“COMMUNICATION IN PROJECT

MANAGEMENT”

BY:
• NORUL ATIQAH HAFZLEEZA AZNIE BT ABDUL MANAN 2007124581
• NURHAFIZA BT MD SAAD 2007123731
• NAZATUL NAJIHAH BT ABU BAKAR 2007123737
• NORAAIN BT MOHAMED SARAF 2007123793
• NURHIDAYAH BT HASSAN 2007123737
• ROSMAWARNI BT SUMAN 2007123769
 OVERVIEW

Nature & characteristic of communication

Purpose and Participation
INTRODUCTION Significance of communication
Communication process

COMMUNICATION PROCESS MODEL

Elements in communication process

FORMULA OF COMMUNICATION
Effective communication model
Poor communication model
Types of communication process
Solution
Communication Channels

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND FORMULA TO RESOLVE IT

 INTRODUCTION
• The communication can be defined as the process through which two and
more persons exchange ideas and develop understanding.
• Two aspects are important in communication, first is the transmission of
ideas, feelings, facts, etc. It implies that there must be a receiver if
communication is to occur.
• The sender of message must consider the receiver while structuring his
message from a technical standpoint as well as in delivering it.
• When the receiver is not considered, there is either no response or there
may be wrong. Secondly, it emphasizes the understanding element in the
communication.
• Poor communication is the source of interpersonal conflict
 Nature and characteristic
communication
• It is a cooperative process involving two parties, one who transmits and one
who receives the message.
• The respective parties to a communication must have the ability to convey and
listen to what his counterpart has to communicate.
• Communication includes sending the message as well as receiving the reaction
or response to the message and therefore is a two-way traffic.
• The response to a communication is as essential as the initial communication
because response indicates the impact of the communication.
• The message to be communicated may be conveyed verbally, in writing, by
means of signs, gestures or symbols. More than one means may be adopted to
make the communication effective.
• The purpose of communication is that of passing information and
understanding, to bring about commonness of purpose, interest and efforts.
• Communication is a continuous process for effectiveness and efficiency of on
going operations, planning and policy making.
 Purpose
• Control member behaviour
• Fosters motivation by clarifying to employees what is to be done
• Emotional expression of feelings, fulfilment of social needs
• Provides information that individuals need for decision making every interaction serves one or more
of the four functions

Participation
•Communicator: The person who is the source of the information
• .
•Audience: The people who receive the information.

In general, the Project Manager, project team members, stakeholders, and

the customer are participants and could play the role of the communicator
or the audience at any point in time.
 Significance of
communication
• When communication is effective, it tends to encourage better performance and job
satisfaction. People understand their jobs better and feel more involved
• Effective communication is a basic requirement for the attainment of organizational goals.
No organization, no group can exist without communication
• Coordination of work is impossible and the organization will collapse for lack of
communication.
• Cooperation also becomes impossible because people cannot communicate their needs
and feelings to others.
• Communication is also an intra management problem. It is the force that binds the people
of an organization together. Through communication they can attain a common viewpoint
and understand and cooperate to accomplish organizational objectives
• Communication plays a major role in dealing with employer-employee relations problems,
employee productivity, in short, with all human relations matters. Bad communication is
often the root cause of many problems.
• Communication is not confined solely to employees. Management must communicate with
its customers, owners, the community as well as its prospective and present employees.
 Communication process
Clear Perception of the Idea or Problem :
• No message can be transmitted properly unless the idea or problem is formulated
with clarity of thought and perception on the part of the communicator. It is only on
the basis of clear thinking that the communicator can decide on the means to be
adopted to convey the message

Participation of others Involved :

• The next step is to secure the participation of other persons in the decision to
communicate a message. This may be helpful in clarifying the ideas through
interaction with others, gathering new ideas and suggestions, and in creating a
motivating climate for securing positive response to the message.

