Effective Communication for Project Stakeholders and Teams

William A. Brantley

“Everyone communicates, but few connect” is a famous book and message by John C. Maxwell on leadership. The meaning behind this message is that as leaders of programs and projects, we need to be not just communicators, but effective communicators.

“Everyone communicates, but few connect” is a famous book and message by John C. Maxwell on leadership. The meaning behind this message is that as leaders of programs and projects, we need to be not just communicators, but effective communicators.

Obtaining your Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) or similar project management certificate is the first step. But, as you gain program management and project management experience, you realize that effective communication goes beyond what you learned in "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge" (PMBOK).

Gaining a program management certification or project management certification (such as the PMP certification) equips you with the necessary project management tools to begin your project or project management career. There is more to effective program and project communication than what is on the PMP exam.

For communication from program managers and project managers to be truly effective, there must be understanding beyond what you learned from your professional certification. The communicator and the receiver must use feedback to determine how the message was received and if the communicator created the intended level of understanding in the receiver for the communication to succeed.

In this course, you will learn about the Understanding Triad - know-what, know-how, and know-why. The Understanding Triad aids you in crafting just the right level of explanation for all your audiences. The Understanding Triad will make you a more effective program manager, traditional project manager, agile project manager, or certified scrum master.

The Project Management Institute, Inc (PMI) teaches that project management communication is the transfer of information. The project or program manager sends messages to their project teams, stakeholders, customers, and executive sponsors. If the program manager or project manager believes that communicating a clear message is enough for good communication, then the manager may be fooled into thinking their communication efforts are complete. Even if there is feedback, the feedback is usually limited to confirming that the message was received as intended. However, communication is not merely the transmission of information. The difference can be days, months, or years of wasted time and effort; or successful, early delivery.

Certified program and certified project managers earn 10 professional development units (PDU) as they learn how communication can make a difference in every interaction, and become a truly effective program or project manager. Gain the power skill of communication in this certificate program.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Week 1: Defining Communication

Week 2: Creating Messages to be Understood

Week 3: Feedback and Understanding

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Effective Communication for Project Stakeholders and Teams with these activities:

Attend a Professional Development Conference

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Expand your network and learn from other professionals in the field.

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Research upcoming professional development conferences.
Attend the conference and participate in sessions and workshops.
Network with other professionals and learn about their experiences.

Understanding Triad - Know-What, Know-How, Know-Why

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Review the Understanding Triad to reinforce your understanding of communication.

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Read the article on the Understanding Triad.
Identify the three levels of understanding: know-what, know-how, and know-why.
Explain how the Understanding Triad can help you become a more effective communicator.

Practice Active Listening Skills

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Improve your ability to actively listen to others.

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Find a partner and take turns practicing active listening.
Focus on paying attention to what the other person is saying, both verbally and nonverbally.
Practice asking clarifying questions.

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Create a Presentation on Communication Feedback

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Enhance your understanding of communication feedback.

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Research different types of communication feedback.
Create a presentation on the importance of communication feedback.
Practice delivering your presentation.

Develop a Communication Plan for a Project

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Put your communication skills into practice by creating a communication plan for a project.

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Identify the project stakeholders.
Determine the communication needs of each stakeholder.
Develop a communication plan that meets the needs of all stakeholders.
Implement the communication plan and track its effectiveness.

Contribute to an Open Source Project

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Contribute to an open source project to gain experience in real-world communication.

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Find an open source project that interests you.
Review the project's documentation and communication guidelines.
Make a contribution to the project.

Career center

Learners who complete Effective Communication for Project Stakeholders and Teams will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers: