Every project has groups of people—stakeholders, development teams, managers, and so on—all working together to achieve a common goal. Larger projects typically require more people to collaborate, often across geographies. As teams grow in size, it becomes more difficult to keep everyone focused on the project’s objectives. There is a greater risk of miscommunication or teams being out of sync on a project component that affects their work.
Such obstacles can derail a project and cause unneeded complications that could have been avoided with better communication. What can be done to prevent such blunders from occurring? Over the years, project managers have identified this issue, and one of the solutions used to address it is a Project Communication Plan.
What Is the Purpose of a Project Communication Plan?
So, what exactly is a Project Communication Plan, and how can it benefit you? A Project Communication Plan is a document that identifies the communication needs that may arise during the course of a project and attempts to address those needs in an organized and timely manner. This should be created in tandem with the project plan to ensure that the project proceeds smoothly at all stages.
The plan takes into account all of the different stakeholders and types of communication that are required to establish and maintain healthy communication channels.
Can a document make a significant difference in communication? The document is only the first step in identifying communication needs and planning for how to meet those needs in the future. The plan’s success will be determined by how well it is carried out. We’ll take a close look at how it works. Before we can do that, we must first understand what exactly can go wrong with miscommunication or a lack of adequate communication.
Why Is Effective Communication Important?
When communication is not optimized, it can cause massive problems. When teams are unaware of what the other team is working on or what they are expected to do, alignment suffers. Excessive communication can also stifle productivity. Long meetings that are not focused or clear on their goal can keep people away from their work, causing projects to be delayed.
When the marketing team receives an update, do they notify the sales team, or do they assume that the sales team also received the update? Does one team flag an issue that affects another team, or do they expect the other team to work on it? Who should be notified when there is a change in the plan? What internal and external stakeholders will require regular status updates? What can you expect from a communication strategy?
The Importance of a Communication Plan for Project Management
A communication plan entails creating a project that meets the communication needs of the project. It establishes and coordinates:
Each piece of communication serves a specific purpose.
Who are the stakeholders who need to be kept up to date?
What types of meetings are required?
Who will be present at meetings?
How and where will the meetings take place?
How frequently will these meetings take place?
Who should receive which reports?
The modes of communication that will be used (both scheduled and unscheduled)
How can the communication strategy be enhanced?
The final point is particularly noteworthy. A communication strategy evolves alongside the project. Depending on how the project is progressing, you can change the frequency of meetings or reports. You could also add new meetings where you see a need for them and eliminate those that are no longer necessary. The plan specifies the purpose of each communication as well as who the intended audience should be.
The communication plan is developed in a step-by-step process that takes into account the various communication elements required for the project. Let us see how this process would work if you were to make a Project Communication Plan for your upcoming project.
How to Make a Communication Plan for Project Management
What steps should you take to create your own Project Communication Plan? We’ve simplified the process for you!
Define the Goal
Before you begin with an idea for a communication plan, you should understand the scope of this plan and the goals of this exercise. What are the issues that this plan can address? Who are the people who must be included and included in order for the plan to work? The stakeholders’ expectations of a plan must be known for it to work. That begs the question, who are the stakeholders?
Determine your stakeholders.
Stakeholders include everyone involved in the project as well as those who will be impacted by it. All stakeholders must be involved in the communication plan, but the extent to which they are involved will depend on their role.
A specific team, such as sales, may only participate in meetings if there is an issue that affects them. Accounting may be involved in discussions about budgets or expense revisions. Members of a steering committee will meet on a regular basis to assess progress.
Frequency
The third question that must be addressed is how to determine the frequency of communication. Frequent meetings can lead to a stalemate in which people discuss issues and postpone making decisions. Such projects become stalled. If there is a time-consuming report, the frequency of it could be reduced. It is not necessary to have all of the answers at the start of the project. You should make a list of everything that could help with communication.
Medium and Tools
What tools will be used to create reports? How will the meetings take place? Is it possible to book a meeting room in advance if it is to be done in one? Which videoconferencing platform will be used if the meeting is held online?
These are just a few of the questions that could help to avoid problems once the project gets underway. Clarity on how a meeting will be held or how a status report will be distributed can make the communication process run more smoothly and ensure that all stakeholders follow the communication plan.
Review
There is no such thing as a perfect plan. No amount of foresight can guarantee that a plan remains flawless at all levels. Unexpected problems or changes in expectations will necessitate the plan’s flexibility. Plans can and should be improved on a regular basis in order to become more efficient.
A meeting can be canceled if it is determined to be unnecessary. Similarly, if certain areas require more coordination, you can institute new meetings or procedures to address the need for improved communication.
The Advantages of a Good Project Communication Plan
A good project communication plan that is carried out correctly can benefit your project on multiple levels.
The project’s various stakeholders will collaborate in a coordinated manner.
Each participant will understand exactly what is expected of them.
Individual teams will have a better understanding of all dependencies. They will identify the teams on which they rely as well as the teams on which they rely.
A good communication plan evolves as the project progresses, improving communication effectiveness.
Stakeholders are kept up to date on the status of the project.
You can detect and resolve issues before they cause problems.
There is more openness and cooperation.
Why is a communication strategy more important than ever?
It is unnecessary to emphasize the significance of communication. What needs to be considered is how the needs are changing. We are altering the manner in which we communicate. People anticipate that information will be easily accessible. We’re also working on larger projects that span organizations, continents, and time zones. Keeping all stakeholders informed at all stages may appear to be a difficult task.
A good project communication plan facilitates the work of all stakeholders. A thorough and flexible plan can go a long way toward assisting you and your organization in achieving the desired project outcomes and may be regarded as a critical component in your project.
Comments