Leading Projects in an Organization - BUSN 10276

Leading Projects in an Organization

• The presentation is titled "Leading Projects in an Organization"
• The course is BUSN 10276
• The presenter is Sandra Napoleone
• The presentation is for class 9

Today's Topic: Communication

• Communication is defined and discussed.
• Importance of communication, how we communicate, encoding and decoding process
• Barriers to communication, listening and responding
• Cultural considerations in communication are important.

Quote on Communication

• George Bernard Shaw: "The biggest single problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place."
• Maya Angelou: "At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel."

Importance of Communication

• Communication is vital for coordination and achieving organizational goals.
• Effective communication is critical for project success.
• Lack of effective communication is the #1 cause of project failure, outweighing budget, schedule, quality, risk, resource, and leadership issues.
• Recognizing and understanding communication methods/tools, specific audiences and their needs at the right time and place.
• This must be done in an effective and efficient way.

Communication Definition

• Communication is the process of exchanging information between communicators to achieve mutual understanding.
• Information is exchanged using a common system of symbols, signs, or behaviors.

Communication in Projects

• Communication is interactive and engages stakeholders, project teams, and the organization.
• Feedback loops are essential for confirming message understanding, ensuring agreement on the message, identifying unintended or nuanced information, and gaining insight.

Daily Types of Communication

• Verbal communication is speaking out loud to communicate a message.
• Non-verbal communication includes body language, tone of voice, and other non-verbal cues and how they influence a message.
• Visual communication uses images to communicate a message clearly and visually.
• Written communication uses the written word to communicate a message clearly.

Project Communication (Formal & Informal)

• Formal communication includes presentations, project reviews, meetings, demonstrations of working prototypes or sample products or services, and project progress reports.
• Informal communication includes conversations, ad-hoc discussions, notes, emails, IM / texting (slack, teams, etc.), and social media.

Communication Strategies (Push & Pull)

• Push communication sends information to the audience, used for one-way communication.
• It inhibits immediate reaction and understanding assessment.
• Pull communication is sought out by the stakeholders and pulled from the source of the information.

Messaging (Encoding & Decoding)

• Messaging is the internal cognitive process that allows participants in communication to send, receive and understand messages.
• Encoding turns thoughts into communication/messages.
• Decoding is the process of turning messages back into thoughts and understanding the message.

Decoding Messages (7-38-55 Rule)

• The "7-38-55 Rule" describes how meaning in communication comes from different sources; Words 7%, vocal intonation and inflection 38%, and facial expressions and posture 55%.
• People vary in how they encode and decode messages.

Communication Noise

• Communication noise is anything that interferes with the intended message.
• Types of noise include physical noise (environmental/transmission), technical noise (technology/equipment), and psychological noise (stress/emotions).

Barriers to Communication

• Barriers include language differences, misinterpretation, physical barriers (time zones), cultural barriers (high/low context), attitudes (positive/negative), organizational culture, bias/preconceived notions and listening skills.

Active Listening Skills

• Active listening requires open-ended questions, clarification requests, attentiveness, summarizing, paraphrasing, reflection of feelings, being attuned to feelings, and asking probing questions.

Listening Levels

• Level 1 listening is self-focused, not fully attentive to the other person.
• Level 2 listening involves intense focus on the speaker's words.
• Level 3 listening involves paying attention to the speaker's words, body language, inflections, and pauses.

Improving Listening

• Stop and take a moment to listen, allowing time for the speaker and to receive and process the message accurately.
• Don't be concerned about what's next to say.
• Join the sender's team by summarizing the message, or asking clarification when necessary.
• Focus and pay attention to the physical and verbal communications.
• Avoid multitasking.
• Try to empathize with the sender's point of view.

Effective Writing

• Picture the receiver - consider who you are writing for.
• Choose simple words (shorter is better when in doubt).
• Be polite and clear, making a greater impact.
• Make your message brief, trimming redundant words.

Cultural Communication Styles

• Differences in high/low-context communication, use of silence & non-verbal gestures.

Silence and Nonverbal Gestures

• Silence can mean respect, disapproval, harmony, or lack of understanding.
• Other non-verbal gestures (eye contact, facial expression, tone of voice, body language/posture) vary across cultures.

Response Styles

• Advising responses - evaluate, direct, and provide instructions.
• Diverting responses - change the focus of communication by changing the topic.
• Reflecting responses - paraphrase the message and demonstrate understanding.
• Reassuring responses - alleviate anxiety associated with the message, calming emotions.
• Probing responses - encourage a speaker to provide more information.

Summary

• Project managers should have a communication plan that accounts for the fast-paced and changing environments of today's projects.
• Successful communication involves being a good listener, efficient and effective tools and mediums (technology & various communication methods); to be mindful of the needs of other stakeholders and audiences during project communications.
• It is important to include how to manage the sending and receiving of information to ensure communication is received in the intended way.

After Class Assignment 3: Technology and Communication

• Project managers need to manage technology for effective communication (emails, meetings, phone calls etc).
• The importance of a project communication plan and managing communication using various technologies.
• Pitfalls in sending/receiving information.
• Answering questions relating to technology and communication work together in a project, challenges in projects, use of technology in communication plans and how to communicate with stakeholders and the organization.
• Further reading recommended: Chapter 8 in the e-text Organizational behaviour.

Next week

• The topics for the upcoming session are virtual class, project communication management, and stakeholder management.

Explore the importance of communication in leading projects effectively within an organization. This quiz covers the definitions, processes, barriers, and cultural considerations associated with communication, emphasizing its critical role in achieving project success. Engage with thought-provoking quotes and understand how effective communication can prevent project failures.