Art of communication in project

management
inShare

Conference Paper 2010

Rajkumar, Sivasankari

How to cite this article:

Rajkumar, S. (2010). Art of communication in project management. Paper presented at PMI®

Research Conference: Defining the Future of Project Management, Washington, DC. Newtown
Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Indhu KP, Tata Consultancy Services, Bangalore, India

Communication works for those who work at it—John Powell

Abstract

This paper focuses on the importance of communication in project management. Nothing is more
important to the success of a project than effective communication. More effective
communication = Better project management is obviously known to everyone in project
management, but we do face difficulties in implementing it due to various factors like the nature
of the project, structure of the organization etc. About 90% of the time in a project is spent on
communication by the project manager. If this continues in a project, there is a danger of missing
the deliverables or other outcomes as required by the sponsor. This paper highlights more
specific details like, what communication means in a project, the steps required for effective
communication, the major obstacles in communication, how to overcome obstacles through
communication sharing, the importance of communications in diverse work groups and provides
a four-step process for effective communication explained with a case study. As all of us know,
communication is not an absolute, finite thing. Developing an effective communication plan is
explained in steps on how to identify communication requirements: 5Ws (What, Why, Who,
Where, When) and 1H (How). Enterprise environmental factors and organizational process
assets are also described. So in short, if the steps outlined in this paper are considered and
followed, more time would be saved for the project manager. Therefore, he or she can
concentrate on other loopholes and successfully complete the project.

Communication—The Life Blood

Communication is an essential process in our day-to-day life, and the entire world revolves
around it. Lasswell's Maxim defines communication as “who says what to whom in what channel
with what effect”. Communication is exchanging of information from one point of the project to
the other point in an efficient manner. Like this, there are various definitions and concepts about
communication in today's world. However, how important is this communication in project
management, we can say that this is “Project—Life Blood” as everything in a project is based on
how efficiently we perform this. Communication is an essential tool in the field of project
management. It is gaining importance everyday and is the center of all management processes
soon. The success of a project largely depends on the efficiency of its communication network. It
starts working from day one of the venture and continues for the entire life span of the project. It
provides regular updates to notify the status of the project as well as its performance capacity.
But surprisingly, it has been found that most projects experience a breakdown in
communications. It has been said that 90% of a project manager's time is spent communicating
what is going to be done. This paper details what communication means in a project, the steps
required for effective communication, the major obstacles in communication, how to overcome
obstacles through communication sharing, the importance of communications in diverse work
groups, and a four-step process for effective communication.

Communication—Project Management Starts With a Big “C”

The word communication comes from the Latin word communis, which means common. When
we communicate, we are trying to establish “commonness” with someone. That is, we are trying
to share information, an idea, or an attitude among the team involved in that particular project.

One can never take for granted that the receiver will interpret the message the same way as the
sender intended it. Communication is not an absolute, finite thing. To do this effectively, the
project manager needs to consider all the factors like the different realities, the space the
communication takes place in, verbal as well as non-verbal messages, and the intended meaning
versus the perceived meaning, etc. Figure 1 depicts the cost of bad communication.
Figure 1. The Price of Poor Communication

Therefore, the communication process needs to be efficient and effective.

Understanding the Communications Process

To communicate effectively, project managers must have a good understanding of the

communications process.
Figure 2. The Communications Process

To understand the communications process, project managers must understand all the relevant
factors.

