Chapter 10 Project Communication Management

22. Managing communications is part of the _____ process of the project communication management. a. closing b. executing c. planning d. monitoring and controlling

b RATIONALE: Feedback: Managing communications is part of the executing process of the project communication management.

25. According to research by Albert Mehrabian, which of the following is NOT a way that information is communicated in a face-to-face interaction? a. body language b. facial expression c. spoken content d. tone of voice

b RATIONALE: Feedback: Research has indicated that in a face-to-face interaction, communication takes place through body language, how the words are said, and the actual spoken content.

38. _____ address where the project stands in terms of meeting scope, time, and cost goals. a. Technical reports b. Status reports c. Progress reports d. Lessons-learned reports

b RATIONALE: Feedback: Status reports describe where the project stands at a specific point in time. Status reports address where the project stands in terms of meeting scope, time, and cost goals.

37. According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a(n) _____ is the most inappropriate medium for addressing negative behavior. a. voice mail b. e-mail c. meeting d. Web Site

c RATIONALE: Feedback: According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a meeting is the most inappropriate medium for addressing negative behavior.

45. The _____ line for any e-mail messages you write should clearly state the intention of the e-mail. a. to b. from c. subject d. cc

c RATIONALE: Feedback: The subject line for any e-mail message you write should clearly state the intention of the e-mail.

5. Geographic location and cultural background have no impact on communications. a. True b. False

False RATIONALE: Feedback: Geographic location and cultural background affect the complexity of project communications. If project stakeholders are in different countries, it is often difficult or impossible to schedule times for two-way communication during normal working hours.

19. Improving an organization's ability to communication is an easy process. a. True b. False

False RATIONALE: Feedback: Improving an organization's ability to communicate requires a cultural change in an organization that takes a lot of time, hard work, and patience.

60. _____ are normally provided as status reports or progress reports.

Performance reports

3. People have different personality traits that often affect their communication preferences. a. True b. False

True RATIONALE: Feedback: It is important to understand individual and group preferences for communications. People have different personality traits that often affect their communication preferences.

13. A facilitator can help the team solve any communication problems. a. True b. False

True RATIONALE: Feedback: It is often beneficial to have a facilitator from outside the project team assess how well communications are working. A facilitator can also help the team solve any communication problems.

12. Status reports can take various formats depending on the stakeholders' needs. a. True b. False

True RATIONALE: Feedback: Status reports describe where the project stands at a specific point in time. Status reports can take various formats depending on the stakeholders' needs.

30. A team has 10 communication channels between its various members. Using the formula number of communication channels = n (n-1)/2, where n is the number of people in the team, the team has _____ members. a. 5 b. 3 c. 2 d. 10

a RATIONALE: Feedback: The formula to determine the number of communication channels as the number of people involved in a project increases: number of communication channels = n (n-1)/2. Two people will have one communication channel.

16. Minutes must be a comprehensive report of the meeting that was scheduled. a. True b. False

False RATIONALE: Feedback: Minutes should be short and focus on the crucial decisions and action items from the meeting.

28. Using the formula for calculating the number of communication channels, how many channels would two people require? a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4

a RATIONALE: Feedback: The formula to determine the number of communication channels as the number of people involved in a project increases: number of communication channels = n (n-1)/2. Two people will have one communication channel.

39. ____ describe where the project stands at a specific point in time. a. Progress reports b. Status reports c. Forecasts d. Lessons-learned reports

b RATIONALE: Feedback: Status reports describe where the project stands at a specific point in time. Status reports address where the project stands in terms of meeting scope, time, and cost goals.

32. An example of pull communication is _____. a. meetings b. video conferencing c. voice mails d. blogs

d RATIONALE: Feedback: In pull communication, Information is sent to recipients at their request via Web sites, bulletin boards, e-learning, knowledge repositories like blogs, and other means.

21. The output of the _____ process is a communications management plan. a. managing communications b. reporting performance c. controlling communications d. planning communications

d RATIONALE: Feedback: Planning communications management involves determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders. The outputs of this process include a communications management plan and project documents updates.

