Communicating Projects

Every programme and project manager knows that they need interaction and engagement to be truly effective, but their understanding of what good communication looks like can vary. All too often people are put into communication roles without the necessary skills or experience. Whilst there are many texts on public relations and an increasing number on internal/employee communication, programme and project communication spans a number of disciplines and has its own requirements. Communicating Projects gives programme and project communicators a framework for developing an effective strategy that goes well beyond inter-programme/project communication and looks at how to achieve behaviour change and even increase employee engagement through the process. The book follows a best practice model for communication strategy development and planning. The model is supplemented with vignettes that explore communication concepts in more detail (for example employee engagement, communication theory and persuasion). At the same time, the text follows the project lifecycle with the appropriate approaches for initiation, development and delivery stages outlined. If you accept the crucial role communication plays in securing project success then this book is a must-have guide for any project manager or anyone tasked with stakeholder engagement.

The communication of projects to each stakeholder group is essential to their success. This book is an end-to-end guide for project managers and communication teams seeking to communicate effectively with all constituents, both internal and external. This new edition includes a number of key topical themes that build on the first edition: An introduction to project management for those new to the field, including communicating "agile", as many communication practitioners and project managers find themselves having to communicate in an agile environment, which has a language all of its own. The important role of social media and enterprise social networks as vital communication channels. The principles of change management. The role of storytelling and the importance of translating technical terminology and data into stories that clients and the wider stakeholder groups understand. Crisis communication – ensuring there is a crisis or emergency communication process in place in case it is ever needed. This highly practical book is invaluable reading for communication professionals who are increasingly managing the communication elements of projects. It also supports project managers who need to gain a practical understanding of how to design and deliver communication, as well as helping them to procure effective communication support.

Every programme and project manager knows that they need interaction and engagement to be truly effective, but their understanding of what good communication looks like can vary. All too often people are put into communication roles without the necessary skills or experience. Whilst there are many texts on public relations and an increasing number on internal/employee communication, programme and project communication spans a number of disciplines and has its own requirements. Communicating Projects gives programme and project communicators a framework for developing an effective strategy that goes well beyond inter-programme/project communication and looks at how to achieve behaviour change and even increase employee engagement through the process. The book follows a best practice model for communication strategy development and planning. The model is supplemented with vignettes that explore communication concepts in more detail (for example employee engagement, communication theory and persuasion). At the same time, the text follows the project lifecycle with the appropriate approaches for initiation, development and delivery stages outlined. If you accept the crucial role communication plays in securing project success then this book is a must-have guide for any project manager or anyone tasked with stakeholder engagement.

This book presents a new way to look at communication within projects. It combines real-world examples and practical tips with theory, research, and professional standards you can apply to any size and type of project. Communication is vital for project success. Experts know it. Industry-wide research verifies it. Yet projects continue to fail because of poor communication. As a result, stakeholders and organizations don’t realize the benefits of their projects and project teams. This book presents a new way to look at communication within projects. It combines real-world examples and practical tips with theory, research, and professional standards you can apply to any size and type of project. Gain actionable insights into identifying your audience, choosing the right tools, managing change, and handling conflict. Expand your professional toolkit with templates, activities, and resources. Develop your project communications expertise with reflective questions and recommendations. Whether you are a project manager, team member, project sponsor, or stakeholder, this book is for you. For educators, the book is ideal for students studying project management and related fields. Make your project communications a critical factor in your project success!

This integrated dictionary includes almost 2,000 terms in both project management and system engineering and software engineering by extension defined in a way that seamlessly integrates these overlapping and intertwined fields. Supported by illustrations and explanations that offer a practical context for the terminology, this one-of-a-kind resource bridges the gap between the separate vocabularies of these intersecting disciplines. Far more than a dictionary, this book includes reference sections that address the special problems of and techniques for communicating in the project environment.

Communicating Project Management argues that the communication practices of project managers have necessarily become participatory, made up of complex strategies and processes solidly grounded in rhetorical concepts. The book draws on case studies across organizational contexts and combines individual experiences to investigate how project management relies on communication as teams develop products, services, and internal processes. The case studies also provide examples of how project managers can be understood and studied as writers, further arguing project managers must approach communication as designed experience that must be intentionally inclusive. Author Benjamin Lauren illustrates to readers how teams work together to manage projects through complex coordinative communication practices, and highlights how project managers are constantly learning and evolving by analyzing where they succeed and fail. He concludes that technical and professional communicators have a pivotal role in supporting and facilitating participative approaches to communicating project management.

Effective communication on projects is a challenging, ongoing process for project managers and stakeholders at all levels within an organization. Project managers experience the greatest challenge due to the nature of their position. They set up and regulate communications that support a project overall. Effective Communications for Project Management examines elements of effective communications and describes the role that a Project Management Information System (PMIS) has in helping project managers become better communicators. Based on the author’s practical experience and insight as a project and program manager, the book describes the role of personaltiy and its effect on the communications process. It also details the seven elements of effective communications: Applying active and effective listening Preparing the communications and establishing an issues management process Drafting and publishing documentation Conducting meetings Giving effective presentations Developing and deploying a project website Building a project war room Containing examples and checklists that are adaptable to almost any project environment, this book is an invaluable resource that not only demonstrates how to attain effective communications, but also how communications can effect a project’s bottom line.

Manufacturing companies work endlessly to make process improvements, yet they are often hard to implement and even harder to sustain. The reason: companies often stumble when communicating why the methodologies are being used and how to sustain the improvements. Communication for Continuous Improvement Projects demonstrates how to communicate change, create confidence in the new processes, and empower employees. It shows how to be an effective change agent by utilizing tools that make sense while being competitive in the business market. The book explores how the proper tools, communication, and management make the Lean Six Sigma methodologies work. It includes a Continuous Improvement Toolkit that is an easy reference for what tool to use and when and how to effectively teach the tools to employees who are not necessarily engineers. Communicating these tools is the most difficult part of using the tools. The author details the implementation of the actual tools that create confidence and explains Lean Six Sigma in a way that will make employees want to jump on board. Result-driven decisions can be made from the methodologies described in this book, making processes quantifiably better with sustainable results. Extensive and informative, the book takes the guesswork out of the art of continuous improvement through communication.