Question 1: What is Laswell's Maxim? List three "tools" reviewed in this course and state how they can be applied to the management of project communications in relation to Laswell's Maxim? Ensure your response speaks to how the tools will help you manage project communications in relation to Laswell's Maxim.
Question 2: What are the "7 Cs" of effective communications that were discussed in this course? List three "tools" reviewed in this course that can be used to ensure your project has "effective communications". Explain why you have chosen the three tools. Ensure your response speaks to how the tools help you manage project communications in relation to the 7 Cs.
Question 3: You have been hired to take over a "troubled", but important project in your organization. The project has been active for almost a year and is currently over budget and behind schedule. The project has 4 full time resources assigned to it (each resource has a different communication style). You have requested two additional resources be assigned to the project in order to help get it back on track. Your request was approved. You have many challenges that need to be resolved and a lot of work lies ahead, but you are confident you can get the project back on track. You are able to pick two resources from any of the "communication styles" discussed in this class. You can pick two that have the same styles or two that have different styles (all people share the same skill set). • What communication styles will you choose (based on the four discussed in class)? • Why do you feel these styles are a good fit for this project?
Question 4: You have been hired to manage a very important and complex project for your organization. The project has a tight deadline and will be required to solve many complex problems in order for it to be successful. You have been informed your team will consist of 8 full time team members. You have also been informed that four of your team members are "expressive" and four are "amiable" (as discussed in class). • Why might this be a challenge for you on this project? • If you were able to change 4 team members, what communication styles would you choose and why?
Question 5: You have been hired by a large organization to manage the design and build of a new addition to their office building. You are not familiar with the organization. Having taken Algonquin College's Project Communications class, you know that managing communications is critical to project success (in fact, you know that 90% of your time will be spent communicating). List three aspects of the organization you will try to learn about and state why it is important to know about them in order to be able to manage communications in your project.
Question 6: In class we discussed three environments that can impact communications in a project. List two of the three environments and list a "tool" discussed in class that can be used to help manage communications in each environment. Explain why you would use each tool (you need to list a total of two tools, one for each environment).
Question 7: You have been hired to manage a software development project. The project team will consist of 5 team members. Each team member will be located in their home country and the project will be managed virtually. One member is from Canada (French is her first language), one member is from India, one member is from South Korea, one member is from Silicon Valley (in the US), and one member is from London, England. All members speak English, but it is not the first language for many. As you begin to put your communications management plan together you realize there are many communication barriers that may prevent you from effectively managing communications on this project. • List the four communication barriers discussed in class • List three possible contributors to each barrier (i.e., something that may exist or not exist, or something that may happen or not happen). • List one thing you will do being the project manager in order to help remove each of the barriers (one action per barrier for a total of four actions)
Question 8: You have been asked to help a new project manager in your organization. He is struggling trying to put together a project communications management plan. Since your organization does not have a template available and the Organizational Process Assets are not developed, you provide him with a recommendation about what should be included in the plan (it is a standalone plan and is not part of a larger project management plan). • What components do you recommend he include in the plan? • Why do you recommend the various components be included (one reason for each component?)
Question 9: You are a well-respected project manager in your organization. Your colleague is having a challenge finding a solution to a problem on her project. Her team is currently stuck and cannot come up with any good solutions. She has asked you to facilitate a brainstorming session with her team in an attempt to come up with some new ideas that may be useful. • What is your role as a facilitator? • In order to be a good facilitator, what are four things you should do (or not do)? • What are four rules you will apply in order to facilitate a good brainstorming session? • Why might brainstorming be a good exercise for this project?
Question 10: You have been managing a very important, but controversial project for your organization. You have been asked by the VP of Finance to provide a presentation to the finance department about your project. The department has 175 employees and you will be presenting at their next "all team" meeting (all members will be present). Being a professional project manager, you know this is a great opportunity to showcase your project and properly inform the audience. It is a great communication opportunity for your project, and you! • List three things you are going to do to help ensure your project does not fail • Explain what you are going to do to prepare for your presentation • Explain what you are going to do to ensure your audience leaves with the information you need them to know about your project