Effective Strategies for Communication Management in a Project Management Environment

Introduction

Communication management is defined as the skills required for moving information, which include speaking, listening, writing, and procedures of critical thinking with good knowledge and constructive feedback (O'Rourke, 2013). Good communication management, in terms of accuracy, openness, and frequency of information about policies, are positively linked to employee performance (Neves & Eisenberger, 2012). On the other hand, poor communication can lead the firm to not fulfilling organizational expectations and customer satisfaction (Ramsing, 2009). Thus, there are a number of barriers to effective communication (Galli, 2019).

Another perspective of communication management is the concept of choosing the best communication channels and implementing them throughout the lifecycle of project. Researchers have established the theory of media richness, which is related to the different communication media (i.e., memos, phones, and email) and to which level the organization uses data that could be communicated (Byrne & LeMay, 2006). Furthermore, PMI (2017) considered communication management as a knowledge area in project management. Next, we will provide four effective strategies that support this significant knowledge area.

Communication takes the longest amount of time during the development of a project. Also, the transmission and reception of information are often carried out through communication. Communication plays a significant role in a project life cycle, which is one of the factors that the processes of the project can precede smoothly. However, due to internal and external communication barriers, some important information is often misunderstood, which results in poor communication and delayed development. For the internal communication between individuals and groups, communication is based on the two sides that are proactive, reflect a common goal, and reflect overall interests.

Stakeholders play an important role in a project both inside and outside of the organization, and they influence the development of the project. Thus, satisfying stakeholders is important for changing needs and maintaining their satisfaction. Self-communication is the embodiment of communication and cognition, so it is an effective tool for dealing with personal and professional conflicts (Kollberg, 2011). Also, effective communication strategies must account for the complexity of changing in a project from stakeholders' perspective (Bourne, 2015).