Project communications management

Its Importance and How to Plan It

Introduction

Effective communication is important in many aspects of life. Whether that be in relationships, group work, or work meetings, having good communication skills can make or break any projects that you will participate in in life. This is why you should have a communication management plan in project management. Communication is one of the best resources that you will need to keep a project team running smoothly. Effective communication will also build trust in the team, and especially building trust in you as the project manager. In this blog post, I will discuss with you why communication management is important and how to make a communications plan. 

Why Is Project Communications Management Important?

Why is having a communication plan important for the project? If you run a project without any form of communication there would be chaos in the team. Team members wouldn’t know what they should do, stakeholders would be dissatisfied from the lack of information about how the project is going, you could lose the financial support that is needed, and the project could completely fail. You need structure and guidance for a project to be successful. With good communication, there would be better understanding and efficiency in the project.

Creating a Communications Plan

Hopefully, you have started to build trust in the team through team-building exercises and team-development strategies that will make communication easier. Since you need to make sure that everyone has an effective and efficient way to communicate, this is why a communication management plan will be helpful.

To create a communication plan, you need to address a few things:

• The goals and purpose of the plan

• Any communication requirements for stakeholders to give them the information they need

• Who will produce the information and who will receive the information

• Methods of communication

• How often there will be communication

• What information needs to be communicated like content, reports, level of detail

• Procedures for how issues and conflicts will be resolved

• A glossary for terminology everyone should know

• Information on how the communication plan can be updated

Methods For Communication

One of the first things that you need to do is decide on what methods will work best for the team. The plan has to be easily accessible, consider making a document that can be shared online where everyone can access and review it. You should determine what information will be needed. The information that will be shared can change what method you will use. You can include meeting notes, data, file sharing, project updates, team discussions, etc. There are several types of methods that you can use, including:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Status Reports

               2. Weekly Check-Ins 

               3. In-person, virtual, or phone call meetings

               4. Presentations, usually formal

               5. Surveys

               6. To-do lists

               7. Apps that allow collaboration

               8. Summaries of meetings 

               9. Online group chat

               10. Emails 

By defining and categorizing the types of essential information for the project, you will be establishing guidelines for each message. By doing this, you will enhance clarity for everyone on the team and avoid information gaps.

Know Your Audience

When you know the type of information you need to discuss and what methods you have, you need to know who your audience is. Each team member will have a specific role that you need to determine. When you do this, you will include what types of tasks they work on, how someone would communicate with them, and why they would need to communicate with them. Some roles that may be identified are:

• Customers and users

• Key Stakeholders

• Project Manager

• Portfolio Manager

• IT Support

• Other team members will vary for every project

How To Handle Sensitive Information

Conclusion

Project communication management is a big part of the success of a project. Making an effective plan for communication between all team members and stakeholders will help make a project run smoother. When you make this plan, consider the goals of the plan, the frequency of communication, procedures for conflicts, methods of communication, how it will be produced, and the level of detail of information for communication. Be sure that the plan is easily understood and accessible to all team members. Based on what information you have, choose the correct methods to give out the information. You may consider status reports, weekly-check ins, presentations, to-do lists, emails, etc. Know who your audience is and take into consideration how your team best functions to help decide on your method. If something changes in the project, it is okay to update the plan when needed. Always consider if the information being shared is sensitive, and perform the necessary steps to get the information to its destination safely.

Resources

Information Technology Project Management Textbook, e9, Schwalbe, Kathy.

"How to Create a Project Management Communication Plan"

https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/project-management-communication-plan

"How to Create and Effective Communication Management Plan"

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/communication-management-plan

"Art of Communication in Project Management"

https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/effective-communication-better-project-management-6480#:~:text=A%20communications%20management%20plan%20can,what%20is%20to%20be%20communicated.