to enhance information
distribution formal and informal methods for distributing
information
Slide 8
Table 10-2. Media Choice Table IT Project Management, Third
Edition Chapter 10 8
Slide 9
Performance Reporting IT Project Management, Third Edition
Chapter 10 9 Performance reporting keeps stakeholders informed
about how resources are being used to achieve project objectives
Status reports describe where the project stands at a specific
point in time Progress reports describe what the project team has
accomplished during a certain period of time Project forecasting
predicts future project status and progress based on past
information and trends Status review meetings often include
performance reporting
Slide 10
Administrative Closure IT Project Management, Third Edition
Chapter 10 10 A project or phase of a project requires closure
Administrative closure produces project archives formal acceptance
lessons learned
Slide 11
Suggestions for Improving Project Communications IT Project
Management, Third Edition Chapter 10 11 Manage conflicts
effectively Develop better communication skills Run effective
meetings Use e-mail effectively Use templates for project
communications
Slide 12
Running Effective Meetings IT Project Management, Third Edition
Chapter 10 12 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
Slide 13
Using E-Mail Effectively IT Project Management, Third Edition
Chapter 10 13 Make sure that e-mail is an appropriate medium for
what you want to communicate Be sure to send the e-mail to the
right people Use meaningful subjects Limit the content to one main
subject, and be as clear and concise as possible Limit the number
and size of attachments Delete e-mail you dont need, and dont open
it if you question the source Make sure your virus software is up
to date Respond to and file e-mails quickly Learn how to use
important features
Slide 14
Using Templates for Project Communications IT Project
Management, Third Edition Chapter 10 14 Many technical people are
afraid to ask for help Providing examples and templates for project
communications saves time and money Organizations can develop their
own templates, use some provided by outside organizations, or use
samples from textbooks Recall that research shows that companies
that excel in project management make effective use of
templates
Slide 15
Table 10-3. Sample Template for a Monthly Progress Report IT
Project Management, Third Edition Chapter 10 15
Slide 16
Table 10-7. Guidance for Lessons Learned Report IT Project
Management, Third Edition Chapter 10 16
Slide 17
Listening Listening is to understand Hearing is simply the act
of receiving sound. Listening is the active process of receiving,
constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and/or
nonverbal messages. It involves the ability to retain information,
as well as to react empathically and/or appreciatively to spoken
and/or nonverbal messages
Slide 18
The listening process.
Slide 19
The listening process The brain, using what is referred to as
attention and working memory, focuses on the sensations and gives
them meaning. Your brain might, for example, recognize the first
few bars of a favorite song, the voice of a favorite artist, or the
sound of a police siren. Upon hearing these sounds, you immediately
know what they mean. Your interpreted message is then stored in
short-term memory for immediate use or in long-term memory for
future recall (Janusik, 2005).
Slide 20
The listening process People create many obstacles to effective
listening. Not all obstacles, however, are the fault of lazy,
unethical, or ineffective listeners. Because listening is a
process, natural barriers present themselves at various stages.
These natural barriers are explained for each major step in the
listening process: attention, working memory, short-term memory,
and long-term memory.
Slide 21
Attention Attention can be selective or automatic. Selective
attention is the sustained focus we give to activities we deem
important. We selectively pay attention to our favorite television
show, to our friends during conversation, and to the professors in
our classes. Selective attention can be impeded by our minds
instinct to pay automatic attention to certain
elements/activities.
Slide 22
Attention Automatic attention is the instinctive focus we give
to elements signaling a change in our surroundings (like a person
walking into the room), events/scenarios that we deem important
(our name being shouted from across the room), or elements that we
perceive to signal danger (like a siren or loud bang). The problem
faced by all of us is that automatic attention competes with
selective attention. When we are trying to selectively pay
attention to one stimulus (like our professors lecture), other
stimuli naturally draw our automatic attention.
Slide 23
Working Memory Our working memory looks for shortcuts when
processing information. Rather than trying to interpret each letter
in a word, our working memory quickly recognizes the pattern of
letters and assigns meaning. Likewise, when we hear the sounds of a
word, our working memory recognizes the pattern of sounds rather
than trying to process each sound separately.
Slide 24
Short-Term Memory Once interpreted in working memory,
information is sent to either short-term or long-term memory.
Short-term memory is a temporary storage place for information. All
of us use short-term memory to retain thoughts that we want to use
immediately but do not necessarily want to keep for future
reference. You might think of short-term memory as being similar to
a Post-it note. You will use the information on the note for a
quick reference but will soon discard it or decide to write it down
in a more secure location.
Slide 25
Long-Term Memory Long-term memory is our permanent storage
place for information including but not limited to : Past
experiences Language Values Knowledge Images of people memories of
sights Sounds Smells Fantasies
Slide 26
Long-Term Memory Unlike short term memory, long-term memory has
no known limitations in the quantity or duration of stored
information. Explanations of how long-term memory works are only
speculative; however, researchers hypothesize that our thoughts are
organized according to schema, which are organizational filing
systems for thoughts held in long-term memory. We might think of
schema as an interconnected web of information. Our ability to
remember information in long-term memory is dependent on finding
connections to the correct schema containing the particular memory,
thought, idea, or image we are trying to recall.
Slide 27
Importance of listening The importance of listening is even
clearer when we consider how we use it in our personal and
professional lives. Listening helps us build and maintain
relationships and can even help us determine whether the person we
are talking to is being deceitful (di Batista, 1997). Listening is
also recognized as an essential skill for business success (Haigh,
2006). Because of effective listening, we are able to improve
workplace relationships and be more productive (Nichols, 2006).