1. The communications process requires a sender and receiver. The sender formulates the
message to communicate, which is meant for a receiver. The sender creates the content
with some intent in mind. The receiver, of course, receives the message and then deals
with it according to personal reactions. He or she may accept, revise, or reject the
message. For example, a project manager informs the customer that a slide on a major
milestone will occur and provides reasons. The customer, in turn, may make a decision
based upon that information.
2. The communications process requires a medium to communicate the content of a
message. The medium may take just about any form, each unique in its ability to
influence the receptivity of the receiver. As with the message itself, the receiver may
elect to accept or reject the medium employed. The receiver may even elect to alter the
medium so that he or she can receive and interpret the message according to his or her
preferences. In the earlier example with the schedule slide, a project manager may send
the message as e-mail rather than have a face-to-face meeting with the customer.
3. The communications process requires a message. The message can take many different
forms, usually in hard or soft format. The hard format is usually written on paper whereas
soft format is electronic. Regardless of the format, a message is necessary to initiate a
communication and stimulate a relationship between two or more people. In the
previously mentioned example, the message is that the project will slide a major
milestone and it is sent in a soft (e.g., electronic) format.
4. The communications process requires feedback between the sender and receiver.
Feedback may be positive, negative, or neutral, indicating the receptivity of the sender or
receiver. Feedback can also be simple or complex. Simple feedback occurs when it
involves just two people; complex feedback is when the process involves three or more
people. The movement from simple to complex is because the number of channels and
opportunities for misinterpretation increase geometrically as each one codes their
message and the other decodes the same. In the last example, the customer gives negative
feedback in soft copy format but suggests a follow-up meeting to discuss the results.
5. The communications process is rarely “clean,” meaning that what the recipient receives
may not be necessarily what the sender sent. A number of variables can affect the quality
of a message including the following: beliefs, values, the emotional impact of a message,
and the medium employed. These variables and others often referred to as “noise,” can
affect the degree of receptivity of a message and the feedback on the part of the sender or
receiver. For example, the sender may not really believe in a message he or she
formulates, but this person may be compelled to send it; the content of the message and
its mode of delivery may influence the quality of the message and, ultimately, its
receptivity. For example, a project manager may decide to communicate via e-mail rather
than in person to key stakeholders. The reason may be to avoid direct conflict with the
recipients of the message due to the personalities involved.
6. The communications process will always be in a setting or context that influences results.
This context often involves time, space, and structure. Time may refer to the day of the
 week. Space may be as simple as the location of a person, or it may involve a project
spread over a wide geographical area. Structure may be the organizational network in
place for supporting the communications process of a project. For example, a project
manager may want to communicate negative information about a schedule performance
only in a specific setting, such as a project status review. Understanding the influence and
interplay of the different variables involved requires a deep appreciation of these
elements: sender and receiver, message, medium, feedback, variables, and setting.

The basic communication model is explained here using fax machine as an example,

Figure 3. A Communications Model

Figure 2 explains how communication moves from one person to another. If we imagine each
portion of the model as a fax machine, it would be easier to visualize the components.

Sender: This refers to the person who first initiates the communication. Let's say a document
related to the project is being faxed by the project manager.

Encoder: This device encodes the message to be sent. In this case, it is the fax machine.

Medium: This is the device or technology to transport the message between the encoder and the
decoder. Here it is the telephone line.

Decoder: This device decodes the message to be received. Here it is the fax machine itself.

Receiver: This refers to the person who receives the communication finally. The receiver may
interpret the information, make a comment, and send it back to the sender.

Feedback: The communication may be disrupted by noise and misinterpret the message. A part
of the message may be faded out or discolored etc. This would have been caused by the
distortion of phone line.
Similarly, there may be many reasons for misinterpretation of information within the project
team. In order to avoid this, each project manager should follow some basic steps to be effective
in this communication process. Let us see how in the further sections.

Effective Communication Steps: To Keep Communication Alive

Communication is a vital element of a well-managed project. There are two main groups of
people with whom the project manager needs to ensure clear and effective communication, the
stakeholders and the project team. Every project will be sponsored by a part of the business with
a stake in the outcome. They will likely be represented on the project board, which sets the
objectives for the project and monitors progress over time. The project board will include others
with a stake in the outcome, for example, those who will need to implement the project outcomes
and those who will need to supply resource once the project outcomes have been met. All of
these stakeholders will need regular updates, and it is imperative that communication with them
is regular, clear and complete.