Transmission of the Message :

• What to communicate to whom, when and how are expected to be decided before
actual transmission of the message. Actual transmission involves preparing the
matter and the form of communication (known as ‘encoding’ the message) and
selecting the medium or means of communication (oral or written) keeping in view
the nature of persons or groups to be addressed
Motivating the Receiver of the Message :
• The communicator cannot depend on the message alone to get an
appropriate response from the receiver. He/she must ensure that the
receiver of the message is not only able to interpret the message correctly
but is also prepared to act according to it. Thus, apart from the clarity of the
message, it must inspire the receiver to do or behave as desired by the
sender of the message

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Communication :

• After the message has been transmitted and accepted by the receiver, it
remains for the communicator to ascertain and evaluate the nature of the
communication. This determines whether and to what extent the receiver
has positively responded to the message.
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
MODEL

• Message
– What is communicated.
• Encoding
– Converting a message to symbolic form.
• Channel
– The medium through which a message travels
• Decoding
– Retranslating a sender’s message.
 Elements in communication
Communicator :
process
• The communicator plays an important role in the process of communication as the
message originates from him/her. Communicators may include managers, subordinates,
clients ,customers, as well as outside parties.

Encoding :
• It refers to preparing the subject of communication (idea, fact, information, etc.) in a
suitable language.

Message :
• The encoded message needs to be transmitted by appropriate means. It may be in verbal
or written form depending on the purpose

Medium :
• The medium of communication carries the message from the communicator to the
receiver. Face-to-face verbal communication, use of telephone, inter-com facilities, issue
of memorandum, notice, etc. are the various means available as media of communication
Besides, non-verbal media like signals, gestures, etc. may also be used. The choice of
medium is an aspect of communication, since proper medium also determines its
effectiveness.
Decoding :
• Decoding refers to the conversion of the message by the receiver into
meaningful terms so as to make it understandable. This is another important
element of communication because the receiver’s response depends upon
his understanding of the content and purpose of the message.

Receiver :
• The receiver of the message has an equally vital role to play as the
communicator. Indeed, communication to be effective must be receiver
oriented, for it is the receiver, his ability to decode the message and
understand it, that contribute to a positive response from the receiver.

Feedback :
• The actual response of the receiver to the message communicated to him
is known as ‘feedback’. This is an important element to the communication
process because it reduces the possibility of a difference between the
intention of the communicator and the interpretation of the message by the
receiver. Two-way communication requires feedback to the initial message
sent and enables the sender to check whether the message received has
been properly understood by the receiver.
 Effective communication
model
• Make the Communications Plan readily accessible by the project team
members.
• Make sure project stakeholders accept the Communications Plan, or it may
not be used.
• Scale the Communications Plan to fit the complexity, duration, and size of
the project.
• Provide the proper level of detail in minutes, status reports, etc.
• Update the Communications Plan when significant changes occur.
• Periodically ask team members if they are getting the right information at the
right time.
• Enter communication tasks in the project schedule.
• Be specific when assigning communications tasks (list responsible person
or team).
• Invite the right participants to project team meetings.
• Document meeting minutes and distribute to attendees and absentees.
• Get proper approval before disseminating communication, when applicable.
 Poor communication model
• Poor project communication will cause many projects to end
unsuccessfully.
• In today's world, however, projects need to be undertaken in partnership
with the business, and this partnership absolutely requires solid
communication.
• In fact, many of the problems that surface on a project are actually the
results of poor communication.
• Poor communication can lead to the following trouble areas.
Differences in expectations.
• Project managers need to strive to ensure that everyone associated with the
project has a common set of expectations in terms of what is to be
delivered, when and at what cost.
• However, many project managers do not keep key stakeholders up-to-date
as expectations get changed. People make decisions based on the best
information they have at the time, and if the project manager does not keep
everyone under a common set of expectations, things can start to get out-
of-time fast.

People are surprised.

• If people are not kept informed as to what is going on, they will be surprised
when changes occur.
• For instance, if you are not going to be able to make your deadline date, you
want to make sure people don’t read it suddenly in a status report. Proactive
communication means that you raise the potential of missing your deadline
as soon as it becomes a risk. Then you continue to keep people up-to-date
on the status. If you have to declare that you cannot meet your date, people
are prepared. People get angry and frustrated when they find out bad news
at the last minute, when there is no time left to have an impact on the
situation.
No one knows what the state of the project is.
• On some projects, people are not really sure what the status is. The
communication on these projects is short and terse and does not give the
reader a real sense as to what is going on.
• Again, people cannot make the best decisions if they do not have good
information. If they are not sure about what is going on, they have to spend
extra time following up for further information. In fact, if you send updates to
stakeholders and them continually follow-up with you for more information, it
is a sign that your communications are not targeted correctly.

People are impacted by the project at the last-minute.

