Project Communication Management
Second Week
Dr Thanasis Spyridakos
Overview
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Introduction
Business writing for effective project communications
Thinking and Reading critically
Constructing and Evaluating arguments
Communications Strategies
Memos, Overviews and Reports
Project Lists and Business Letters
Efficient and Effective Writing
Speak when you write
Communication Strategy
Communication and Strategy
“Communication is the transfer of meaning”
Elements of communication:
Sender
Medium
Noise
Cultural context
Receiver
Effect
System of ethics
Communication is intricate, delicate, difficult and complex
Principles of Communication
Dynamic- Undergoing change
Continuous –Never stops
Circular – take a message, actions – responce
Unrepeatable – “No man can step in the same river twice”
Heraclites
Irreversible – there is no unsay
Complex – Involves human being and human behavior
Levels of Communication
Intrapersonal – communication within ourselves – Sending
messages to our bodies, working silently on a problem
Interpersonal – Between or among ourselves
Organizational – communicate one to another in the context of
an organization
Mass of Public – one person or source send message to many
people (ex. Advertising)
Barrier of Communication
Physiological Barriers – Use one of our sense (sight, sound,
tough, smell, taste)
Psychological Barriers – Understandable, culture,
Successful Strategic Communication
Successful strategic communication involves the following steps
Link your message to the strategy and Goals of the Organization
Attract the attention of your intended audience
Explain your position in Terms they will Understand and Accept
Motivate your audience to accept and act to your message
Inoculate them against contrary messages and Positions
Manage audience expectation
Communicating as a manager is different because
Levels of Responsibility and Accountability (many subjects,
many problems, many challenges, better records, better
response, better situation etc)
Organizational Culture – The culture of the organization is
significant for the communication strategy (Written, Oral,, etc)
Organizational Dynamics – Business change, market place,
people involves – Adapt the communication to the current needs.
Personality Preferences – everyone has his/her own preferences
of gathering, organizing and disseminating information.
Communication and strategy
Parameters influencing
Sender – Who should communicate this message?
Receiver - Who is the intended audience for this message?
Message – What should your message contain
Medium – What’s the best way to nsend the message?
Code – Selecting the right words and images
Feedbacks – What’s the re-action of your audience”
Noise – Other senders and messages – message traffic,
Effects – provide the meaning that actions are useful and worth
it.
Writing
I. Writing is an important form of management communication
because it:
A. Provides a way to think about and organize a business.
B. Provides analysis and justification for a manager’s best
ideas.
C. Provides documentation and discipline for an organization.
II. An introduction to good business writing.
A. Good business writing is simple, clear, and concise.
B. It helps the reader focus on the idea the writer is trying to
communicate, rather than on the words used to describe it.
C. The evidence used to support a writer’s ideas is readily
understandable.
Writing
15 ways to become a better business writer
Keep in mind that your reader doesn't have much time
Know where you are going before you are start writing
Don’t make any spelling or grammatical errors
Be responsive to the needs of your reader
Be clear and specific
Try to use the present tense
Make your writing vigorous and direct
Use short sentences and paragraphs
Use personal pronouns
Avoid cliché and jargon
Separate facts from opinions
Use number with restraint
Write the way you talk
Never be content with your first effort
Make it Perfect?
Writing Memos
IV.
The strategy of writing memos.
A. Good memos get to the point, focus on just one issue, and
support the writer’s central ideas with coherent, relevant,
convincing evidence.
B. Memos are usually internal documents and therefore are
used to pass information, ideas, and recommendations to other
people in the same organization.
C. The opening or overview paragraph of a memo should
reveal a communication strategy for the entire document.
1. Purpose: Why are you writing the memo?
2. Main idea: What do you want to tell the reader? Or, what do you
want
the reader to do?
3. Opinion: What is your point-of-view on the subject?
When you know what you want to achieve
V. When you know what you want to achieve – and what you want
your reader to learn from your writing – you will need a
communication strategy.
A. Information strategies.
1.
To confirm agreement.
2.
To provide facts.
3.
To provide a point-of-view.
B. Action strategies.
1.
To request assistance.
2.
To give direction.
3.
To seek agreement.
First paragraph
VI.
The overview is the first paragraph a reader will see and is
one of the most important elements of a memo.
A. Keep the words simple and the sentences short so that
anyone who receives the document will understand it.
B. Keep the overview brief as it is to act as an “executive
summary” of the memo that follows.
C. Deal with “what” is being addressed, not “how” to fix it.
D. Include and identify the writer’s opinion.
E. Reflect the needs of the reader.
F. Although brief, the overview should be thorough and
complete.
