Effective Project Communications

Course Overview

Over 80 percent of a project manager’s job is communication. Project management is often described as the art of getting things done through others. Communication remains one of the major differentiators between project success and project failure. Planning and goal setting is important for every mode of project communication – written, meetings, presentations, etc. Understanding communication strategies, styles, and preferences gives the project manager leverage for ensuring project success.

This course is not about the technical aspects of building a communication plan. This course will focus on providing hands-on strategies to more effectively communicate project value, to communicate with diplomacy and tact, and to communicate regarding project problems, resolving interpersonal conflicts, strengthening team accountability, and generally further promote project success.

Key Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Set up meetings for success
• Identify how perceptions impact communication
• Understand the implications of poor communication on project viability

• Focus on improving their communication to building a professional presence
• List the common elements of communication and integrate these into their day-to-day communications
• Explain how project managers can link their projects to business strategy more effectively
• Itemize several steps to improve their feedback mechanisms to project teams
• Develop several strategies for managing communication challenges

Course Outline

Thinking about Project Communication in a New Way

• Communication and perception
• Why isn’t project management enough?
• Communication fall-out
• Building your professional presence through communication

Common Elements of all Communication

• Developing effective messages
• Steps for communication delivery
• Developing rapport
• Running effective project meetings

Communicating with the Business

• Using all of your communication channels
• Communication to get buy-in
• Linking projects and strategy through effective communication
• How to be a better listener

Providing Feedback to your Project Team

• Using communication as a motivator
• Resolving interpersonal conflict
• Giving feedback to team members
• Strengthening team accountability

Managing Communication Challenges

• Managing scope change
• Using communication to handle risk
• Communication about change
• Other common project communication challenges