• This is a prime cause of problems. In this situation, the project manager
does not communicate proactively with other people about things that will
impact them.
• When the communication does occur, it is at the last minute and everything
is rush-rush. For example, this happens when the project manager does not
tell resource managers that team members are becoming available until the
day they are released. In each case, the other party is surprised by the last
minute request and does not have time to adequately prepare.
• Team members don’t know what is expected of them.
• In the prior problem situations, communication problems surfaced between
the team and outside parties.
• However, poor communication also occurs within a project team.
• Some project managers do a poor job of talking with their own team to
explain what they are expected to do.
• Sometimes the project manager is not clear on when assignments are due.
• Sometimes the project manager has a vision of what a deliverable looks like
but does not communicate that to the person assigned until the first attempt
comes back wrong.
• Sometimes the project manager does not communicate clearly and team
members spend time on work that is not necessary.
• Again, all of this causes extra work and extra frustration on the part of the
project manager and team members alike.
 
 Solution
• The key to communicating is to keep the receiver as the focal point not the
sender. Try to think about what the receiver of the communication needs and the
information that will be most helpful to them.

• If you are creating a status report, put in all the information necessary for the
reader to understand the true status of the project, including accomplishments,
issues, risks, scope changes, etc.

• If you are going to need a resource in the future, communicate proactively with
the resource manager as early as possible. Then keep reminding them of the
need as the time gets closer.

• For the most part, if you ever surprise someone, it is a sign that you are not
communicating effectively. The project manager should also communicate clearly
with their team.

• If you find people are confused about their end-dates or if they are doing work
they don’t need to do, think about whether you communicated to them effectively.
ffective communication techniques
1. The ideas and messages should be clear, brief and precise.
2. Sense of timing-timely for action to be taken.
3. Integrity-communication should pass through proper channel.
4. Consult with others who are involved in planning the communication
5. Be prepared to help the receiver
6. Mode of delivery
7. Use proper follow up
8. Communication should be comprehensive
 Active Listening
1. Make eye contact
2. Exhibit affirmative head nods and appropriate facial expressions
3. Avoid detracting actions or gestures
4. Ask questions
5. Para phrase
6. Avoid interrupting the speaker
7. Don’t over talk
 FORMULA OF COMMUNICATION
The simplest statement of the communication formula is:

CAUSE – DISTANCE – EFFECT

CAUSE: There is somebody who speaks.

DISTANCE: Somebody speaks to a second person over there.
EFFECT: This second person listens.

As 'CAUSE' you want to make yourself understood or your orders followed.

As 'EFFECT' you want to understand or know what to do. What arrives at Effect
is the 'Duplication'. Duplication is an idea at ‘CAUSE’ gets transmitted
to ‘EFFECT’.
In communication, 'CAUSE' is called 'Source-point'. That is of course where the
communication starts. 'EFFECT' is called 'Receipt-point'; that is where the
communication is supposed to arrive.
‘DISTANCE’ means:

1) The length between two points.

2) The linear space or interval between point A and point B

For communication to be necessary there has to be a distance between Source-

point and Receipt-point which one or both have to overcome. If there were no
distance, communication would not be needed as the two points would occupy
the same space.
 Types of Communication
Interpersonal communication:
•Listening, self-presentation, problem solving, decision making, negotiating, and conflict
management. Necessary skills for interacting with the project team and with the client on
a daily basis.

Communication with public and community:

•Includes all public relations efforts necessary to encourage community involvement,
enhance public understanding of the project, break down resistance, gain acceptance,
and be a project spokesperson May involve public speaking, making presentations,
dealing with media representatives, and producing written publicity or PR materials.

Formal communication:
•Is carried out through traditional responsibility and relationship channels Includes
strategic plans, project planning systems, standards, policies, procedures, proposals,
letters, etc. Most effectively done in written form.