Writing Memos
VII.
A persuasive memo must provide a complete, logical
argument with which the reader cannot disagree.
A. Consider your objective against the reader’s attitudes,
perceptions, and knowledge of the subject.
B. Construct an outline on paper, focusing on the Situation
Analysis and Rationale sections. This will help develop a logical
argument and identify missing information.
C. Include a plan of action to add credibility and practicality to
the ideas presented in the memo.
D. Avoid controversial issues, opinions, and unsupported
assertions in the Situation Analysis. Stick to the facts to ensure
the reader will agree with this section of the memo.
Writing Memos
E. Present your Recommendation and Rationale before you
discuss other options that you have considered and rejected.
F. Always lead from strength.
1.
Start the proposal with a strong, confident Overview.
2.
Bring important ideas to the beginning of each
section.
3.
In the Rationale section, always present your
arguments in order of performance.
G. Use precedent to make the proposal appear less speculative.
H. Gear the argument to the decision criteria of the reader.
Writing memos
VIII. The outlining of a proposal memo.
A. The flow of the outline follows three basic steps.
1. Situation Analysis: Where are we today and why are we here?
2. Recommendation: What should we do about it?
3. Rationale: Why is this a good thing to do?
B. The seven-step outlining procedure helps the writer to improve his
or her thinking and reduce confusion for the reader.
1. Review the strategy to ensure the goal of the memo is established.
2. Assemble all of the information that will go into the memo.
3. Identify and separate the information the reader needs to know to
understand the situation.
4. Identify and separate the recommended course of action.
5. Develop the rational by eliminating invalid arguments and
strengthening areas that appear unclear.
6. Rank the arguments from most powerful to least important.
7. Test the argument against the reader’s decision criteria.
Writing memos
IX.
Standard formats for memos.
A. Help the writer to organize information and concepts quickly.
B.Help the reader to know immediately where to find pieces of
information and how they fit together.
C.Two suggested formats for business documents are The Proposal
and The Information Memo.
1. These formats are appropriate regardless of how long and
complex the memo is.
2. Note the formats suggested here separate the contents of a
memo into six or seven sections, each no more than a paragraph
or two, and each clearly marked with an all-caps, boldface
heading.
Writing Memos
X. Managers are often called upon to evaluate the actions of their
competitors.
A. Using the Information Memo Format is a good way to organize
information and help managers through this process.
B. Managers should also consider the following thoughts when
preparing this memo.
1.
The most important information (i.e., competitive
strategy) is hidden below the surface.
2.
Work backwards and construct a hypothetical statement
of strategy based on what’s happening in the marketplace.
3.
Competitive appraisals are often triggered by changes, so
include how recent actions fit in with past efforts.
4.
Discuss the implications to your product or company.
5.
Remain objective in your analysis.
Meeting and Conference Report
XI.
Meeting and conference reports are used to record decisions
made at a meeting.
A. Avoid long descriptions of meeting events.
B. Use a standard format that includes the name of a groups,
persons attending, and subjects covered.
C. Briefly report on what was discussed or presented as well as
what was decided and why.
D. Focus your report on these issues:
1. What action is required.
2. Who is responsible.
3. What the timing will be.
Projects Lists
XII.
Project lists keep track of current and proposed activities.
A. Simple descriptions of what the organization is doing to
achieve goals or serve its customers.
B. Separate each project by category, then list projects in order
of priority or importance.
C. Each project should include: a title and brief description,
status, next steps, responsible parties, and dates due.
D. Completed or terminated projects should be shown as such
the following month, with a brief notation about why the project
will not appear on future project lists.
Memos Attractive
XIII. Make memos inviting and attractive.
A.Grab attention up front by presenting a strong overview section.
B.Vary sentence and paragraph length - but keep them short.
C.Use headings to improve organization.
D.Use bullets and numbers to identify groupings.
E.Use parallel structure for lists.
F. Underline or use boldface type to focus on topic sentences, key
words, and phrases.
G.
Leave adequate margins to make the document more
inviting.
H.
Don’t settle for a sloppy or illegible duplication.
Editing Memos
XIV. Editing your memo is necessary to produce quality writing.
A. This process helps to trim, clarify, and simplify the
document.
B. To edit your memo, put yourself in the reader’s place and go
through the document several times, each time asking yourself
one of the following seven basic questions.
1.
Is it clear?
2.
Is it complete?
3.
Is it persuasive?
4.
Is it accurate?
