CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
Personnel Training, Management Skills
Communications & Communication Metrics
Talking & Listening is Fast and Easy
Leadership is Talking
Listening & Dialog Inadequate
Communication Main Factor Management Productivity Success 90% of Time
Feedback Essential for Effective Communication
The Human Side of Project Management Developing Project Managers for
Feedback People Get Mad When Morris Submits Records to Refresh Recol

2211 -
2211 -    ..
2212 - Summary/Objective
2213 -
221301 - Follow up
221302 -
221303 - An article in the 1st Quarter PMJ offers procedures and ideas for
221304 - training project managers to work with people using teamwork and
221305 - leadership through "communications." ref OF 2 0001
221307 -  ..
221308 - The introduction indicates quality employees are more difficult to
221309 - hire at this time, and so it is critical for managers to learn human
221310 - resource management techniques. ref OF 2 804N
221311 -
221313 -  ..
221314 - PM's Lack People Skills
221315 - The Human Side of Project Management
221316 - Developing Project Managers for the 1990s
221317 -
221318 - Authors contend that Project Managers are well qualified in a
221319 - technical field, but are often the least trained in the organization
221320 - to deal with interpersonal, non-technical demands of their clients or
221321 - of their subordinates. ref OF 2 8P7S
221323 -      ..
221324 -     At least in construction, most top people come from the ranks of
221325 -     project managers, and so have similar skills.  It is difficult to
221326 -     imagine that an accountant, auto mechanic or personnel manager
221327 -     knows more about dealing with people in an executive capacity,
221328 -     than a project manager whose whole life is dealing with people.
221329 -
221331 -  ..
221332 - "Communications" Critical Skill
221333 - -------------------------------
221334 - The author maintain at ref OF 2 0856, that client's expect PM's to:
221335 -
221336 -  •  Be aware of and responsive to their needs.
221337 -
221338 -  •  Be good listeners and good communicators (both spoken and
221339 -     written).
221341 -      ..
221342 -  •  Be skilled at resolving conflicts...
221344 -      ..
221345 -  •  Demonstrate leadership in pulling together and motivating diverse
221346 -     groups.
221347 -
221349 -  ..
221350 - Good Listening
221351 -
221352 - The concept of communications as being a "good listener" is applied in
221353 - the SDS & POIMS spec at ref OF 4 line 357, and was first addressed as
221354 - part of the POIMS concept at the Cal Tech PM seminar, ref SDS 1 line
221355 - 207, and is further considered in reviewing Stephen Covey's work at
221356 - ref SDS 2 line 413.
221358 -  ..
221359 - This idea is further advanced by the authors at ref OF 2 line 71:
221360 -
221362 -      ..
221363 -     Feedback Essential for Effective Communication
221364 -     Listening Requires Feedback Metrics for Accurate Communication
221365 -
221366 -     Managers must provide feedback facilitate the participation of
221367 -     workers, provide information to both management and employees as
221368 -     well as the client, and make their own subordinates and team
221369 -     members feel listened to and integrated into the team effort.
221370 -     ref OF 1 7333
221372 -         ..
221373 -        Feedback for accurate communications aligns with the book on
221374 -        Project Management received from the Cal Tech seminar, and
221375 -        reviewed on 940111, ref SDS 5 4400, explaining that meaning
221376 -        from communication in meetings, calls, and documents varies
221377 -        widely, causing loss, conflicts, crisis, calamity without an
221378 -        effective system of feedback. ref SDS 5 2074
221380 -         ..
221381 -        What is the line between concern for "feelings" of team
221382 -        members, and the role of social worker and psychologist, rather
221383 -        than the leader of competent professionals.
221385 -         ..
221386 -        See analysis of executive training by Dialogos at
221387 -        ref SDS 12 5549
221389 -      ..
221390 -     [On 960226 executives avoid reading and writing, and like to get
221391 -     information by conversation. ref SDS 11 2004]
221392 -
221394 -  ..
221395 - Communication plays a primary role in management, ref OF 2 line 98,
221396 - aimed at gaining cooperation, ref OF 2 line 98
221397 -
221398 -        [See HBR article at ref SDS 7 0034.]
221400 -  ..
221401 - The author's research indicates the most salient link to overall job
221402 - satisfaction and low turnover is communication in the firm,
221403 - ref OF 2 line 119.
221404 -
221405 -        [See "Communication Metrics" at ref SDS 8 7777.]
221406 -
221407 -        [Communications 90% of management time, ref SDS 13 6677.]
221409 -         ..
221410 -        [Study of Risk Management shows "communication" is major source
221411 -        of project success or failure on high risk work, ref SDS 10
221412 -        4433.]
221414 -         ..
221415 -        [Article on Project Office says communication most important
221416 -        overall function, ref SDS 14 8888.]
221418 -         ..
221419 -        [Book says communication primary process of management and main
221420 -        problem, ref SDS 15 6666.]
221421 -
221423 -      ..
221424 -     Communication Skills
221425 -
221426 -     Interview and survey data reported at ref OF 2 line 122, indicate
221427 -     following areas of communication skills necessary to successful
221428 -     project management:
221429 -
221430 -     (1) client contact (interpersonal communication, listening,
221431 -         self-presentation);
221433 -          ..
221434 -      2) presentation and public speaking;
221436 -          ..
221437 -      3) conflict management;
221439 -          ..
221440 -      4) negotiation; and
221442 -          ..
221443 -      5) writing.
221444 -
221445 -         [This was later supported by study on Risk Management, ref SDS
221446 -         10 line 114.]
221447 -
221449 -  ..
221450 - Feedback Critical Component of Listening
221451 -
221452 - The author's contend at ref OF 2 line 135, project managers must be
221453 - able to deal with the interpersonal demands of client and firm
221454 - relationships in terms of effective listening, providing appropriate,
221455 - accurate and timely feedback and presenting themselves in a manner
221456 - which makes the client comfortable with the individual, the firm and
221457 - the job. In the 1990s, it will be increasingly critical, as jobs
221458 - become more and more competitive, that project managers present
221459 - themselves well to clients and coworkers. These skills, combined with
221460 - superior technical competence, will be the formula for successful
221461 - project management.
221463 -      ..
221464 -     The idea of effective listening being established by "accurate and
221465 -     timely feedback...", supports the SDS concept of communication
221466 -     metric, ref OF 4 line 357 which was added at ref SDS 6 line 75.
221468 -      ..
221469 -     Continual Learning is an aspect of this process, ref SDS 3 line
221470 -     155, from ISO 10006 review, ref SDS 9 line 497.
221472 -      ..
221473 -     The idea of project managers "presenting themselves well to
221474 -     clients and co-workers" reflects the "leadership" skills defined
221475 -     for "Communication Metrics" but seems to overlook "Understanding
221476 -     and Follow Up" components developed later at ref SDS 8 line 114.
221477 -
221479 -  ..
221480 - Project Manager as sales and marketing representative, is explained at
221481 - ref OF 2 line 145.  The author's make excellent common sense points on
221482 - being sensitive to political realities; however, I have difficulty
221483 - believing there is anything new on this topic since the time of the
221484 - Pharohs.  Dale Carnegie has said all of this before.
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2215 -