Listening is even linked to successful communication within highly
technical fields like medicine, in which improved listening skills
on the part of doctors are associated with fewer malpractice claims
from patients (Lenckus, 2005).
Slide 28
Four Types of Listening Active listening - Involved listening
with a purpose. Empathic listening - a form of active listening in
which you attempt to understand the other person. You engage in
empathic listening by using both mindfulness which is being fully
engaged in the moment (Wood, 2002), and empathy, which is the
ability to perceive another persons worldview as if it were your
own.
Slide 29
Four Types of Listening Critical listening - you challenge the
speakers message by evaluating its accuracy, meaningfulness, and
utility. Critical listening and critical thinking really go hand in
hand Skills in critical listening are especially important because
we are constantly bombarded with commercials, telemarketing calls,
and other persuasive messages.
Slide 30
Four Types of Listening Listening for enjoyment involves
seeking out situations involving relaxing, fun, or emotionally
stimulating information.
Slide 31
Barriers to Listening
Slide 32
Slide 33
Slide 34
Man vs Women
Slide 35
Listen and Think Critically Critical thinking involves
analyzing the speaker, the situation, and the speakers ideas to
make critical judgments about the message being presented. Although
we discuss critical thinking in terms of its relationship to
critical listening, you also use critical thinking when reading,
watching television, or analyzing the ingredients of a tasty meal.
One way to think critically is to analyze the communication
situation, or the context in which communication is occurring.
Slide 36
Listen and Think Critically The second strategy for engaging in
critical listening and thinking is to carefully analyze the
speakers ideas. The first skill is to identify supporting material.
When analyzing the message, a good starting point is to determine
whether the speaker is using evidence from other sources to support
main points. Does the speaker identify the source(s)? Are the
sources recognizable as qualified experts on the topic? Do the
sources have any potential bias that would diminish their
credibility?
Slide 37
Listen and Think Critically You need to determine whether
speakers are describing things that they have seen themselves or
presenting conclusions that they have drawn themselves, or are
reporting the descriptions and conclusions of others.
Slide 38
Listen and Think Critically A final skill in critical listening
is to analyze the credibility of the speaker. Source credibility is
the extent to which the speaker is perceived as competent to make
the claims he or she is making.
Slide 39
How to communicate better? - Use Verbal Communication
Effectively Invite additional comments. Suggest that the speaker
add more details or give additional information. Phrases such as Go
on, What else? How did you feel about that? and Did anything else
occur? encourage the speaker to continue to share ideas and
information.
Slide 40
How to communicate better? - Use Verbal Communication
Effectively Ask questions. One method of inviting the speaker to
continue is to ask direct questions, requesting more in-depth
details, definitions, or clarification. Identify areas of agreement
or common experience. Briefly relate similar past experiences, or
briefly explain a similar point of view that you hold. Sharing
ideas, attitudes, values, and beliefs is the basis of
communication. In addition, such comments demonstrate your
understanding.
Slide 41
How to communicate better? - Use Verbal Communication
Effectively Vary verbal responses. Use a variety of responses, such
as Yes, I see, Go on, and Right instead of relying on one standard,
unaltered response, such as Yes, Yes, Yes. Avoid complete silence.
The lack of any response suggests that you are not listening to the
speaker. The silent treatment induced by sleepiness or lack of
interest may result in defensiveness or anger on the part of the
speaker. Appropriate verbal feedback demonstrates your active
listening.
Slide 42
Use Nonverbal Communication Effectively Demonstrate bodily
responsiveness. Use movement and gestures to show your awareness of
the speakers message. Shaking your head in disbelief, checking the
measurements of an object by indicating the size with your hands,
and moving toward a person who is disclosing negative information
are appropriate bodily responses.
Slide 43
Use Nonverbal Communication Effectively Use direct body
orientation. Do not angle yourself away from the speaker; instead,
sit or stand so that you are directly facing him or her. A parallel
body position allows the greatest possibility for observing and
listening to the speakers verbal and nonverbal messages. When you
stand or sit at an angle to the speaker, you may be creating the
impression that you are attempting to get away or that you are
moving away from the speaker. An angled position also blocks your
vision and allows you to be distracted by other stimuli in the
environment.
Slide 44
Use Nonverbal Communication Effectively Maintain relaxed but
alert posture. Your posture should not be tense or proper, but
neither should it be so relaxed that you appear to be resting.
Slouching suggests unresponsiveness; a tense body position suggests
nervousness or discomfort; A relaxed position accompanied by
crossed arms and legs, a backward lean in a chair, and a confident
facial expression suggests arrogance. Your posture should suggest
to others that you are interested and that you are comfortable
talking with them.
Slide 45
Use Nonverbal Communication Effectively Establish direct eye
contact. The speaker will be watching your eyes for interest. One
of the first signs of a lack of interest is the tendency to be
distracted by other stimuli in the environment. Be vocally
responsive. Change your pitch, rate, inflection, and volume as you
respond to the speaker. Making appropriate changes and choices
shows that you are actually listening, in contrast to responding in
a standard, patterned manner that suggests you are only appearing
to listen.
Slide 46
To check your understanding of the issue Be aware of when you
are not listening. Monitor your nonverbal behaviors to determine
whether you are giving appropriate feedback to the speaker. Hear
people out and minimize interruptions. Learn to ask nonaggressive
questions to elicit more information from the speaker. Summarize
what the person said, and check to make sure you understand
correctly.