Informal communication:
•Done through informal groups in which relationships are dependent upon common ties
such as interests, hobbies, kinship, friendship, social status, etc. Project managers must
identify the strengths and limitations of informal communications and explore strategies
to increase overall project effectiveness through informal communications.
 Communication Channels
The Project Management must recognize and understand the project's formal
communication channels. Three basic channels of communication in the project
environment:

1.Upward communication (vertically or diagonally)

Information provided to upper management for their purposes of evaluating the

overall performance of the projects for which they are responsible, or to refine
organizational strategy.
Communication that flows to a higher level of a group (Employees to manager)

2. Downward communication (vertically or diagonally)

Provides direction and control for project team members and other employees.
Contains job-related information focusing on scope and definition, quality, schedule,
implementation, and evaluation and feedback.
Communication that flows from one level of a group to a lower level (Managers to
employees)
 3. Lateral communication (horizontally)

Information exchange between the project manager and his/her peers: functional
managers, staff personnel, contractors, other project managers, etc.
Communication among members of the same work group, or individuals at the
same level
Involves negotiating resources, schedules, and budgets; coordinating activities
between groups, as well as developing plans for future operating periods.
Is vital to the success of a project and is also the most important factor for survival
and growth in a highly competitive and turbulent environment.
Hierarchy of Channel Richness
 Network
• Connections by which information flow
– Formal :Task-related communications that follow the authority chain
– Informal: Communications that flow along social and relational lines
 THE BARRIERS TO
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICAITON
PHYSICAL BARRIERS

•cause by the nature of the environment

•Outdated equipment, do not make use the new technology for
communication.
•Distraction from the surrounding such as non- conducive working
environment. Eg; too hot or cold, noise, poor lighting and many more.
•For instance, staff located in different buildings or on different sites.

SYSTEM DESIGN

•Due to the week structures of the organization.

•Lack of supervision or training
•Lack of clarity on the roles and responsibilities
•For instance, the organizational structure unclear and confusing to
know who to communicate with.
 ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS

• the problem comes from the staff of the organization itself

•Poor management, lack of consultation with employees
•Personality conflict which cause delay in communication or even end
the communication
•Cause by the insufficient motivation or dissatisfaction at work

PHYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS

•Effected by the personal problem such as family, marriage, financial.

•Human state’s of mind
•Tell the right thing at the right times.

DIFFERENT LANGUAGES

•Cultures represent a national barrier

•Need to be overcome especially the organization involved in overseas
business.
INDIVIDUAL LINGUISTIC ABILITY

•the usage of difficult and inappropriate words in communication

•Poor explanation can cause confusion

PHYSIOLOGICAL BARRIERS

• results from the physical problem of the individual

•For instances the personal discomfort –ill health, poor eye sight or
hearing difficulties.

PRESENTATION INFORMATION

• refers to the information that are represented during the presentation

•Clear overview or introduction can lead to better understanding.
THE FORMULA TO RESOLVE THE
COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
EC = SI + IO - DF

EC EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

SI SELF INTEREST

IO INTEREST OF OTHERS

DF DISTURBING FACTORS
 Self Interest
•self interest is probably the main reason for communication.

•The formula can actually be simplified even further by simply stating that
communication is equal to self-interest.

• communication is rarely effective because one is not trying to find a common

ground in interaction processes but merely seeking a way to fulfill certain short-
term interests.

•The most important problem in communication is probably asymmetry. The two

parties in question are having different agendas and different interests which is
further complicated by asymmetries of, knowledge, power and authority.

•This civilizing process is basically a shift from a “command and control”

communication culture to a “negotiating and persuasion” culture.
 Interest of others
• Involve the ability to listen, to get and give feedback, to control anger (“anger
management”), conflict resolution, stress management, etc

•Due to the technologies development, everyone can be a customer. It is crucial

to know the needs of the customer.

• requires a proactive approach from both parties.

•Two strategies –
• PAIR approval strategy = Placate (listen, empathize, respond with
concern); Attend (to the other); Investigate (circumstances details of issue);
Resolve (decide on action to take)
•Five step method = Listen, respond, decide on action, take action and
follow up.
 Disturbing Factors
•In order to overcome these barriers, one must be willing to avoid selective
perception, condense messages to the bare essentials, use specific and
accurate words possible, always verify interpretation of what’s been said, be
aware of the feelings that arise in yourself and in others as you communicate,
and attempt to control them.
•Be aware that people carry some of these barriers and ‘listen’ for their effects
•Deal professionally.
•developing a collaborative relationship, and negotiating in a pleasant and
cooperative manner.

Conclusion
Many projects have problems. Poor communication can cause many problems
and aggravate others. On the other hand, proactive communication can help
overcome many other mistakes. Don’t consider communication to be a
necessary evil. Instead, use it to your advantage to help your project go
smoothly with less frustration, less uncertainty and no surprises.
THANK YOU…. 