Talking It Out: Simple, Sublime & (sort of) the Key to Project Success

Project Management Communication

Colleen Brennan-BarryMonroe Community College / Rochester, NY@ColB ** #TalkItOut

80% of a Project Manager’s time

is spent communicating.

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Three Realities for Every PM

Three Realities for Every PMYou set the tempo.

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Three Realities for Every PM

The types of project stakeholders – and communication needs – are legion.

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Three Realities for Every PM

Project communication can make or break a project.

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NO PRESSURE.

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Project Communications:BASELINES

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“Systematic planning, implementing, monitoring, and revision of all the channels of communication within an organization, and between organizations”

Project Communications:

Project Communicator Roles• Cruise Director

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Project Communicator Roles• Cruise Director• Drill Sergeant

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Project Communicator Roles• Cruise Director• Drill Sergeant• Archivist

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Project Communicator Roles• Cruise Director• Drill Sergeant• Archivist• Troubleshooter

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Project Communicator Roles• Cruise Director• Drill Sergeant• Archivist• Troubleshooter• Distributor

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Project Communicator Roles• Cruise Director• Drill Sergeant• Archivist• Troubleshooter• Distributor• Translator

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Project Communicator Responsibilities

“Planning is worthless unless there is first a strategic vision.”

– John Naisbitt

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In a nutshell:

Sharing the rightmessages withthe rightpeople in the right way.

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Project Communications:PLANNING

Planning: Step 1Get Educated: Intake and Initiation

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Planning: Step 2Lay the Project Out

• What is the content? (Content & Deliverables)

Planning: Step 2Lay the Project Out

• Who needs & manages the content? (Roles & Personalities)

Planning: Step 2Lay the Project Out

• How do they need it, & how can we deliver it? (Channels & Resources)

Planning: Step 2Lay the Project Out

• When do they need it? (Timeline & Frequency)

Planning: Step 2Lay the Project Out

• What is its importance? (Prioritization)

Planning: Step 2Lay the Project Out

• How do we complete it? (Benchmarks)

Planning: Step 2Lay the Project Out

• How do we measure and evaluate? (Metrics)

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Planning: Step 3Identify

Stakeholders

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Planning: Step 4

Create Documentation &

Workflows

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Planning: Step 5Set the Structure and the Beat

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Project Communications:STYLES & STRATEGIES

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4 Types of CommunicatorsAccording to American Management Association

Controller

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4 Types of CommunicatorsAccording to American Management Association

Analyzer

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4 Types of CommunicatorsAccording to American Management Association

Supporter

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4 Types of CommunicatorsAccording to American Management Association

Promoter

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3 Types of Communication1. Oral2. Written 3. Non-Verbal

OralMeetings, meetings, meetings

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WrittenDocument, document, document

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Non-VerbalObserve, observe, observe

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“Written words are only painted fire; a look is the fire itself.”

- Mark Twain

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Select Your Channels

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Communication Qualities

A key part of the communicator’s job:

Determine each communication’s type and traits.

Tailor Your Communications:

Effective project communication is audience- and situation-specific.

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For Example: Upward Communication

• To Project Sponsor / Higher Ups• More formal • More official • Written or formal presentation• “Big Picture” and progress

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For Example: Lateral Communication

• To Project Team• Informal• Both official and unofficial• Oral and written• Project detail, vision, motivation

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For Example: Tertiary Communication

• To General Stakeholders• Intermediate formality• Official• Written• Overview and non-detailed

updates

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ConsiderationsCulture

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ConsiderationsIndustry

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ConsiderationsChange

“Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for change.” - Goethe

ConsiderationsConflict Strategy

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ConsiderationsSimplicity

“The more we elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.”- J. B. Priestly

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Project Communications:TOOLS

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Consider your WHOLE toolbox.

Tools: Traditional

• Phone• Meetings• Documentation• Email

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• Blogs• Wikis• Bug & Ticket Tracking• Collaborative PM Systems• Cloud Docs & Tools

Tools: Technical

• Blogs

• Wikis• Bug & Ticket Tracking• Collaborative PM Systems• Cloud Docs & Tools

Tools: Technical

• Blogs• Wiki

• Issue Ticket Tracking

• Collaborative PM Systems• Cloud Docs & Tools

Tools: Technical

• Blogs• Wiki• Issue Ticket Tracking

• Collaborative PM Systems

• Cloud Docs & Tools

Tools: Technical

• Blogs• Wiki• Issue Ticket Tracking• Collaborative PM Systems

• Cloud Docs & Tools

Tools: Technical

Tools: Software

Project Communications:IN SUMMARY

• Communication sets project tempo, tone and success.

• Project communication is layered and complex, and needs a full plan to guide it.

• Communication happens in many ways and forms, and must be tailored to each audience /use case.

• Use available tools to help reach communication goals.

Colleen Brennan-Barrycolleenbrennanbarry.com

@ColB ** cbarry@monroecc.edu

Thank you.