20. _____ involves determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders. a. Strategic planning b. Systems management c. Identifying stakeholders d. Planning communications

d RATIONALE: Feedback: Planning communications management involves determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders. Who needs what information? When will they need it? How will the information be given to them?

69. Microsoft Office Enterprise Project Management Solution has a(n) _____ tool that provides a centralized and consolidated view of programs and projects.

portfolio management

63. The main goal of controlling communications is to ensure the optimal flow of information throughout the entire _____.

project life cycle

64. The main goal of controlling communications is to ensure the optimal flow of information throughout the entire _____.

project life cycle

57. The _____ analysis includes information such as the contact person for the information, when the information is due, and the preferred format for the information.

stakeholder communications

65. A(n) _____ can be a vehicle for fostering team building and reinforcing expectations, roles, relationships, and commitment to the project.

well-run meeting meeting

7. Communication becomes simpler when you increase the number of team members. a. True b. False

False RATIONALE: Feedback: An important aspect of communications is the number of people involved in a project. As the number increases, the complexity of communication increases because there are more channels or pathways through which people can communicate. Communication becomes more complex as you increase team size.

58. _____ communication happens when two or more people to exchange information via meetings, phone calls, or video conferencing.

Interactive

52. _____ can create communication problems; words may have different meanings in different languages.

Language barriers

68. A(n) _____ allows users to create custom Web sites to access documents and applications stored on shared devices.

SharePoint portal

9. The communications management plan varies with the needs of the project. a. True b. False

True RATIONALE: Feedback: Because communication is so important on projects, every project should include a communications management plan—a document that guides project communications. The communications management plan varies with the needs of the project.

8. In a project, communicating badly exponentially increases the possibility of making mistakes. a. True b. False

True RATIONALE: Feedback: Communicating badly exponentially increases the possibility of making fatal mistakes. A large-scale project has a lot of moving parts, which makes it that much easier to break down. Communication is the oil that keeps everything working properly.

10. Most WBSs include a section for project communications to ensure that reporting key information is a project deliverable. a. True b. False

True RATIONALE: Feedback: Information about the content of essential project communications comes from the work breakdown structure (WBS). In fact, many WBSs include a section for project communications to ensure that reporting key information is a project deliverable.

2. Adding more people to a project that is falling behind schedule often causes more setbacks because of the increased complexity of communications. a. True b. False

True RATIONALE: Feedback: Many top managers think they can just add more people to a project that is falling behind schedule. Unfortunately, this approach often causes more setbacks because of the increased complexity of communications.

55. A(n) _____ is a document that guides project communications.

communications management plan

17. The email is the most appropriate medium for all types of communications. a. True b. False

False RATIONALE: Feedback: The e-mail is not an appropriate medium for all types of communications. It not appropriate for assessing commitment, building consensus, mediating a conflict, resolving a misunderstanding, making an ironic statement, conveying a reference document, reinforcing one's authority, or maintaining confidentiality.

14. Good information technology project managers must have strong technical and communication skills. a. True b. False

True RATIONALE: Feedback: Most IT professionals enter the field because of their technical skills. Most find, however, that communication skills are the key to advancing in their careers, especially if they want to become good project managers.

67. A(n) _____ forces meeting organizers to plan the meeting and gives potential participants the chance to decide whether they need to attend.

agenda

31. An example of push communication is _____. a. meetings b. video conferencing c. voice mails d. blogs

c RATIONALE: Feedback: In push communication, information is sent or pushed to recipients without their request via reports, e-mails, faxes, voice mails, and other means.

59. While trying to assess commitment of project stakeholders, a(n) _____ meeting or a Web conference might be the most appropriate medium to use.

face-to-face face to face

50. The outputs of the _____ process are communications management plan and project documents updates.

planning communications management

54. Many information technology professionals work on _____ projects where they never meet their project sponsors, other team members, or other project stakeholders.

virtual

61. _____ often create consolidated progress reports based on the information received from team members.

