Communications Management
DE: Kommunikationsmanagement
Planning, executing, and monitoring project communications.
Detailed Explanation
Communications Management covers the processes for timely planning, creation, distribution, storage, and monitoring of project information. It is arguably the most critical knowledge area for project success.
The communications management plan defines who needs what information, when, how, and from whom. PMI research shows PMs spend about 90% of their time communicating, making this skill paramount.
Methods include push (emails, reports), pull (dashboards, shared drives), and interactive (meetings, calls). Choice depends on urgency, complexity, and audience. For sensitive topics, always prefer interactive communication.
Key Points
- PMs spend ~90% of their time communicating
- Plan defines who, what, when, how, and responsible party
- Push, Pull, and Interactive communication methods
- Tailor communication to the audience
- Under-communication is almost always the problem
- Document communication decisions
Practical Example
A PM for a 50-person project sets up: weekly status emails, biweekly steering committee presentations, daily standups for the core team, and a real-time dashboard. When a critical risk materializes, the PM calls the sponsor immediately rather than waiting for the next meeting.
Tips for Learning and Applying
Create a communications matrix early — who, what, when, how
Match the method to the message — sensitive topics need face-to-face
Listen more than you talk
Use visual dashboards to replace lengthy reports
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