In addition, projects often involve the need for the project manager to coordinate the work of a
large group of people working on different aspects of the project (often referred to as work
streams). The project manager is required to ensure that everyone is clear about what he or she
must achieve and he or she also needs to clearly report on progress to the project board and/or
project sponsors. There are many opportunities for things to go badly wrong if an effective
communication is not established and maintained.

The following steps will help the project manager to communicate effectively,

An Effective Communications Plan in Place is the Key

Based on stakeholder analysis, the project manager and the project team can determine the
communications that are needed. There is no advantage of supplying stakeholders with
information that isn't needed or desired, and the time spent creating and delivering such
information is a waste of resources.

A communications management plan can organize and document the process, types, and
expectations of communications. It provides the following:

 The stakeholder communications requirements in order to communicate the appropriate

information as demanded by the stakeholders.
 Information on what is to be communicated. This plan includes the expected format,
content, and detail—thinks project reports versus quick e-mail updates.
 Details on how needed information flows through the project to the correct individuals.
The communication structure documents where the information will originate, to whom
the information will be sent, and in what modality the information is acceptable.
 Appropriate methods for communicating include e-mails, memos, reports, and even press
releases.
  Schedules of when the various types of communication should occur. Some
communications, such as status meetings, should happen on a regular schedule, while
other communications may be prompted by conditions within the project.
 Escalation processes and timeframes for moving issues upwards in the organization when
they can't be solved at lower levels.
 Methods to retrieve information as needed.
 Instructions on how the communications management plan can be updated as the project
progresses.
 A project glossary.

The communications plan may also include information and guidelines for project status
meetings, team meetings, e-meetings (that's electronic meetings, not meetings about the letter e),
and even e-mail. Setting expectations for communications and meetings early in the project
establishes guidelines for the project team and stakeholders.

Four Steps Process for Effective Communication

Identify Communication Requirements

The project manager and the project team work together to identify who needs what information.
In other words, project management needs to know what the requirements of successful
communications are in order to plan on how to achieve those requirements.

First, the team to whom communication is essential needs to be determine the number of
channels of communication possible using the communication formula as illustrated in A Guide
to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK® Guide)—Fourth Edition (Project
Management Institute [PMI]. 2008) This is a very simple equation that any good program and
project manager should know which is: N(N-1)/2.

Using the formula, let us take an example with a small project team of five people where the
formula calculates that there are 10 possible channels of communication as:

5(5-1)/2 = 5(4)/2 = 20/2 = 10. So the project manager must ensure that five people on th team are
communicating real time, and that there are no gaps in everyone's' understanding that they need
to manage only 10 communication channels among the team.

Stakeholders will need different types of information, depending on their interest in project and
the priority of the project. The project manager will need to complete the analysis of the
identified stakeholders to determine what information they actually need as well as how often the
information is needed. The project manager and the project team can identify the demand for
communications using the following,

 Organization charts,
 The project structure within the performing organization,
 Stakeholder responsibility relationships,
 Departments and disciplines involved within the project work,
  The number of individuals involved in the project and their locales,
 Internal and external information needs, and
 Stakeholder information.

1. Identify the 5Ws (Why, What, When, Where, Who) and 1H (How)

 Who needs to be communicated to. This is based on the communication formula and
needs to be determined.
 What needs to be communicated. All information related to the project need not be
communicated to everyone in the team.
 When it should be communicated. The timeline of communication should be monitored.
 Where should it be communicated. If the team involves many people, then individual
level and team level communications needs to be resolved.
 Why communication of information is essential and to what level is important. Why is it
not encouraged as it is blame rather than change.
 How the communication needs to be done. Is it conducted via e-mail, phone, or a
presentation done to the team members?

Figure 4. The 5 “W's” and 1 “H”

2. Identify and Accommodate the Enterprise Environmental Factors

Much of the communications management processes are linked to the enterprise environmental
factors. Enterprise environmental factors that affect project communications are as follows:

 Organizational culture and structure,

 Standard and regulations the project must comply with,
 The logistics and the organizational infrastructure,
 The human resources the project will rely on and interact with,
 The policies and procedures for personnel administration,
 The project's work authorization system,
  The marketplace conditions,
 Stakeholder risk tolerances,
 Commercial databases that the project may use for estimating, and
 Project management information system.

These enterprise factors should be identified and reviewed and the project manager should align
his or her project initiative considering all of these factors.

3. Identify Organizational Process Assets

The organizational process assets affect how the project manager, project team, and the
stakeholders will communicate within a project. The primary organizational process assets that
affect communication include the following:

 Standards and policies unique to the organization;

 Organizational guidelines, work instructions and performance measurement criteria;
 Organizational communication requirements for all projects considering required and
approved technology, security issues, archiving and allowed communication media;
 Project closure requirements;
 Financial controls and procedures;
 Issue and defect management procedures for all projects;
 Change control procedures;
 Risk control procedures;
 Work authorization systems;
 Process measurement database;
 Project file structure, organization, and retention;
 Historical information and lessons learned requirements;
 Issue and defect management databases;
 Configuration management databases; and
 Project financial databases detailing labor hours, costs, budget issues, and cost overruns.

These process assets may be unique for each organization, but if this is reviewed before the
initiation of the project and reflected in the communication to the team, then there will never be a
problem throughout the project.

What are the Major Obstacles in Communication?

In order to understand major obstacles that come a long way in a project, it is essential to know
the interfaces any project may have. The interfaces are as follows:

 Between organizations (e.g., customer-supplier);

 Between departments within an organization (e.g., marketing-IT);
 Between teams within a department (e.g., testers-developers); and
 Within distributed teams (e.g., part of the team is in Seattle and the other in Sydney).
The main communication obstacles (across interfaces listed earlier) can be drilled down to the
following three broad areas:

1. Political: Whenever there are many groups involved, there is the possibility of vested
interests and power games getting in the way of dialogue. Such political obstacles usually
originate in the upper ranks of an organizational hierarchy, a step or two above levels at
which projects are planned and executed. Project managers therefore need to make
special efforts to be aware of the key political players in the organization. In traditional
corporate environments, these might be functional or senior-level managers who are not
always obvious project stakeholders.
Once the political players have been identified, the project manager should take steps to
gain their confidence and buy-in on project goals. This should help eliminate political
barriers to project communications. It is best to settle political issues at the level where
they originate; escalating political problems up the hierarchy (i.e., to the manager's
manager) generally does not help, and may even be counterproductive.
2. Cultural: Organizational culture, which is essentially the totality of assumptions and
values commonly held within an organization need to be dealt with. Clearly, this can vary
considerably between organizations—some may be more open than others may, for
example. Communication at the interface between two organizations with vastly differing
cultures can be difficult. For example, one might expect some differences of opinion at a
joint project planning session involving a very forward-looking, can-do supplier and a
conservative, risk-averse customer. Project managers can ease such difficulties by
understanding the divergences in attitudes between the parties involved, and then acting
as intermediaries to facilitate communication. In geographically distributed (or virtual)
teams, differences between regional cultures can come into play. These could manifest
themselves in a variety of ways, such as differences in fluency of language or social
attitudes and behaviors. Here again, the project leader, and the rest of the team for that
matter, need to be aware of the differences and allow for them in project
communications.
3. Linguistic: Linguistic needs to be understood in the sense of specialized terminology
used by different disciplines such as accounting, IT, marketing, etc. Often when
specialists from diverse areas get together to discuss project related matters, there is a
tendency for each side to make assumptions (often tacitly) regarding a common
understanding of specialized jargon. This often leads to incomplete (at best) or incorrect
(at worst) communication. So practical techniques that would solve the above three
obstacles needs to be identified and implemented. In other words, communication sharing
should be best at any project level

Communication Sharing is the Solution

There are many different avenues a project manager and a project team can take to communicate.
Project teams can effectively communicate through hallway meetings or formal project status
meetings. Information can be transferred from stakeholder to stakeholder through anything from
written notes to complex online databases and tracking systems.
As part of the communications planning, the project manager should identify all of the required
and approved methods of communicating. Some projects may be highly sensitive and contain
classified information that not all stakeholders are privy to, while other projects may contain
information that is open for anyone to explore. Whatever the case, the project manager should
identify what requirements exist, if any, for the communication modalities.

