Communications management is the systematic planning, implementing, monitoring, and revision of all the channels of communication within an organization and between organizations. It also includes the organization and dissemination of new communication directives connected with an organization, network, or communications technology. Aspects of communications management include developing corporate communication strategies, designing internal and external communications directives, and managing the flow of information, including online communication. It is a process that helps an organization to be systematic as one within the bounds of communication.
Communication and management are closely linked together. Since communication is the process of information exchange of two or people and management includes managers that gives out information to their people. Moreover, communication and management go hand in hand. It is the way to extend control; the fundamental component of project management. Without the advantage of a good communications management system, the cycles associated with the development of a task from start to finish can be genuinely compelled. It also gives the fundamental project integrity needed to give an information help among all individuals from the team. This information must stream descending, upward, and horizontally inside the association. Moreover, it is both master and servant of project control. It is the action component, the integrator of the process toward assembling the project. As project management is both a craftsmanship and a science, the project manager leads the multidiscipline of the plan and construct team.Oliver, C. E. (1983). Communications management. Project Management Quarterly, 14(1), 28–30.
The role of communication in management The management's part is to achieve the objectives of the organization itself. To be able to do this, managers should make an action plan that simply defines what, when, and how it would be done & finished. In order to execute the plan, managers must pass on the information to everybody in the organization. Good communication advises as well as assists with making a culture that causes individuals to feel like they have a place with and need to help the organization.
Organizations are totally reliant on communication, which is defined as the exchange of ideas, messages, or information by speech, signals, or writing. Without communication, organizations would not function. If communication is diminished or hampered, the entire organization suffers. When communication is thorough, accurate, and timely, the organization tends to be vibrant and effective.
Communication is central to the entire management process for four primary reasons: Communication is a linking process of management. Communication is the primary means by which people obtain and exchange information. The most time‐consuming activity a manager engages in is communication. Information and communication represent power in organizations.
The ability to communicate well, both orally and in writing, is a critical managerial skill and a foundation of effective leadership. Through communication, people exchange and share information with one another and influence one another's attitudes, behaviors, and understandings.
Importance of communications management Communications management focuses on the coordination and distribution of information within a project. Communication management plans typically outline communication processes, information flows, and the responsibilities of project participants.
To ensure solid communication management throughout a project, a communication management plan should be created. The benefits of a communication management plan are five-fold:
A written framework that both client/stakeholders/team members can reference. This can help in case there is any need for mediation—you have a written paper trail you can refer back to. It can also be beneficial for accounts payable to reference in case there are gaps in time tracked for the project. The plan itself will manage expectations from stakeholders to not anticipate a finished project before the deliverables have been tested for quality assurance. The points at which communication is shared allow both stakeholders to provide valuable feedback to the project process as well as the final product, and give team members a chance to brainstorm ideas together, bridging the divide between the two groups. It allows all involved to better discover risks and issues early on. It helps to eliminate the need to hold unnecessary meetings on the books, saving both time and money.Weber, J.L., Communication Management Techniques Every PM Should Know, January 6, 2020, web, https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/communication-management-techniques Communication helps manage organizational conflict. Putnam (2013) Definition of Organizational Conflict – Putnam & Poole (1987) defines conflict as “the interaction of interdependent people who perceive opposition of goals, aims, values, and who see the other party as potentially interfering with the realization of these goals” (p. 552). Communication eases the process of conflict resolution, and helps maintain the balanced relationships, and sets parameters on interactions between affected individuals and groups in the organization.
Putnam (2013) explains that “a few scholars would deny that communication is an essential feature of conflict.” She cited Thomas and Pondy (1977) noted this in their extensive review of conflict in organizations, and that “It is communication with which we are most concerned in understanding conflict management." Communication helps form issues, frame perceptions, translate feelings into conflict, and enact the conflict itself (Putnam & Poole, 1987). Putnam (2013) further stressed that “communication is the means by which conflict gets socially defined” (Simons, 1974b. p. 3)
Source:
Putnam, L. (2013). Definitions and approaches to conflict and communication. In J. G. Oetzel & S. Ting -Toomey The SAGE handbook of conflict communication (pp. 1–40). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc. doi: 104135/9781452281988.n1
Communication management and project management In project management, communication management must address the following questions: What information needs to flow in and out of the project? Who needs what information? When is the information needed? What is the format of the information? Who will be responsible for transmitting and providing the information?
Moreover, this only serves as guidelines and must take into account other factors like cost and access to information.“Communications Management”, Tutorialspoint, 2020, web, https://www.tutorial//spoint.com/management_concepts/communications_management.htm
As defined by the Project Management Institute (1996),Project Management Institute (1996). Project Communications Management. United States of America. project communications management includes processes required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, dissemination, storage, and ultimate disposition of project information. The following communication processes are involved in Project Communications Management, to wit:
Communication planning – In this phase, the problems, needs and future plans are being identified to ensure attainment of goals and objectives. Information distribution – This involves dissemination of information needed by the stakeholders and other members of the organization. Performance reporting – This includes status reporting, progress measurement, and forecasting for the future of the organization. Administrative closure – This involves generating, gathering, and disseminating information to formalize phase or project completion.
Management and communication in organizations Management and communication are closely tied together. As defined, communication is the process by which information is shared between two or more people (which includes machines, e.g. computers). Management literature (Lumenways.com) discusses that each management roles – planning, organizing, leading, and controlling – depends on effective communication. Hence, managers must be able to obtain and share accurate and relevant information to be acted upon. When accurate information is sent, received, and shared, employees can be informed, making them more empowered to perform well. However, when information is mangled and misinterpreted, probably, mistaken information will be spread that will cause communication error. Significant problem in the organization would likely occur.
Hence, it is imperative for a manager to effectively understand and apply the basics of the communication process in his/her management and leadership. Further, Lunenburg (2010) recognizes ‘noise’ that distorts a message. He states, ‘different perceptions of the message, language barriers, interruptions, emotions, and attitude are examples of noise’ that hinders one to obtain a clear message to and from the members of the organization. Stereotypes, prejudice (personal bias), feelings (emotions), and language also can serve as ‘noise’ in the communication process. It is also essential that managers must recognize common impediments to effective communication in their respective organizations. In a world filled with multicultural individuals, members of an organization may have different and unfamiliar norms and mores. Managers therefore should be mindful not to discriminate his/her employees based on what is commonly practiced, acknowledge other's feelings (empathy), and communicate simply so everyone gets the message clearly. Effective managers must be adept with the practice of effective communication skills and ICT along with his/her management and leadership practice despite radical changes in the environment. This would lead to a more productive performance of the organization. With these, a manager would eventually stand out in the global world.
The communication process Some would say that the communication process may seem simple where an individual sends a message and someone would receive it. The communication process describes how a message is delivered and received. When looking at communication as a process, then, one must also look into its elements. Berlo's model of communication (1961) is one good example to discuss the process since the model elucidates the commonly used elements such as the source, receiver, message, channel, and feedback. As Ongkiko & Flor (2006) pointed out, a basic understanding of the communication process is important to achieve the highest social good in its application.
According to Berlo (1961) (cited in Ongkiko & Flor, 2006), source refers to a person or a group of persons “with a purpose, a reason for engaging in communication”. Here, the source serves as the initiator in the communication process. On the other hand, the receiver is the person or group of persons at the other end of the communication process.
The receiver according to Berlo (1961) is the target of communication, where he/she listens when the source communicates (verbally or nonverbally). The message is the transmitted idea, purpose, or intention that has been translated into a code or a systematic set of symbols from the source. Berlo (1961) identified three factors of a message which include: message code (e.g. language), message content (e.g. information presented, conclusions, etc.), and message treatment (e.g. angle of the story, news framing, etc.).
The channel is the medium through which the message is transmitted. These could be in the form of sound waves (message-vehicles), a manager's speaking mechanism that serves as a mode of encoding and decoding messages, or even the air that serves as vehicle-carrier (Berlo, 1961).