Non-written communication in Project Management

Dino Butorac, PMP

IBM

Session Number #PMB02

Objectives

• Managers of PM’s– Why you should invest in non-written

communication skills

• PM’s– Provide arguments for discussions with

your managers– Guidelines for fostering your skills

Agenda

• Why it’s important

• Message transfer model

• Fostering the skills

• Organization assessment

• Personal improvement process

Projects

• Projects have goals and objectives

• Many stakeholders involved

• More stakeholders means more complex project environments

Number of relationships

Stakeholders

• Need for clear and efficient communication– Project manager – Stakeholder– Stakeholder – Stakeholder

Knowledge and skills

• How to get the message across

• How to receive and understand the message

• Improving chances of success

List of skills• Defining the purpose

• Organizing

• Use of language and words

• Use of voice

• Gestures and body-language

• Choice of communication channel

• Active listening

Categories of Communication

• Written

• Non-written

Written Communication

• Documenting

• Archiving

• The same message for many people

• PM literature focus

PMBOK

• Interpersonal skills– Effective communication– Motivation– Negotiation– Conflict management

Project Communications Management

• “Processes that are required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, distribution, storage, retrieval, and ultimate disposition of project information” – PMBOK Third Edition

Communication skills (PMBOK)

• Choice of media

• Writing style

• Presentation techniques

• Meeting management techniques

Non-written communication

• Spoken communication– Words and sentences– Voice– Body-language– Listening

Non-written communication

• Types– One on one– One to many

• Sequence of one-way message transfers in alternating directions

Why non-written communication skills are important?

• Environments with many stakeholders are complex

• Project success largely depends on communication

• Successful communication makes environment more efficient

• Non-written communication – required and non-avoidable in many situations

• Improvements mean better chances of success

Message transfer model

SENDER RECEIVER

CHANNEL

Message transfer model

1. Message creating (sender)

2. Message transferring (channel)

3. Message receiving (receiver)

4. Message interpreting (receiver)

Miscommunication• Message corruption can (and does) happen

1. Message creating (sender)

2. Message transferring (channel)

3. Message receiving (receiver)

4. Message interpreting (receiver)

Reversal of the roles

• Sender becomes the receiver and vice-versa

• The whole process repeats in a sequence

SENDER RECEIVER

CHANNEL

Improving the process

1. Message creating (sender)

2. Message transferring (channel)

3. Message receiving (receiver)

4. Message interpreting (receiver)

List of skills• Defining the purpose

• Organizing

• Use of language and words

• Use of voice

• Gestures and body-language

• Choice of communication channel

• Active listening

Fostering the skills

1. Learning

2. Practicing

3. Teaching

Learning the skills• Formal education

– Classroom courses and seminars– E-learning– Mentoring

• Informal education– Books– Articles– Message boards

Practicing the skills• At work• At home• At our hobbies• …

• Communication skills development organizations– Toastmasters International

– International Training in Communication

Teaching the skills

• If you want to really learn something – teach it!

• Help others become easier to communicate with

Fostering the skills

1. Learning

2. Practicing

3. Teaching

Organization assessment

• Level of PM’s skills

• Organization awareness

Level of PM’s communication skills

• Assessing

• Tracking and improving

• Investing

• Budget

Organization awareness• Management awareness of communication

skills importance

• Management speaking highly of communication skills

• Management inspiring PM’s to foster their skills

• Management incentives in place

Improve the organization

• Improve yourself

• Influence your management

• Influence your colleagues

• Influence others

Personal Improvement Process

1. Decision

2. Assessment

3. Plan

4. Action

5. Feedback

Agenda (revisited)

• Why it’s important

• Message transfer model

• Fostering the skills

• Organization assessment

• Personal improvement process

Objectives (revisited)

• Managers of PM’s– Why you should invest in non-written

communication skills

• PM’s– Provide arguments for discussions with

your managers– Guidelines for fostering your skills

Contact Information

• Dino Butorac, PMP

• dino.butorac (at) hr.ibm.com

• Session #PMB02