Communication modalities can also include meetings, reports, memos, e-mails, etc. The project
manager should identify the preferred methods of communicating based on the conditions of the
message to be communicated. Consider the following, which may have an effect on the
communication plan:

 Urgency of the information: When the information is communicated can often be as

important as what is being communicated. For some projects, information should be
readily available, while other projects are less demanding.
 Technology: Because of the demands of the project, technology changes may be needed
to fulfill the project request. For example, the project may require an internal Web site
that details project progress. If such a Web site does not exist, time and money will need
to be invested into this communication requirement.
 Project staffing: The project manager should evaluate the abilities of the project team to
determine if appropriate levels of competency exist to fulfill the communication
requirements or if training will be required for the project team.
 Project length: The length of the project can have an influence on the project
technology. Advances in technology may replace a long-term project's communication
model. A short-term project may not have the same technology requirements as a long-
term project, but could benefit from the successful model a larger project uses.
 Project environment: How a team communicates often depends on its structure.
Consider a collocated team versus a virtual team. Each type can be effective, but there
will be differing communication demands for each type of team.

The project manager may need to be in touch with people in the same location or various other
locations in which project work is being performed. It is the project manager's duty to determine
how to do this information sharing; he or she should categorize the means of communication.
Information sharing in the current world makes us think of fax machines, telephone, e-mail, and
similar tools. How do you prioritize the means of communications and convey what is really
required?

1) In person: The best communication is still face-to-face. The project manager can determine
the person's body language and get their tone and nuances. Very importantly, this often tells
more about what is going on in the project.

2) Telephone: The tone of the voice can be heard. Note that you should always smile into the
telephone, which gives a feeling of upbeat and confidence in the project.

3) Videoconferencing: This is very useful in saving travel costs.

4) E-mail: The most popular of these is obviously e-mail next to the telephone. It is amazing that
people are taught how to use an e-mail system, but are not provided with any guidelines on
effective use. Here are some specific guidelines that would help to increase the efficiency of
communication via e-mail:

• Avoid using email for any sensitive topics;

• Assume that everyone in the company will read your emails;

• Think about what medium to use for communications before you resort to e-mail;

• Make sure that the title of the email is either very specific or very general; and

• Avoid using email to discuss an issue in any depth. E-mail was never intended to be used as
groupware.

5) Fax: This is not highly recommended nowadays, as it is not possible to confirm if the sent fax
was received until the receiver confirms.

Examining Communication Factors

The most common type of communication between a sender and a receiver is verbal
communication. When verbal communication is involved, the project manager should remember
that half of communication is listening. This means that the project manager must confirm that
the receiver understands the message being sent. The confirmation of the sent message can be
seen in the recipient's body language, feedback, and verbal confirmation of the sent message.
Five terms are used to describe the process of communicating. They are as follows:

 Paralingual: The pitch, tone, and inflections in the sender's voice affect the message
being sent.
 Feedback: The sender confirms that the receiver understands the message by directly
asking for a response, questions for clarification, or other confirmation of the sent
message.
 Active listening: The receiver confirms that the message is being received through
feedback, questions, prompts for clarity, and other signs of confirmation.
 Effective listening: The receiver is involved in the listening experience by paying
attention to visual clues from the speaker and paralingual characteristics and by asking
relevant questions.
 Nonverbal: Approximately 55% of communication is nonverbal. Facial expressions,
hand gestures, and body language contribute to the message

Did You Know?