5.
Is it concise?
6.
Is it inviting to read?
7.
Is it perfect?
Writing letters
XV.
Writing good business letters.
A.
Unlike memos, business letters are primarily external documents.
B.
Like memos, good letters are crisp, concise, spoken in tone, and organized
so that readers can follow and understand with minimum effort.
C.
Employ the following thoughts when writing a business letter:
1. Answer the mail within three business days or drop the reader a note
explaining the situation.
2. Show by your words and actions that you are genuinely interested in them
and the issue they have written about.
3. Do not be too short, brief, or curt.
4. Soften the blow of bad news by saying you are sorry it happened, you regret
the outcome, or some similar selection of words.
5. Share in the reader’s good fortune if it is good news.
6. Give the reader the benefit of the doubt if the issue is not clear.
7. Never send off an angry letter.
8. If an odd character crosses your path, be polite, do your job, and they will
usually go away.
9. Show that you have a sense of humor if someone makes (or attempts) a joke.
10. Make sure your letter answers all of the questions your audience is likely
to have; respond to their fears, doubts, and concerns.
Explaining
XVI. Guidelines to follow when you are required to explain something.
A. Nothing is self-explanatory. Explain in simple, ordinary English
what you want your reader to know.
B. Explain any scientific or technical language used in the document.
C. Be sequential in your explanations, moving step-by-step through
processes that are complex.
D. Make certain you provide enough to answer questions, allay fears,
and quell doubts.
E. Don’t overdo it. Provide enough detail to satisfy their curiosity,
but not so much that you put them off.
F. Illustrate. If you cannot explain it, perhaps you can show it.
G. Answer expected questions.
H. Caution the reader about items that can be easily misunderstood
or misread.
Apologising
XVII. Guidelines to follow when you are required to apologize.
A. Take the complaint seriously.
B. For the most part, people will calm down and adopt a more
understanding attitude if you simply explain what happened and
tell them why.
C. Don’t shift the blame. Just accept responsibility for what
has happened and offer a solution.
D. Don’t just write. Do something to fix the problem.
XVIII. The style of your writing is important to your career
development.
A. Business writing is best received if it is compact, informal,
and organized.
B. This brand of writing leads to organizational efficiency,
personal productivity, and upward movement in your career.
Efficient Writing
XIX.
Help to make your writing more efficient by eliminating common
problems.
A.
Use plain English to replace big words.
B.
Don’t use words ending in “-wise.”
C.
Avoid doublings or words having the same meanings to describe what you
want your reader to know.
D.
Avoid the use of noun modifiers.
E.
Avoid using the phrase “it is” unless it refers to something definite
mentioned earlier.
F.
Avoid using legal-sounding language.
G. Remember that two-word modifiers may need hyphens when two words
act as one.
H. Express ideas involving action with specific verbs.
I.
Try to avoid specialized terms with outsiders and use them no more than
you must with insiders.
J.
More often than not, “that” and “which” do not help the meaning or flow
of a sentence, so use them sparingly.
K. Eliminate “the ___ion of...” construction whenever the context permits.
L.
Simplify wordy expressions.
More like your speaking
XX.Try to make your writing more like your speaking.
A. Write with personal pronouns.
1. Use we, us, and our when speaking about the company.
2. Use I, me, and my when speaking for yourself.
B. Occasionally use contractions. Using negative contractions for
instructions often softens direct orders.
C. Occasionally reach out to your reader by asking questions.
D. Use short spoken transitions more often than long formal ones.
E. Do not rework a sentence just to shift a preposition from the
end.
F. Keep sentences short, about twenty words on average.
Use active verbs
XXI. Use active verbs in place of passive verbs.
A. Passive sentences are deadly in business memos for three reasons.
1. They obscure responsibility by omitting a subject or human actor
from the sentence.
2. They are almost always longer sentences.
3. They delay discussion of the subject.
B. To write actively, remember this simple rule: put the doer before the
verb.
C. Passive sentences may be used in one of three circumstances:
1. When the doer is obvious.
2. When the doer is unknown.
3. When the doer is unimportant.
Tips
XXII. A few more organizational tips to improve your letters.
A. Open with your main point, the one sentence you would
keep if you could just keep one.
B. Give directions before reasons, requests before
justifications, answers before explanations, conclusions before
details, and solutions before problems.
C. Use headings and sub-headings to break-up information.
D. Make reading easier by keeping paragraphs short.
E. Do not clutter your first paragraph with unnecessary
chatter.
