PM FPX 4010 Assessment 4 Communication and Change Management

Student Name

Capella University

PM-FPX4010 Process Groups and Knowledge Areas in Project Management

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Date

Introduction

Effective communication is essential for the success of any project, making it crucial to have a communication plan in place. According to the Project Management Institute, a communication plan can “organize and document the process, types, and expectations of communications” (Rajkumar, 2010). By ensuring that a communication plan is established, all stakeholders and moving parts of a project can stay aligned. This approach helps to mitigate changes, which are inevitable during any project.

Stakeholders

For this specific project, which involves planning a wedding, both internal and external stakeholders are involved. The internal stakeholders consist of the project manager and the management team. External stakeholders include the client and third-party vendors who are integral to the success of the wedding. While not all stakeholders will be communicated with in the same way, each will receive relevant communications.

Communication Mediums

A crucial part of the communication plan is determining the communication mediums among the project stakeholders. According to the Project Management Institute, “ineffective communication is responsible for more than half of projects failing to meet business goals” (Institute, 2022). To prevent such failures, appropriate communication mediums were chosen to ensure that all stakeholders receive the necessary information.

For internal stakeholders, in-person meetings are the most commonly used communication medium. This method was selected to ensure that the management team stays engaged and attentive. It also allows for quick resolution of any questions or concerns. Additionally, these in-person meetings include a PDF file summarizing the details discussed, which stakeholders can reference if needed.

External stakeholders primarily receive communication through electronic means, specifically via email. This method allows different file types, including PDFs, to be shared. If further clarification is needed, external stakeholders can follow up with a phone call to discuss specific details or methods.In some instances, the medium for certain external stakeholders shifts from electronic to in-person meetings. This generally occurs during significant points in the planning process, such as critical decisions or during the final stages of the wedding plan. However, with modern technology, most external communications remain digital.

Flow of Communications

The smooth flow of information is vital for the efficiency of a project. Tactical Project Manager recommends holding “weekly status meetings with your core team to share updates” (Neumeyer, 2022). This recommendation is reflected in the communication plan, which includes weekly team meetings to review assignments, tasks, changes, and concerns. This model ensures that each team member stays informed and that important information is shared effectively among all points of the team.

As the wedding planning project progresses, various phases will occur. Each phase requires the stakeholders to align and reach a consensus. The communication plan schedules meetings and briefings at the beginning of each project phase. These meetings ensure that critical details are confirmed and that the roadmap for the next phase is clear. This allows team members to adjust their workflow as necessary.

All project communications are generally routed through the project manager. Centralizing communication in this way helps reduce confusion among stakeholders, as they know whom to expect information from and where to direct their inquiries. This controlled flow of information ensures clarity for all involved.

Change

When managing a project, it is essential to anticipate change. Adopting Murphy’s Law, which states that “anything that can go wrong will go wrong” (Webster, 2022), helps the team prepare for potential changes. This mindset is particularly useful in wedding planning, as it equips the team to quickly adapt to and mitigate any changes that arise. The team’s ability to respond to change in a timely manner is critical to the project’s success.

Scope Update

Given that change is inevitable, a hypothetical situation can be considered. For example, the wedding’s timeline may need to be adjusted. The timing of this change will determine its impact on the project. If the change occurs early in the project, such as during the initiation phase, the impact will be minimal. However, changes occurring later in the project will have more significant consequences.

In this scenario, the client has requested to move the wedding date from December 9th to November 19th. This change shortens the original timeline by 20%, reducing the project’s duration from 100 days to 80 days. To accommodate this, the client has agreed to a 20% increase in the project’s budget.

Change Impact

The 20% reduction in the timeline will affect several aspects of the wedding project, particularly schedule-sensitive components. These components may incur increased costs and risk losing deposits with vendors. If the vendors have been booked for the original date, they may charge rescheduling fees or even be unavailable on the new date. In such cases, deposits may be forfeited, and the project team will need to find new vendors to meet the wedding’s needs.

The management team is also affected by the timeline change, as they must revise their coordination to meet the new wedding date. This will result in increased labor costs and may lower team morale. Additionally, the team will need to work at peak efficiency to meet the new deadlines.

Conclusion

An effective communication plan enhances the efficiency of a management team and ensures the overall health of a project. By connecting all aspects of the project, a communication plan leaves no variables unresolved. When change arises, the effectiveness of the communication plan determines whether the impact will be manageable or overwhelming.

References

Rajkumar, S. (2010). Art of communication in project management. Paper presented at PMI® Research Conference: Defining the Future of Project Management, Washington, DC. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Institute, P. M. (2022). Communication – Project Management Institute. Communication. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/whitepapers/communications.pdf

PM FPX 4010 Assessment 4 Communication and Change Management

Neumeyer, A. (2022). How to create a project communication plan (with template). Tactical Project Manager. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.tacticalprojectmanager.com/communication/communication-plan/

Webster, M. (2022). Murphy’s Law Definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/Murphy%27s%20Law