Team leaders

56. A(n) _____ must include suggested methods or technologies for conveying the information.

communications management plan

44. A(n) _____ is a Web site that enables anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify Web page content. a. intranet b. blog c. forum d. wiki

d RATIONALE: Feedback: A wiki is a Web site that enables anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify Web page content.

26. As the number of people involved in a project _____, the complexity of communications _____. a. increases, decreases b. decreases, increases c. increases, stays constant d. increases, increases

d RATIONALE: Feedback: An important aspect of communications is the number of people involved in a project. As the number increases, the complexity of communication increases because there are more channels or pathways through which people can communicate.

62. An important technique for _____ is the status review meeting.

performance reporting

51. _____ monitoring and controlling project communications to ensure that stakeholder communication needs are met.

Controlling communications

6. It is extremely important to document any changes in technical specifications that might affect product performance. a. True b. False

True RATIONALE: Feedback: Project communication management involves the inclusion of detailed technical information that affects critical performance features of products or services developed in a project. It is even more important to document any changes in technical specifications that might affect product performance.

11. Project managers must assess the needs of the organization, the project, and individuals in determining which communication medium to use, and when. a. True b. False

True RATIONALE: Feedback: Project managers must assess the needs of the organization, the project, and individuals in determining which communication medium to use, and when. They must also be aware of new technologies that can enhance communications and collaboration.

40. ____ describe what the project team has accomplished during a certain period. a. Progress reports b. Status reports c. Forecasts d. Lessons-learned reports

a RATIONALE: Feedback: Progress reports describe what the project team has accomplished during a certain period.

36. According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a(n) _____ is the most appropriate medium for giving complex instructions. a. phone call b. e-mail c. meeting d. Web Site

c RATIONALE: Feedback: According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a meeting is the most appropriate medium for giving complex instructions.

34. According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a(n) _____ is a medium that is "excellent" for encouraging creative thinking. a. phone call b. e-mail c. meeting d. Web Site

b RATIONALE: Feedback: According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., an e-mail is a medium that is "excellent" for encouraging creative thinking.

66. All meetings must have a(n) _____ and intended outcome.

purpose

18. The project summary report is a summary of all the lessons-learned reports. a. True b. False

False RATIONALE: Feedback: The project manager and project team members should all prepare a lessons-learned report —a reflective statement that documents important information they have learned from working on the project. The project manager often combines information from all of the lessons-learned reports into a project summary report.

15. Do not have a meeting if there is a better way of achieving the objective at hand. a. True b. False

True RATIONALE: Feedback: One of the guidelines for conducting meetings is to determine if a meeting can be avoided. Do not have a meeting if there is a better way of achieving the objective at hand.

4. Rarely does the receiver interpret a message exactly as the sender intended. a. True b. False

True RATIONALE: Feedback: The receiver of information rarely interprets it exactly as the sender intended. Therefore, it is important to provide several methods of communication, such as written words, visuals, videos, and meetings, and an environment that promotes open dialogue.

53. Project managers should try to _____ the size of teams or sub teams to avoid making communications too complex.

limit decrease

48. _____ are a complete set of organized project records that provide an accurate history of the project. a. Project archives b. Forecasts c. Project plans d. Project notes

a RATIONALE: Feedback: Project archives are a complete set of organized project records that provide an accurate history of the project. These archives can provide valuable information for future projects as well.

41. ____ predict future project status and progress based on past information and trends. a. Progress reports b. Status reports c. Forecasts d. Project updates

c RATIONALE: Feedback: Forecasts predict future project status and progress based on past information and trends. How long will it take to finish the project based on how things are going? How much more money will be needed to complete the project?

33. Which of the following is true of push communication? a. Information is sent only to recipients who request the information. b. This method ensures that the information is understood by recipients. c. Information is sent to recipients without their request. d. This method ensures that the information is received by the recipients.

c RATIONALE: Feedback: In push communication, information is sent or pushed to recipients without their request via reports, e-mails, faxes, voice mails, and other means. This method ensures that the information is distributed, but does not ensure that it was received or understood.

