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Knowledge Area Paper: Communication Management
BUSI 415
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Communication Management
1.0 Introduction
Communication management is essential to all projects for them to be successful.
Communication must flow upward, laterally, and downward for team members to understand
their responsibilities and requirements for the job. It is crucial to project control while helping
eliminate confusion, restrictions, and capability limitations. Both agile and waterfall methods
must have adequate communication techniques to ensure expectations are known and met. This
paper will highlight the benefits of communication management as well as discuss Scripture
related to this topic.
2.0 Knowledge Area: Communications Management
“Project communications management includes the processes necessary to ensure that the
information needs of the project and its stakeholders are met through development of artifacts
and implementation of activities designed to achieve effective information exchange”. (PMBOK,
2018). Project managers will spend a lot of time communicating with stakeholders to ensure the
stakeholders needs are being met and their opinions are expressed. It can be challenging to
effectively communicate with stakeholders as sometimes there are variables that the project
manager cannot control. Operating in different time zones presents a dynamic that can be
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challenging to communicate in, while other situations dictate stakeholders and project managers
meet face to face once a week two communicate about the project. Sometimes a language barrier
can cause misunderstanding between managers and stakeholders. For instance, U.S. managers
that constantly work with Chinese companies more than likely bilingual, with prevents a
disconnect in communication. “Because of this historical, political, and social background, CEOs
of major corporations in Hong Kong are able to communicate in both languages with ease.”
(Ngai, Singh, 2014). Project communications management is made up of three process groups.
Main Processes
a. Plan Communications Management
b. Manage Communications Management
c. Monitor Communications Management
Planning
Communications management will develop connections and allow for networking to help
make projects successful. Planning for adequate communication will allow for goals to be met
and plans to be discussed to help reach those goals. Things to consider while developing your
plan for communications management are:
i. Is communication written or verbal?
ii. What communication will be conveyed?
iii. Will communication be formal or informal?
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iv. When does the information need to be presented?
v. Will tone of voice or facial expressions play a factor?
vi. What choice of words are appropriate?
vii. Who will execute the communication?
viii. Stakeholder consideration?
ix. How will the information be received?
By considering the stakeholders, sponsors, and customers in the initiating phase, it helps
the team stay on the same page while raising the morale of the stockholders. This also helps
ensure the deliverables will be consistent with what the team and the stakeholders feel is a
successful end goal. When developing a plan for communication, it is imperative to initiate an
appropriate communication tactic based on the capabilities and needs of the stakeholders. This
will ensure the proper communication methods are being used in whatever format is appropriate.
Managing
During the manage communications group phase, managers identify all areas of
communication that are practical and effective. Some areas to consider are whether the method
or technology used is appropriate. Or if certain techniques are of benefit more than others. While
managing communication, it is important not to compound upon poor communication techniques
or decisions. “Organizations can sometimes exacerbate the impact of a crisis through poor
communications with employees” (Kim, 2018). Effective communication management will
decrease the likelihood of miscommunication, reduce ambiguity and uncertainty, and will help
ensure the managers, employees, and stakeholders are on the same page. Managers should allow
for flexible communicate methods to accommodate all parties involved if the situation dictates. If
project teams are dispersed, perhaps a virtual mode where video teleconferencing is more
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appropriate. “Project teams also need to manage and control stakeholder engagements through
understanding their expectations, delivering on those expectations, and communicating
effectively” (Kloppenborg, Anantatmula, & Wells, 2017).
Monitoring
As we monitor communications, we ensure that the information is accurate, and the needs
of the project and the stakeholder are satisfied. We use date flow diagrams which ensure that the
project work is controlled, integrated change controls are performed, the project management
plan is being communicated, and the project documents are updated. Project documents include:
i. Issue Log
ii. Lessons Learned Registry
iii. Project Communications
Issue logs equip managers with the project’s history and a record of the stakeholder
engagement issues and how they were settled. The lessons learned register provides the manager
with idea and tips to prevent mishaps that happened earlier in the project or in previous projects.
Project communication documents provide a detailed record of what modes of communication
have been used on the project. “The level of documentation is dependent on the needs of the
stakeholders in the special context situations” (Pikkarainen, Pikkarainen, Salo, Salo, Kuusela,
Kuusela, Abrahamsson, 2012)
4.0 Adaptation of Communication Management for Agile Adaptive Methodologies
Effective communication management will help ensure project success through the
aforementioned methods and group phases. In the agile method, shared documents to include
plans or schedules, requests, concerns or implications, and feedback must be shared with the
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entire team. Improved productivity and healthier employee relationships are common effects
when communication is at the forefront of managers priorities. Transparency is also key for
managers to keep their team members and stakeholders in the loop of current events. Not only to
stakeholders feel more valued when they get to express their opinions, team members feel more
valued when they are included in the planning and/or execution phases of the projects. “Quality
relationships with significant others would not only prompt employees to reciprocate with better
efforts and output, but they would also convey to employees the signal that they are valued,
important, competent, and capable members of the organization” (Liu, Hui, Lee, Chen, 2013).
Communicating to employees ultimately increases output which allows for projects to be done
quicker and with a better fiscal responsibility.
5.0 Biblical Integration
The Bible has approximately 21 verses on the importance of communication. In James 1:19 it
says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to
anger” (ESV). Communication involves listening to others to hear their thoughts and opinions.
Many people are not interested in hearing other’s feelings, they are only interested in conveying
their needs and opinions. This does not serve one well, nor does it serve a team well in a project
environment. Sometimes, we must harness our desire to speak. It may be easy to get angry or
frustrated because it is hard to communicate with someone, but, the Bible says we must be slow
to anger, and exercise patience to gain an understanding of where the other person in coming
from. Often, we say something that is unkind when we are angry, which is not a productive way
to communicate.
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6.0 Conclusion
Communications management is a systemic process that allows for managers, employees,
and stakeholders to plan, execute, and monitor projects via communication processes. Every
mode of communication has a purpose, which ultimately should be to increase productivity.
Expectations, responsibilities, liabilities, and documents should all flow up and down the team to
effective communication to take place. As a project manager, allowing your team access to
project information will help you team members feel valued and will ultimately increase work
productivity.
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References
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A19&version=ESV
Kim, Y. (2018). Enhancing employee communication behaviors for sensemaking and sense
giving in crisis situations: Strategic management approach for effective internal crisis
communication. Journal of Communication Management (London, England), 22(4), 451-
475. doi:10.1108/JCOM-03-2018-0025
Kloppenborg, T. J., Anantatmula, V. S., & Wells, K. N. (2017). Contemporary Project
Management: Organize, Lead, Plan, Perform (4th ed.). Cengage Learning, Inc.
Liu, J., Hui, C., Lee, C., & Chen, Z. X. (2013). Why do I feel valued and why do I contribute? A
relational approach to employee's organization-based self-esteem and job
performance. Journal of Management Studies, 50(6), 1018-1040. doi:10.1111/joms.12037
Ngai, C. S., & Singh, R. G. (2014). Communication with stakeholders through corporate web
sites: An exploratory study on the CEO messages of major corporations in greater china.
Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 28(3), 352-394.
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Pikkarainen, M., Pikkarainen, M., Salo, O., Salo, O., Kuusela, R., Kuusela, R., Abrahamsson, P.
(2012). Strengths and barriers behind the successful agile deployment—insights from the
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International Journal, 17(6), 675-702. doi:10.1007/s10664-011-9185-5
Project Management Institute. (2018). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge:
(PMBOK® Guide). Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
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Smit, M. C., Bond-Barnard, T. J., Steyn, H., & Fabris-Rotelli, I. (2017). Email communication in
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