“Only 7% of our communication is verbal—the content of our communication. Thirty-eight

percent is conveyed through the quality of voice—tone, volume, speed and pitch. Fifty-five
percent is through posture, movements, gestures, facial expressions, breathing and skin-color
changes.”

Today in this globalized world, communication between diverse groups is a major challenge.
Let's take a sneak peek.

Importance of Communication in Diverse Work Groups

Work forces today reflect diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. However, while
the term diverse includes a larger range of differences: economic level, educational level,
lifestyle, sexual orientation, geographical and regional differences, plus many other descriptors.
The presence and acknowledgment of these kinds of differences in people can help a work group
communicate effectively and work productively.

Figure 5. Diversity in the Workforce

Communicating in diverse work groups is a business issue. Many organizations are realizing the
value of different perspectives that come with a diverse work group. Diversity can lead to more
ideas and higher levels of creativity, giving the organization more options and choices; thus
resulting in better outcomes for the organization and better products and services for its
customers.

However, communication within a diverse work group can create complex and challenging
situations. People with varying perspectives and experiences have different meanings and
contexts for words and phrases. They also use nonverbal expressions differently. What is
appropriate to one person may be offensive to another.
Figure 6. Mechanics of Basic Communication

Successful communication in diverse work groups extends beyond mastering the mechanics of
basic communication (Figure 6); it involves learning to understand and effectively use words and
phrases. Effective communicators gain knowledge about other people's backgrounds and develop
positive work group relationships.

Tips for Individuals to Communicate to Achieve Success in a Team

1. Recognize and understand the differences

Know whom you are communicating with. What is the background of each team member? What
are their experiences and how do they shape the team members' views, opinions, perspectives,
and biases? It is imperative to keep an open and flexible mind.

Recognizing differences means acknowledging and respecting individuals for who they are; it
does not necessarily imply agreement with their perspectives, nor is it a like/dislike dimension.

You (the sender) need to consider how you are different from the intended audience. What is
your background and experience, and how does the past shape your views? What are your
opinions and biases? Communication is a two-way process, and you, as the sender, play an
important role.

2. Create the appropriate message to communicate

Be clear about the content and goal of your message. Are you communicating to inform? Asking
for input? Clarifying an issue? Resolving a problem? How should your message be formulated
given the differences between yourself and your audiences? Should your message be direct and
to the point, or should it be more subtle and indirect?

3. Deliver the message

Your message can be delivered in many different ways such as written document, a team
meeting, voice mail, e-mail, or face-to-face communication. Each communication mode has its
own advantages and disadvantages. Select the type that will maximize the successful delivery of
your message given the diversity issues involved. Knowing your audience can greatly help
determine when and how to deliver the message.

4. Obtain the feedback

You will want to check for understanding and ensure that your message was accurately received.
The important point is to ensure accurate comprehension, not necessarily agreement.

Case Study: Four-Step Process for Effective Communication

Springfield Community Hospital is a large hospital located in the northwest portion of the United
States. They have eight campuses throughout Washington and Oregon. Their hospitals specialize
in general practice, heart health, long-term care, and health education. This is a key example for
the four steps for effective communication.

The project, led by Martin Anderson, was a paperless initiative that allowed doctors and nurses
to use wireless technologies with patient interaction. The project, while large and ambitious,
helps patients receive more care that is accurate, reduces paperwork, and streamlines processes
throughout the hospital.

1. Identify Communication Requirements

“A project of this size, with this vast amount of stakeholders, requires this much
communication,” said project sponsor Kisper, as she stretched her arms wider and wider apart.
“Communication is, without a doubt, a project manager's most important job.”

