Project Management Communications

Project Management Communications

5364608

The Project Communications Management course will introduce project practitioners to the art of communication. We tend to do a lot of talking but precious little communication. Communication to key stakeholders needs to be planned and purposeful. This course will provide basic concepts of communication but also explore non-verbal communication, listening skills, generational differences and presentation skills.

Course Length: 1-3 Days

Course Description

Project Management Communications is a one to 3 day course that will inform participants about stakeholder management and methods to meet or exceed project stakeholder expectations. Included you will also learn of the psychology of power, influence and persuasion. You will also be introduced to a proven method of negotiation and conflict resolution and apply these methods to an in class case study. This course will also address the often neglected art of listening, interviewing, conducting effective presentations, meetings and the secrets to effective business writing.

Purpose

Project Communications will provide participants with an understanding of communications management. We do a great deal of talking on projects that is not really communications. Communications needs to be purposeful and requires sufficient planning to increase the likelihood of successful communications. Communications has some very simple concepts that are very difficult to apply. Communications can be push or pull, internal or external and two and three way. Some claim that a project manager’s job is over 80% communications but it is the one area that we make many of our greatest assumptions.

As project managers we use communications to meet or exceed stakeholder expectations. We use communications to assign and monitor work. We use presentations to gain buy in and resolve project issues. We use communications to resolve conflicts and negotiate for successful completion of project requirements.

Much of the communication we learn in management programs is about verbal communications that only accounts for a small portion of communication. In this module you will spend time understanding and applying effective listening and non-verbal communication skills.

Lastly, you will be given an opportunity to understand the key success factors to effective business writing. When written communications are less than clear we risk unnecessary disruption and potentially conflict.

During the course participants will gain knowledge on the following topics:

Basic communications planning
Stakeholder management
Communication Styles (i.e. generational differences)
Communication Mediums
Silence and non-verbal communication
Communication Mediums
Effective Meeting management
Effective and appropriate Presentations
Effective Business Writing including effective status reporting
Conflict Resolution and Negotiations
How to determine power bases, influence and persuade

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Create a detailed communication plan
Create a stakeholder management plan
Increase stakeholder buy-in
Create audience aware presentations
Conduct effective interviews
Conduct effective meetings
Write effective project briefs
Have heightened awareness of non-verbal cues
Understand and use techniques of power, influence and persuasion