How to Create a Project Management Communication Plan?

What is the Communication plan for Project Management?

A project management communication plan is a thorough strategy for guiding how important information will be transmitted to the various stakeholders. Throughout the project, it is essential to know how important groups of stakeholders will know about the project and its progress.

The communication plan consists of complete instructions for how to communicate with different groups of stakeholders, when to communicate, which mediums to utilize for communication, and the rate of repetition.

During the projects, cognitive biases such as conflict of interest, unclear expectations, and lack of contextual understanding act as hurdles to the project’s development. Here communication plans act as a kind of facilitator for better understanding and minimizing conflicts.

Types of Communication Plan

Broadly there are two types of communication plans you can choose from. There can be extreme diversity in communication plans according to the types of projects and objectives, but generally, all the communication plans are divided into two categories.

Here are the two types of Communication plans: –

1. Synchronous Type Of Communication

Synchronous communication can be used when all the participants of the communication cycle are available at the same time. Live communication is the best example of this type of communication.

With modern communication technologies on hand, it is possible to assemble project teams from around the globe. Bringing people together is easier now. Although it is important to make a note of how all participants can take a part without any hassle.

2. Asynchronous Type Of Communications

When it is tough to bring all the participants together at the same time, asynchronous communication can be used. Asynchronous communication can be worked out in different types of groups with distinctive time zones.

Also, any type of communication doesn’t require parties to present at the same time. Several channels such as Mail and Package Delivery, Email, Project Blogs, and many others.

The choice of the type of dismissing the messages depends on the requirements of project management. Also, marking the convenience of stakeholders in attending to the messages is important as the receivers are a salient part of the communication cycle.

Advantages of Communication Plan for Project Management

Communication plan for project management plans helps in planning an efficient communication. The plan can encourage smoother functioning and minimize chances of project failure. Before getting further information about planning communication for project management, let’s have a look at what are the benefits of creating that communication plan.

1. Handling Expectations

The client and stakeholders should know what to expect and the team should also be clear about expectations. This clarity is important to the project’s smooth processing and better results that satisfy the participants.

Clarification of expectations helps the team to realize its responsibilities and serve accordingly. Also, the client and stakeholders should know what to expect. Communication controls the level of communication.

2. Managing Clients And Stakeholders

Successful communication aligns the goals and destinations. It helps in keeping a good bond and level of clearance with the clients and stakeholders. The communication plan guides what, when and how to conduct the transmission of messages.

The team needs to have good terms with various stakeholders to leverage; the success of the project and attain the desired position.

3. Complete Transparency And Mapping

A communication plan helps in having complete transparency about the objective, requirements, possible outcomes and progress of the project in the most efficient way. By enabling transparency, a communication plan also grows a sense of trust among the parties.

Mapping the milestones and setting a timeline to achieve them facilitates measurable efforts and investment to boost up chances of achievability.

4. The Easier Flow Of Messages

A communication plan assists in creating a channel where messages are transmitted easily, and efficiently. Determining the mediums to use, how to use them, and when to use them streamlines the project communication.

5. Predicting Risks

A communication plan also helps in mitigating the risks of a project. This involves a risk management strategy that helps one in realizing the complete potential of the project and involved tasks.

Why is Project Management Communication Plan important?

It is simple, a communication plan matters because effective and efficient communication is salient for a project’s desired achievement. The communication plan has thoroughly defined tasks, expectations, deadlines, stakeholders, and mediums of communication.

A communication plan encourages sharing feedback for increasing productivity and avoiding chances of mistakes. The management and planning create clarity in taking ownership of the workers’ roles. Adding to it, a written document becomes a center of reference for every team member.

By providing the opportunity of fetching feedback, the communication plan brings the stakeholders into visibility and increases their status. Also, knowing the responses and feedback helps the team in detecting possible issues at an early stage and minimize the amount of wasted work.

Poor communication leads to unknown expectations, no-risk management, absence of stakeholders, and foggy interaction. These all factors contribute to project failure and loss of the investment made. Therefore, it is good to have a communication plan that helps in the project’s success.

Also Read: Hire The Dedicated Software Development Team

How to develop a Communication Plan for Project Management?

After knowing the benefits of a communication plan, you might be wondering how to go ahead with it and attain those advantages. A communication plan is complicated and requires expertise to be drafted. Although for guiding the process you will have to know it well enough.

Here are the general steps of creating a communication plan for project management.

1. Select A Platform

Choosing a format and platform to work with makes it easier to interact with the stakeholders. Several software and websites can be used for writing the communication plan’s template and format.