Throughout the project, Anderson had to work with interfaces from medical, technical, legal,
public relations, business managers, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of
1996 (HIPPA), inspectors from the Office for Civil Rights, and personnel from the Department
of Health and Human Services. One of the first tasks within the project was to create a project
team directory that included e-mails, phone numbers, campus locations, and roles for each
project team member. This directory was published in print and on the hospital's intranet.
Because of the variety of the project team members, it was not ideal to locate all of the project
team members in one place physically, but the directory helped bring the project team closer
together.

2. Identify the 5Ws (Why, What, When, Where, Who) and 1H (How)

 Who—Anderson, the project manager, had a large project team to work with. His team
included network engineers, wireless engineers, nurses, doctors, and other health liaisons
to incorporate into the project team.
 What—The project team, in its early stages, stayed very segmented between the
technical staff and the medical staff. Each part of the project team had never really
worked with each other. Once the project team began to see how they needed to work
with each other in order for the project deliverable to be successful, the walls began to
break down and thoughtful communication began
 When—The initial phase of the project went well thanks to the planning and simulations
the project team completed. Once the first campus was moved to the wireless system, the
project team monitored the facets of the project and then reported them as expected to the
project manager. Anderson then worked with the project team experts to create solutions
for any problems that cropped up and within two weeks' time, the system was functional.
The first campus served as a model for the remaining campuses
 Where—Anderson created, with the project team's help, a schedule for weekly status
reports throughout the project. In addition, the communications management plan defined
the following:
• When the project team would be expected to report variances in the project implementation;

• How the project team was to interact with other team members through the project's work
authorization system;

• The expectations from management for status reports, variance reports, and project summary
reports;

• The hospital's public relations department role announcing and reporting on the project
progress;

• The expected communication among the project team, Anderson, and the functional managers
of the project team members;

• The expected modalities for the types of communication; and

• The knowledge management system the hospitals use to store and retrieve project
communications.

 Why—In order for the project to succeed, Anderson knew that effective communication
was paramount. In addition to the large project team, he had considerations from the
hospital board of directors, the community, and ultimately the hospital patients. Very
early in the project Anderson addressed the Communications Management Plan
 How—The project communications management was based on a template for all projects
within Springfield Community Hospital. This project plan, however, addressed new areas
of communication demands because of the structure of the IT department compared to
the structure of the medical staff, their expectations, and availability for communication.
Anderson continually reinforced the pending communication expectations to keep the
project team, stakeholders, and management abreast of the project
The project team also relied on one another. One of the first tasks within the project was
to create a project team directory that included e-mails, phone numbers, campus
locations, and roles for each project team member. This directory was published in print
and on the hospital's intranet. Because of the variety of the project team members, it was
not ideal to locate all of the project team members in one place physically, but the
directory helped bring the project team closer together. Regular status meetings, e-mail,
phone conferences, and impromptu hallway meetings all contributed to the project's
success.

3. Identify and Accommodate the Enterprise Environmental Factors

This project focused on changing the culture to a paperless working environment. They had to
comply with the expected norms and standards of any health organization. They used the intranet
within the organization. The major databases that provided inputs were the patient records,
medical history, etc.

4. Identify Organizational Process Assets

  Hospital standards and policies;
 Hospital guidelines, work instructions and performance measurement criteria;
 This was a paperless initiative that allowed doctors and nurses to use wireless
technologies with patient interaction;
 Future use of tablet PCs to assist with health care administration, patient interviews, and
hospital rounds;
 Project closure requirements;
 Financial controls and procedures;
 Process measurement database;
 Project file structure, organization and retention; and
 Historical patient information.

Conclusion

This paper strongly suggests communication is the key for success for any project. It lists the
importance of communication, the communication process, the steps to keep communication
alive, an effective communication plan, four steps for effective communication, the obstacles in
communication, importance of communication in a diverse work group and tips for any
individual to communicate effectively in a team. Finally, it elaborates a case study for the four-
step effective communication. It saves time and money, makes life easier, makes you more
profitable, and it just makes sense!

References

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Wideman, M. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.maxwideman.com

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