49. Many experts agree that the greatest threat to the success of any project, especially information technology projects, is a failure to _____.

communicate

43. E-mail communication is most suited for: a. assessing commitment to a project. b. building consensus among disputing parties. c. mediating a conflict between multiple parties. d. communicating routine information.

d RATIONALE: Feedback: E-mail is not appropriate for assessing commitment, building consensus, mediating a conflict, resolving a misunderstanding, making an ironic statement, conveying a reference document, reinforcing one's authority, or maintaining confidentiality. The same is true for instant messaging and other electronic communication tools.

42. Which of the following questions is typically addressed by a project forecast? a. How much more money will be needed to complete the project? b. Does the quality of output match our goals? c. Are our clients satisfied with the speed and quality of work on this project? d. How comfortable are employees with the software and technology being used on the project?

a RATIONALE: Feedback: Forecasts predict future project status and progress based on past information and trends. How long will it take to finish the project based on how things are going? How much more money will be needed to complete the project?

23. As a manager, you want to praise a team member, Phil, for doing a good job on a particular project. However, you know that Phil tends to be an introvert. Which of the following communication methods would Phil be most comfortable with? a. Call Phil in for a private meeting to appreciate his work. b. Call a team meeting to praise Phil for his work on the project. c. Announce Phil's accomplishment on the company Web site. d. Have top management and the other teams in the company award Phil.

a RATIONALE: Feedback: People have different personality traits that often affect their communication preferences. For example, if you want to praise a project team member for doing a good job, most introverts would be more comfortable receiving that praise in private, while most extroverts would like everyone to hear about their good work.

24. Which of the following methods of communication is likely to be most effective for conveying sensitive or important information? a. Short face-to-face meetings b. E-mails c. Telephone conversations d. Reading reports from other team members

a RATIONALE: Feedback: Short face-to-face meetings are often more effective than electronic communications, particularly for sensitive information.

27. The formula to determine the number of communication channels is _____, where n is the number of people involved. a. n (n-1)/2 b. n(n+1)/2 c. n (n+1)/n(n-1) d. n(n-1)/n(n+1)

a RATIONALE: Feedback: The formula to determine the number of communication channels as the number of people involved in a project increases: number of communication channels = n (n-1)/2.

1. Project members should either have strong technical skills or soft skills. a. True b. False

False RATIONALE: Feedback: For projects to succeed, every project team member needs both types of skills, and needs to develop them continuously through formal education and on-the-job training.

47. The items discussed in a(n) _____ include reflections on whether project goals were met, whether the project was successful or not, the causes of variances on the project, the reasoning behind corrective actions chosen, the use of different project management tools and techniques, and personal words of wisdom based on team members' experiences. a. final project report b. design document c. audit report d. lessons-learned report

d RATIONALE: Feedback: Some items discussed in lessons-learned reports include reflections on whether project goals were met, whether the project was successful or not, the causes of variances on the project, the reasoning behind corrective actions chosen, the use of different project management tools and techniques, and personal words of wisdom based on team members' experiences.

35. Which of the following communication methods would be most appropriate for assessing the commitment of project stakeholders? a. Wikis b. E-mail c. Web sites d. Meetings

d RATIONALE: Feedback: If you were trying to assess commitment of project stakeholders, a meeting would be the most appropriate medium to use. (A face-to-face meeting would be preferable, but a Web conference, in which participants could see and hear each other, would also qualify as a meeting.) A phone call would be adequate, but the other media would not be appropriate.

46. Which of the following is a guideline that project managers should follow when communicating with their teams through e-mail? a. Always reply to all the people to whom the initial message was sent. b. If the entire message can fit in the subject line, put it there. c. Minimize the total number of e-mails by including as many subjects as possible in a single e-mail. d. Continue replying to e-mail messages without changing the subject line to maintain continuity.

b RATIONALE: Feedback: One guideline for e-mail communication is not to continue replying to e-mail messages without changing the subject line. The subject should always relate to the latest correspondence.

29. Using the formula for calculating the number of communication channels, how many channels would five people require? a. 9 b. 10 c. 11 d. 14

b RATIONALE: Feedback: The formula to determine the number of communication channels as the number of people involved in a project increases: number of communication channels = n (n-1)/2. Two people will have one communication channel.