2. Research About The Project And Stakeholders

It is important to research thoroughly about the project you are planning communication for and also the stakeholders who will be the audience. The analyzed data will assist you in drafting the communication plan.

The information is useful in determining the strategy of the communication plan for project management.

3. Determine The Communication Objective

Any communication starts with primarily determining the objective of the communication. The objective helps in setting up a clear goal and making a path towards it.

Remember to have realistic objectives by keeping in mind messages and mediums. The fundamental goal of a communication plan for project management is to keep the stakeholders updated with the project status.

4. Clarify The Methods And Medium

After determining the goal of communication, here comes a need to define the mediums and methods you are going to use for achieving the objective. The purpose of any communication is to get the right attention from the target audience.

Therefore, determining the mediums is an essential part of achieving the objective. Researching and defanging the objective will assist in determining the methods and mediums of the communication plan.

5. Frequency And Timeline

Communication requires a perfect setting of time and duration of intervals and messages. After determining the mediums and methods, now the stage is to list when and how often messages are to be sent to the stakeholders.

Timeline ins were crucial in the project management communication plan to make sure the schedule of communication frequency and manage the tasks accordingly.

6. Implementing The Communication

After everything pre-implementation is done, now the communication can be implemented. Make sure to keep in mind the research, objective, methods and frequency determined. Following all the steps will lead to a desired response from the audience.

After the communication is implemented, don’t forget to take the feedback and record it further for another round of communication.

Things to keep in Mind while using Communication Plan for Project Management

1. Distribute It To The All The Participants

Once the communication plan is ready, distribute the document to every member of the project. Include every team member and stakeholder in the list of participants. Here is where a communication plan plays a beneficial role.

Regular communication drives the momentum of the project by keeping the stakeholders and team members continuously updated.

2. Prioritize The Messages

Communicating about the project’s progress is important but what’s more important is to know which message is crucial for communicating. It is not a good choice to communicate about each and everything.

The stakeholders might get burnout and then ignore the salient messages when every message is communicated. Keep in mind to let go of mundane information and communicate only crucial and influencing messages.

3. Completely Updated Plan

Customizations and changes are inevitable for any kind of business and project. No matter how good the planning is, one should be ready for updates, and modifications according to the changing requirement.

If any change arrives then refer back to the project overview and revise the communication plan according to the changes needed.

4. Don’t Forget About Sensitive And Salient Information

Some information as discussed above is mundane so irrelevant to be transmitted to stakeholders. Adding to it some parts of projects are to be kept in limitations of the office and team. So, it is advisable to plan the communication and know what not to disclose.

Elements to keep in Mind while Drafting the Communication Plan Template

After knowing everything about creating a communication plan, it is also important to understand what the communication plan’s template should include. Here are 8 elements to not forget while creating a communication plan template.

1. The Audience Of The Communication

Identifying your stakeholders is an integral part of drafting a communication plan template. The list will help in knowing what to include in the template, the information should be relevant to the audience.

2. Expectations Of The Stakeholders

As we have observed, the expectation of the stakeholders and handling it is a crucial part of the project management. It gives you a reason for communication and therefore, helps in drafting a perfect communication plan template.

3. Clarifying The Type Of Project

Make the type of project clear to design and draft a relevant and perfect project management communication plan template. The size of the project will also be important in determining the frequency of the communication.

Why Auxano Global Services for Project Management Communication Plan?

Auxano Global Services is the top agency for project management and communication. We have extensive experience in managing distinctive projects and also drafting communication plans for them. Thanks to our experts and working style, our clients are happy with the results we provide.

Professionals at AGS for communication are well-educated in the field and have experience in handling communication for various objectives and projects. The experts are of different specialization and niches, so you can leverage a chance of getting a specialized professional.

Experts at Auxano Global Services are selected based on the thin filtration process, where the filters are education, experience, excitement for new trends, and ability to work with modifications. The professionals here are adept at understanding the client’s requirements and serving accordingly.

Takeaway Note

Project Management is an increasing requirement with increasing projects in the contemporary industrial world. To manage various projects, one requires the expertise of the files and skillset to manage the projects.

Adding to it, in managing the projects, it is crucial to develop a communication plan. The communication plan facilitates the success of the project management plan.

Auxano Global Services is one of the best Software development agency with professionals having expertise in both project management and communication. Here you get a consultant for understanding your requirements and experts in communication to realize them. Blending years of experience with knowledge of new trends, we serve a communication plan that is relevant to today’s world and also shows years of expertise.

If you want to develop a cutting-edge Project Management Communication Plan, then contact us now.