Chapter 10 Project Communications Management
Rarely does the receiver interpret a message exactly as the sender intended.
True
Status reports can take various formats depending on the stakeholders' needs.
True
The main goal of controlling communications is to ensure the optimal flow of information throughout the entire _____.
project life cycle
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
Minutes must be a comprehensive report of the meeting that was scheduled.
False
Project members should either have strong technical skills or soft skills.
False
The email is the most appropriate medium for all types of communications.
False
The project summary report is a summary of all the lessons-learned reports.
False
According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a(n) _____ is the most inappropriate medium for addressing negative behavior.
meeting
The formula to determine the number of communication channels is _____, where n is the number of people involved.
n (n-1)/2
An important technique for _____ is the status review meeting.
performance reporting
The outputs of the _____ process are communications management plan and project documents updates.
planning communications management
A(n) _____ can be a vehicle for fostering team building and reinforcing expectations, roles, relationships, and commitment to the project.
well-run meeting meeting
_____ can create communication problems; words may have different meanings in different languages.
Language barriers
Which of the following communication methods would be most appropriate for assessing the commitment of project stakeholders?
Meetings
_____ are normally provided as status reports or progress reports.
Performance reports
_____ involves determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders.
Planning communications
____ describe what the project team has accomplished during a certain period.
Progress reports
_____ are a complete set of organized project records that provide an accurate history of the project.
Project archives
A(n) _____ allows users to create custom Web sites to access documents and applications stored on shared devices.
SharePoint portal
Which of the following methods of communication is likely to be most effective for conveying sensitive or important information?
Short face-to-face meetings
____ 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.
Status reports
_____ often create consolidated progress reports based on the information received from team members.
Team leaders
The output of the _____ process is a communications management plan.
planning communications
Microsoft Office Enterprise Project Management Solution has a(n) _____ tool that provides a centralized and consolidated view of programs and projects.
portfolio management
Using the formula for calculating the number of communication channels, how many channels would two people require?
1
Using the formula for calculating the number of communication channels, how many channels would five people require?
10
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.
5
Research has indicated that in a face-to-face interaction, _____ percent of information is through body language.
58
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?
Call Phil in for a private meeting to appreciate his work.
_____ monitoring and controlling project communications to ensure that stakeholder communication needs are met.
Controlling communications
Communication becomes simpler when you increase the number of team members.
False
Geographic location and cultural background have no impact on communications.
False
Improving an organization's ability to communication is an easy process.
False
____ predict future project status and progress based on past information and trends.
Forecasts
Which of the following questions is typically addressed by a project forecast?
How much more money will be needed to complete the project?
Which of the following is a guideline that project managers should follow when communicating with their teams through e-mail?
If the entire message can fit in the subject line, put it there.
Which of the following is true of push communication?
Information is sent to recipients without their request.
_____ communication happens when two or more people to exchange information via meetings, phone calls, or video conferencing.
Interactive
Which of the following is true of a project communications plan?
The communications plan should be part of the overall project management plan.
A facilitator can help the team solve any communication problems.
True
Adding more people to a project that is falling behind schedule often causes more setbacks because of the increased complexity of communications.
True
Do not have a meeting if there is a better way of achieving the objective at hand.
True
Good information technology project managers must have strong technical and communication skills.
True
In a project, communicating badly exponentially increases the possibility of making mistakes.
True
It is extremely important to document any changes in technical specifications that might affect product performance.
True
Most WBSs include a section for project communications to ensure that reporting key information is a project deliverable.
True
People have different personality traits that often affect their communication preferences.
True
Project managers must assess the needs of the organization, the project, and individuals in determining which communication medium to use, and when.
True
The communications management plan varies with the needs of the project.
True
A(n) _____ forces meeting organizers to plan the meeting and gives potential participants the chance to decide whether they need to attend.
agenda
An example of pull communication is _____.
blogs
Many experts agree that the greatest threat to the success of any project, especially information technology projects, is a failure to _____.
communicate
E-mail communication is most suited for:
communicating routine information.
A(n) _____ is a document that guides project communications.
communications management plan
A(n) _____ must include suggested methods or technologies for conveying the information.
communications management plan
According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a(n) _____ is a medium that is "excellent" for encouraging creative thinking.
Managing communications is part of the _____ process of the project communication management.
executing
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
As the number of people involved in a project _____, the complexity of communications _____.
increases, increases
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.
lessons-learned report
Project managers should try to _____ the size of teams or sub teams to avoid making communications too complex.
limit decrease
According to the guidelines provided by Practical Communications, Inc., a(n) _____ is the most appropriate medium for giving complex instructions.
meeting
All meetings must have a(n) _____ and intended outcome.
purpose
The _____ line for any e-mail messages you write should clearly state the intention of the e- mail.
subject
Many information technology professionals work on _____ projects where they never meet their project sponsors, other team members, or other project stakeholders.
virtual
An example of push communication is _____.
voice mails
A(n) _____ is a Web site that enables anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify Web page content.
wiki
