What Communication Areas Should Project Managers Focus On? 

My communication capstone project explored communication within project management. Two central questions were asked to guide my research: 

• What are the core concepts of communication a project manager should understand?

• How can a project manager utilize these key concepts to effectively guide their team and project? 

By using these guiding questions, my project developed 3 key focus areas, formality of communication, modes of communication, and communication coordination. 

• Formality - The level of rigor, structure, and language used when presenting or communicating information

  • The primary use case in my project revolves around the formality of information about a project. It concerns the mutual understanding of what the project vision is, and what needs to be applied to reach this end destination.

• Mode - A specific channel or method through which information is shared

  • This portion of the project focuses on platforms used for communication. The ways in which they shape the project, and guide it forward. 

• Coordination  -  The day-to-day management and execution of a project

  • The role of the project manager is that of a coordinator, so they must ensure all portions, including communication, are executed in the most ideal methods possible

  • The project manager should create a communication plan, which outlines things like formality of information, and communication modes for a project

Once these areas were defined, a case study was conducted on an engineering design team. The case study explored their current issues with internal communication, and provided recommendations on how it could be improved. Finally, general recommendations for project managers were provided.

Embedded below is my presentation overview and my paper. If you are interested in advancing your project communication skills, they are a worth-while read.