PM ch10
3.What is the difference between a status report and a progress report? Give an example of each.
A status report describes where the project stands at a specific point in time. An earned value analysis is an example of a status report. A progress report describes what the project team has accomplished during a certain period of time. A weekly activity report is an example of a progress report.
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As the number of people communicating increases above three, the number of communications channels increases rapidly. Project managers should try to limit the size of teams or sub teams to avoid making communications too complex.
96.What are four main processes in project communications management? Briefly describe each process.
Communications planning involves determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders: who needs what information, when will they need it, and how will the information be given to them. The output of this process is a communications management plan.
The Importance of Project Communications Management Show a copy of a cartoon (such as Dilbert) that makes fun of how poorly many technical people communicate. You cannot overemphasize how important it is to have good communications in projects. As Chapter 9 discusses, every person is unique in what motivates him or her.
Each person is also unique in how he or she communicates. Information technology professionals are known for not being particularly strong communicators; however, communications skills are critical and can definitely be developed. Most people agree that their communications skills are the most influential factors in helping them advance in their careers. Interviewers are often looking for communications skills in job interviews.
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Effective distribution of information depends on project managers and project team members having good communication skills. Communicating includes many different dimensions such as writing, speaking, and listening, and project personnel need to use all of these dimensions in their daily routines. In addition, different people respond positively to different levels or types of communication. The project manager needs to be aware of and take advantage of this special communication need.
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Research indicates that project managers favor using confrontation for conflict resolution over the other four modes. The term confrontation may be misleading. This mode really focuses on addressing conflicts using a problem-solving approach. Using Stephen Covey's paradigms of interdependence, this mode focuses on a win-win approach. All parties work together to find the best way to solve the conflict. The next most favored approach to conflict resolution is compromise.
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There is a simple formula for determining the number of communications channels as the number of people involved in a project increases. You can calculate the number of communications channels as follows:
• compromise mode
using a give-and-take approach to resolving conflicts; bargaining and searching for solutions that bring some degree of satisfaction to all the parties in a dispute
100.List and briefly describe Blake and Mouton's five basic modes for handling conflicts. Which mode(s) are most commonly used by project managers?
1. Confrontation: When using the confrontation mode, project managers directly face a conflict using a problem-solving approach that allows affected parties to work through their disagreements. This approach is also called the problem-solving mode.
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2. Compromise: With the compromise mode, project managers use a give-and-take approach to resolving conflicts. They bargain and search for solutions that bring some degree of satisfaction to all the parties in a dispute.
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4. Forcing: The forcing mode can be viewed as the win-lose approach to conflict resolution. Project managers exert their viewpoint at the potential expense of another viewpoint. Managers who are very competitive or autocratic in their management style might favor this approach.
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5. Withdrawal: When using the withdrawal mode, project managers retreat or withdraw from an actual or potential disagreement. This approach is the least desirable conflict-handling mode.
97.Describe the concepts of informal methods for distributing information. How do they compare to formal methods for distributing information?
It is not enough for project team members to submit status reports to their project managers and other stakeholders and assume that everyone who needs to know that information will read the reports. Some technical professionals might assume that submitting the appropriate status reports is sufficient because they are introverts and prefer communicating that way.
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Managing stakeholders involves managing communications to satisfy the needs and expectations of project stakeholders and to resolve issues. The outputs of this process are resolved issues, approved change requests and corrective actions, and updates to organizational process assets and the project management plan.
1.What is the formula for determining the number of communications channels?
Number of communications channels = (n(n-1))/2
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Occasionally, that approach might work, but many people prefer informal communications. Recall that 75 percent of the general population are extroverts, so they enjoy talking to other people. Often, many non-technical professionals—from colleagues to managers—prefer to have a two-way conversation about project information, rather than reading detailed reports, e-mails, or Web pages to try to find pertinent information.
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Performance reporting involves collecting and disseminating performance information, including status reports, progress measurement, and forecasting. The outputs of this process are performance reports, forecasts, requested changes, recommended corrective actions, and updates to organizational process assets.
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Performance reporting keeps stakeholders informed about how resources are being used to achieve project objectives. Work performance information and measurements, forecasted completion dates, quality control measurements, the project management plan, approved change requests, and deliverables are all important inputs to performance reporting. Two key outputs of performance reporting are performance reports and forecasts. Performance reports are normally provided as status reports or progress reports. Many people use the two terms interchangeably, but some people distinguish between them as follows:
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Progress reports describe what the project team has accomplished during a certain period. Many projects have each team member prepare a monthly or sometimes weekly progress report. Team leaders often create consolidated progress reports based on the information received from team members.
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The project manager needs to be aware of and take advantage of this special communication need. The project sponsor will give better feedback about the project during these informal talks than he or she could give through some other form of communication. Informal conversations allow the project sponsor to exercise his or her role of leadership and provide insights and information that are critical to the success of the project and the organization as a whole. Short face-to-face meetings are often more effective than electronic communications, particularly for sensitive information.
98.How do you determine the number of communications channels? How does the number of people involved in a project affect this value? How can project managers control this value?
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99.What is performance reporting? What are some methods used for performance reporting?
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3. Smoothing: When using the smoothing mode, the project manager de-emphasizes or avoids areas of differences and emphasizes areas of agreement.
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An important aspect of information distribution is the number of people involved in a project. As the number of people involved increases, the complexity of communications increases because there are more communications channels or pathways through which people can communicate.
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Another important technique for performance reporting is the status review meeting. Status review meetings are a good way to highlight information provided in important project documents, empower people to be accountable for their work, and have face-to-face discussions about important project issues. Many program and project managers hold periodic status review meetings to exchange important project information and
Chapter 10:
Communications
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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? Project managers can also use earned value management to answer these questions by estimating the budget at completion and projected completion date based on how the project is progressing.
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Information distribution involves making needed information available to project stakeholders in a timely manner. The main outputs of this process are updates to organizational process assets and requested changes.
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Instead of focusing on getting information by reading technical documents, many colleagues and managers want to know the people working on their projects and develop a trusting relationship with them. They use informal discussions about the project to develop these relationships. Therefore, project managers must be good at nurturing relationships through good communication. Many experts believe that the difference between good project managers and excellent project managers is their ability to nurture relationships and use empathic listening skills.
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Status reports describe where the project stands at a specific point in time. Recall the importance of the triple constraint. Status reports address where the project stands in terms of meeting scope, time, and cost goals. How much money has been spent to date? How long did it take to do certain tasks? Is work being accomplished as planned? Status reports can take various formats depending on the stakeholders' needs.
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Successful project managers are less likely to use smoothing, forcing, or withdrawal than they are to use confrontation or compromise.
Chapter 10 describes another important facilitating knowledge area, project communications management.
The chapter explains the processes involved in project communications management, methods for improving project communications, and the ways in which various types of software can enhance communications.
2.Which mode for handling conflicts is favored by project managers?
The confrontation mode, which is also known as the problem-solving mode
• project archives
a complete set of organized project records that provide an accurate history of the project
• communications management plan
a document that guides project communications
• issue
a matter under question or dispute that could impede project success
• kickoff meeting
a meeting held at the beginning of a project or project phase where all major project stakeholders discuss project objectives, plans, and so on
• issue log
a tool to document and monitor the resolution of project issues
• expectations management matrix
a tool to help understand unique measures of success for a particular project
• performance reporting
collecting and disseminating performance information, which includes status reports, progress measurement, and forecasting
• groupthink
conformance to the values or ethical standards of a group
• smoothing mode
deemphasizing or avoiding areas of differences and emphasizing areas of agreements
• communications planning
determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders: who needs what information, when they will need it, and how the information will be given to them
• confrontation mode
directly facing a conflict using a problem-solving approach that allows affected parties to work through their disagreements
• blogs
easy to use journals on the Web that allow users to write entries, create links, and upload pictures, while readers can post comments to journal entries
• information distribution
making needed information available to project stakeholders in a timely manner
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motivate people to make progress on their parts of the project. Likewise, many top managers hold monthly or quarterly status review meetings where program and project managers must report overall status information.
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number of communications channels = n(n-1)/2 where n is the number of people involved. For example, two people have one communications channel: (2(2-1))/2 = 1. Three people have three channels: (3(3-1))/2 = 3. Four people have six channels, five people have ten, and so on. For example, two people have one communications channel: (2(2-1))/2 = 1. Three people have three channels: (3(3-1))/2 = 3. Four people have six channels, five people have ten, and so on.
• lessons-learned report
reflective statements written by project managers and their team members to document important things they have learned from working on the project
• progress reports
reports that describe what the project team has accomplished during a certain period of time
• status reports
reports that describe where the project stands at a specific point in time
• withdrawal mode
retreating or withdrawing from an actual or potential disagreement
• forecasts
used to predict future project status and progress based on past information and trends
• forcing mode
using a win-lose approach to conflict resolution to get one's way
