| | No decision is difficult to make if you will get all of the facts. General Patton |
Communication is important in project management because it is fundamental to leadership and management in general, not just in projects. Management's only output is decisions. Decisions can be made well only if they are based on facts, including facts about the opinions of others. Hence communication is fundamental to management, and hence Patton's quote, above. There are special problems arising from the nature of projects in how to communicate, but the reason why communication is important is not specific to projects. However, in terms of your project, communication management is vital for the following reasons: -
Often the demand for reports about the project is large and eats up much of the project manager's time, so anything that can be done to manage this demand helps the project manager. -
People will not understand the project and support it if they do not know about the project, what it is, and what's in it for them. -
As project manager your credibility and power depend upon others understanding that you are competent, for which they need some basis. -
Good communication helps build the project team and its morale, and thus helps to get things done. -
Assumptions in the project plan will change with time, and keeping abreast of changes and adapting the plan and managing the project to cope with changes depends on receiving those changes. -
Your project competes for time and attention with other projects and claims on people's time and attention, so communication keeps your project in people's minds. -
How something is communicated ('bedside manner') is as important as what is communicated get the 'how' wrong and good news about your project can have the same effect as bad, or, conversely, get the 'how' right and the effects of bad news can be minimized. -
Communication is time consuming and expensive, so make sure the costs are directed as efficiently as possible. |  | The ability to communicate effectively is at least as important as technical skill. Communication involves both transmitting a clear message, and listening effectively. | |
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