Most of the other media discussed up to this point have been the type that can be captured in documents, paper, and virtual forms. The remaining media are verbally oriented, but are frequently supported by paper tools (as project status meetings are supported by the project status report). This section focuses on the oral aspects of the media, rather than the documentation that supports it. For all of these, some form of postdiscussion documentation can be appropriate.

Ad Hoc Conversations

The most common verbal communications medium is the traditional conversation. It is often suggested that more project communication goes on at the coffee machine than is ever conducted in meetings. Ad hoc conversations facilitate the social and business interactions that make projects possible. They are often the foundation on which much of the project is built. Their purpose is to fill in the gaps of understanding left by other media and to affirm a common understanding of all aspects of the project environment.

Such conversations are used whenever and wherever two project stakeholders meet, and they are used to clarify project information as well as individual interpretations of that information. In many instances, the clarity derived from a casual conversation in the hall provides more depth than can be generated in the work breakdown structure. Because these conversations are not planned, however, they should not be relied on as a key supplement to other project planning or clarification tools.

Again, because these conversations are not planned, their content cannot inherently be preordained. For the project manager and project team, however, some limitations should be established on the content of such conversations. Whenever the conversations stray into commitments to a customer, reallocation of resources, modification of contractual arrangements, or anything requiring formal approval, the conversation should be redirected to a more formal setting (such as a meeting). Other limitations (such as limitations on the nature of conversations about other project stakeholders) may be ordained by the project team, but may be far more difficult to enforce. By directing project team members (as soon as they join the project team) on the propriety of certain ad hoc conversations, it becomes easier to affirm other processes that encourage extensive documentation and tracking of any project commitments. Although ad hoc conversations should be encouraged, they cannot become the final word on any long-term project commitment or approach.

These conversations can make or break a project, depending on their tone, team member attitudes toward the project, and the types of information that are exchanged. Although they cannot be directly controlled, they should be addressed by the project manager early in the project to establish the appropriate tone for such conversations, particularly when external stakeholders are involved.

Meetings

Many projects seem to revolve around the notion that meetings are the primary communications medium, and all vital communications will take place in meetings. Although that statement is not generally true, the perception is one that ties in with the notion that meetings may determine how the project and the project team are perceived within their own organization, the customer organization, and among other stakeholders.

Meetings are intended as data-gathering, data-sharing, and data-organization sessions. They are intended to generate not only shared understanding, but also a general sense of direction. Meetings are held any time there is a need to achieve consensus on information and its interpretation. They should be used when a unified vision on how to approach the project or a project issue is critical (in contrast to situations in which a single individual’s vision or approach will drive the issue). They may be used to generate understanding or when there is a need to mutually participate in development of deliverables.

The objectives of any meeting should be clearly defined. It is important to delineate the specific deliverables and artifacts that will be generated by the end of the meeting, in order to focus effort toward those artifacts.

The approaches to working in such a group setting are widely varied. Most will involve significant team coordination and facilitation skills. The facilitation should involve a reiteration of the meeting deliverable(s) and the identification of those individuals present in the meeting who can directly contribute. The key role of the facilitator is to ensure that the agenda are covered thoroughly and that all of the issues the meeting was to address are addressed.

The project manager may take on a variety of roles in this setting. The project manager may be called on to serve as facilitator, minute-taker, and participant. Regardless of the project manager’s effectiveness, no one can serve in all of those roles without diminishing at least one of them. That is why the project managers may want to hire professionals to serve in the roles that they do not see as part of their strengths. Professional facilitators or archivists can keep the meeting moving forward, allowing the project manager to focus on the project and the concerns it raises.

Also, if the meeting includes an extensive body of remote participants, certain types of activities may prove impossible without the use of virtual whiteboards or other Internet-supported interactive displays. If the meeting will include development of any extensive graphic artifacts, the participation modes to be used by remote participants should be considered before the meeting begins.

Meetings may last a matter of hours or days. The determination about duration should reflect the meeting deliverables’ size and complexity. If the meeting is to produce specific outputs for customer consumption, it may be worth several days of participants’ time. If it is to produce an understanding of who is to work on particular components of the project, 30 minutes may be sufficient.

In some organizations, meeting attendance is seen as a badge of honor. Thus, meeting invitations may become politically charged, because some representatives will want to be invited simply to affirm their political standing in the organization(s). Clear criteria should be established regarding who should attend specific meetings, which allows for an unambiguous rationale for the attendees list.
As a meeting progresses, documentation should be developed. Once the meeting ends, that documentation should be edited for clarity and disseminated to all participants for their records.

Presentations

Presentations are opportunities to share information with a broad audience. They are often used to sell a perspective or to engender greater levels of support. Presentations are designed to persuade. Presentations can be used to communicate intent or actions “up” the organization to higher echelons of management. They can be used to provide information to peer levels within the organization or to provide training and/or direction to team members, end users, or virtually any audience.
Presentations should have a specific focus or intent, and that intent should be clearly expressed to the audience at the beginning of the presentation. The audience should also be given a clear sense of the agenda for the presentation and the schedule. Those elements allow the audience members to track their progress through the presentation experience. Presentation content and tone should be respectful, acknowledging the participants and their commitment of time to the presentation. If data are presented using presentation software (e.g., PowerPoint or Freelance), the information should be kept to a reasonable level on each slide. If there is more information than can reasonably be presented through the presentation software, handouts should be used to augment the presentation. Presentation software is a generally accepted standard for presentations, but is by no means required. Some presentations can be conducted without such support. If presentation software is used, the presenter should be extremely careful not to simple read the slides verbatim. While the
slides may provide guidance and direction for the project presentation, they should augment the verbal presentation, rather than mirror it. Presentations are well received when they provide information clearly and memorably.

Press Briefings

Few environments are as grueling for a project manager as when he or she must face the media. Press briefings are held to inform members of the media about the status of a project, its environment, or its supporting organization. They are intended to present the project organization (or host organization) in the best possible light. Press briefings are held when a project or its impact is sufficiently significant that public information campaigns using mass media are appropriate. They should be held whenever the project has achieved sufficient recognition that the project organization’s perspective on the effort is deemed to be of public interest. That recognition may be positive or negative in nature, and may be proactive or reactive, depending on the nature of the project organization.

The subject matter for a press briefing should be determined well in advance of the briefing to ensure that the correct information is shared and any information that the organization does not want to share is clearly defined for those hosting the briefing. Members of the media are often given “press kits” at such gatherings, highlighting corporate history, general information, past press releases, and any contact persons’ business cards. The organizational spokesperson (sometimes, the project manager) should open with a statement regarding the nature of the project and the issue(s) that brought the project into the public eye. The statement should anticipate any questions, objections, or concerns that may be raised. If broadcast media are present, consideration should be given to phrases, paragraphs, or references that may be presented in 8- to 20-second sections (classic “sound bites”).

A press briefing need not necessarily include question-and-answer periods, but keep in mind that most members of the media will have questions. Although the spokesperson is not compelled to answer these questions, failure to respond is sometimes interpreted as a lack of cooperation or as a sign of deviousness. In situations where off-the-cuff responses may be dangerous, it is wholly appropriate to offer to do supplemental research and respond at a later time. The most effective spokespersons will identify the time when the additional information will be available and how it will be made available. If “no comment” is the appropriate response, alternative means to couch that phrase can be very effective and can leave media representatives with something quotable. Saying “This would not be the time to offer comment on something of that nature,” followed by an iteration of the key point of the briefing affords the presenter the opportunity to emphasize what is important.