PMP PREPARATION : COMMUNICATION

I cleared my PMP on 26th may 2014. I have gone through all the three books PMBOK, RITA MULCAHY'S and HEAD FIRST. During preparation I made few notes. so the material has been picked up from all the three books and these are just the key points. 
 NOTE : IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ONE SHOULD READ THESE POINTS IN DETAIL FROM THE BOOKS (which ever interests you more) AND ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED A THOROUGH READING, YOU CAN GO THROUGH THESE POINTS FOR CONSOLIDATION.

COMMUNICATION : EASIEST KA OF ALL

PM HAVE TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY ABOUT ISSUES, STATUS, REPORTING WHICH HE CAN DO BY FOLLOWING THE COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT PLAN

• COMMUNICATION TYPES : 

1. Forman Written : When communicating complex problems. All project documents. Communicating over long distances. Contracts, signed copies, blueprints, specifications, project management plans, requirements.
2. Formal Verbal : Presentations (to update), Speeches, prepared talks.
3. Informal Written : Emails, Handwritten notes, text messages, instant messaging (IM)
4. Informal Verbal : Meetings are always informal verbal, even if some very  important point is conveyed in the meeting, conversations, chit chat near coffee machine, hallway chat, planning session, chat.

• COMMUNICATION METHODS : 

1. Interactive : Meeting, phone call, IM, video conferencing, conference call, chat. Simple you just interact directly. 
2. Push : Letters, memos, reports, email, faxes, voice mail, blog, press release. You send the info to the concerned. Not necessary he will read it.
3. Pull : Intranet sites, e-learning, lesson learned database, knowledge repositories. All the information is kept at one place. One can retrieve as per requirement.

• COMMUNICATION BLOCKERS  : Language, culture, hostility, noisy surroundings, distance, making negative statements
• NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION : Gestures, facial expressions, physical appearance
• PARALINGUAL COMMUNICATION : Tone and pitch of your voice (will be clearly mentioned tone or pitch)
• NOISE : Unfamiliar technology, Inadequate infrastructure, lack of background information, distance.
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENT : does not mean agreement with or comprehension of the message. it only means the message have been received.
• EFFECTIVE LISTENING : It means paying attention to both, verbal and non verbal communication
• COMMUNICATION MODEL : 

ENCODE - TRANSMIT - DECODE - ACK/ FEEDBACK - RESPONSE

NOTES : 

1. Giving and requesting feedback is the best option.
2. communications are often enhanced when the sender shows concern for the perspective of the receiver.
3. Performance reports are part of OPA
4. Whenever you hear back from a team member about how the job is going, that is Work Performance Information.

Please feel free to ask questions or a detailed explanation of any topic. Let me know if you want me to add any topic and if anything you find wrong. Please leave a comment if you find it useful.