Improve the communication
XXIII. Every manager has a responsibility to improve the communication
skills of his or her subordinates.
A. Show your people you want clear, concise writing by example.
B. Know what you want before giving assignments and then proceed
to give specific directions.
C. When projects are difficult or complex, break up the assignment
into manageable parts.
D. Read and review before discussing a memo.
E. When you review a memo, start with big issues.
1. Do not rewrite the memo.
2. Remember to be positive in your suggestions.
F. Be certain the writer understands and agrees with your comments.
G. Give people flexibility and freedom to develop their own style.
The role of writing
Writing is a Career Sifter
Managers do Most of their own writing and editing
Documents take on lives of their own
Information
Information is created, shared and interpreted by people
Information never speaks for itsself
Context always dries meaning
A messenger always Accompanies a message
Writing an Overview paragraph
Purpose: Why are you writing the memo?
Main idea: What do you want to tell the reader?
Opinion: What is your point of view?
Basic Qualities
Be clear and Simple
Be brief
Deal with the what –not with the how
Include and identify the writer’s point of view
Reflect the need of the reader
Be thorough and complete
Writing good business letters
Letters are primarily external documents:
Answer promptly
Show that you are genuinely interested.
Don’t be too short, brief, or curt
If it’s bad news, say you are sorry
If it is good news say you are glad
Give everyone the benefit of the doubt
Never send off an angry letter
Watch out for cranks
Appreciate humor
Be careful with form letters
Explaining something
Nothing is self-explanatory
Translate technical terms
Go step-by-step
Don’t say too little
Don’t say too much
Illustrate
Answer expected questions
Warm against common mistakes
Apologizing
Take the complaint seriously
Explain what happened and why
Don’t shift the blame
Don’t just write – do something
Developing good writers
Show your people you want clear, concise writing by example
Know what you want before giving assignments
When project are difficult or complex, break up the assignment
into manageable parts
Read and review before discussing a memo
Try to see the big picture first
Be certain the writer understands and agrees with your
comments
Don’t force writers to parrot your style and expressions
Listening and Feedbacks
Benefits to be a good listener:
Listening demonstrates acceptance
Listening promotes Problem Solving Abilities
Listening increases the Speaker’s receptiveness to the thoughts
and ideas of others
Listening increases the self-Esteem of the other person
Listening helps you overcome self-consciousness and selfcenteredness
Listening can help to prevent Head-On Emotional Collisions
Writing Memo, Faxes, E-mail
Writing Memos, Faxes and e-mail
Memos – something to be remember. Allow a business to
communicate with itself in its day-to-day operation.
Structure of a Memo
To:
From:
Date:
Subject:
Reference:
Introduction
Discussion
Conclusions
Usually every company has its own memo protocol.
Functions of a memo
Announcing a company policy or plan
Charging a policy or procedure
Offering information
Setting an agenda
Making a request
Explaining a procedure or giving instructions
Clarifying or summarizing an issue
Altering readers to a problem or to a deadline
Confirming the outcomes of a conversation
Calling a meeting
Reminding readers about a meeting, policy or procedure
Circulating minutes of a meeting
Providing documentation unnecessary for business
Providing suggestions and recommendations
Summarizing long reports
Congratulating a co-worker
Resigning your position
Memo Styles
Style and Tone depend on the audience.
Casual and conversational style (Friends, partners, etc)
Respectful, official (managers, supervisors, etc)
Official and straight-forwoard (to employees, staff)
Memo Structure
Introduction
Tell clearly the problem, procedure, question,
policy
Link the sentence with the subject
Explain briefly any background information
that reader needs to Know
Be specify about what you are going to
accomplish in your memo
Discussions
State why a problem, procedure is important
Indicate why changes are necessary\Give
precise dates, locations and costs
Conclusions
Ask readers to call you if they have questions
Request a reply
Provide a list of recommendations
Organizational
Markers
•Headings
•Numbered or
bulleted lists
•Underlining or
boldfacing
Faxes
Mail is the most desirable way. Fax machines still used
worldwide.
In many cases faxes are useful tool for communication.
Now faxes can be used as formal papers
Guidelines
Make sure your e-mail is confidential and ethical
E-mail
A revolution to the business (not only) communication.
Easy and immediate.
Business e-mail is different to personal e-mail.
Guides for e-mails
Make sure your e-mail is confidential and ethical
Observe all the legal requirements using e-mail
Follow all rules of Net etiquette when answering e-mail
Identify your audience correctly
Be courteous to your reader
Use an acceptable format
Make your mail easy to process
Follow a professional style