Question

Unit 6 Discussion: Stakeholder Communication

It is so important to have good communication with a project's stakeholders.

What happens if the project manager and team maintain clear current communication with the key stakeholders?

What can happen if the project manager and team have poor and sparse communication with the key stakeholders?

Use project examples from personal experience or research to justify your responses. Cite all sources. Additionally, please respond to two other classmates’ posts.

Answer 1

Five Reasons That Justify the Importance of Communication in Project Management

Effective communication relies on verbal and non-verbal body language that transmits a message while relying on cues for feedback. Here are five reasons that justify the importance of communication in project management:

* Relaying information.

As a project manager, you need to ensure that the team members and the stakeholders are informed of what you expect of them – their roles and responsibilities and other time constraints that prevent them from accomplishing the task on time. As the project manager, it is also your task to keep them informed of project details and progress.

* Receiving information.

In order to relay information, it is a must that project managers regularly access the information for a given project. At any time, there may be stakeholders who need information about the project such as the objectives, plan, risks, customer needs, and time constraints. Adherence to a system of regular and focused communication can prevent misunderstandings and delays that can cause failure in any project.

* Change in situation.

All projects are fluid and the project manager needs to prepare for the challenges that he will face from the start until the project completion or end. To ensure effective communication throughout the whole project and team, a communication plan needs to be developed at start – planning stage. The communication plan will contain the type of communication required during specific meetings, who needs to be communicated with, the frequency of communication needed, and the needs to be communicated.

* Discussing problems.

In terms of project problems, the fish bone diagram is essential in solving the causes for every problem. The importance of communication in project management cannot be debated upon. However, communication comes in various forms. Aside from a fish bone diagram, one can also discuss other topics through infographics, linear/bar graphs, pie chart, comics, etc. There have been various forms of communicating one’s message and the more that we need to develop effective communication skills.

* Bridging the language gap.

The language gap in project management lies in the distance that hinders understanding business benefits. The challenges of using language to deliver information that is often unclear and filled with project management jargon raises the importance of project communication.

Communication may mean being able to talk, speak and be listened to. It can also be called interaction. However, in project management, there is also a need for the team to understand the long-term goal of the business so that they know how they have contributed to it and learn how they can make an impact.

Project success depends on effective communication and this is the importance of communication in any project. Improving communication maximizes success and minimizes risk. In addition, if a project manager can develop effective communication with its stakeholder, this may mean more projects for him and the team. communication skills.