Communicating Project Management
A Participatory Rhetoric for Development Teams
1st Edition
Published on 26. March 2018
Book
Hardback
180 pages
978-1-138-04638-2 (ISBN)
Description
Communicating Project Management argues that the communication practices of project managers have necessarily become participatory, made up of complex strategies and processes solidly grounded in rhetorical concepts. The book draws on case studies across organizational contexts and combines individual experiences to investigate how project management relies on communication as teams develop products, services, and internal processes. The case studies also provide examples of how project managers can be understood and studied as writers, further arguing project managers must approach communication as designed experience that must be intentionally inclusive. Author Benjamin Lauren illustrates to readers how teams work together to manage projects through complex coordinative communication practices, and highlights how project managers are constantly learning and evolving by analyzing where they succeed and fail. He concludes that technical and professional communicators have a pivotal role in supporting and facilitating participative approaches to communicating project management.
Reviews / Votes
"As work becomes more projectified, we must understand project management like never before -- as a participative, collaborative practice. Through his lucid explanations and case studies, Ben Lauren explains how project management works, why it's important in an increasingly decentralized world, and what its best practices are."-Clay Spinuzzi, Professor of Rhetoric and Writing, University of Texas at Austin
"Methodologies-of-the-moment change from year to year, but project managers always need to be effective writers and communicators. Communicating Project Management is the book to read alongside any "how-to" guide focused on a particular methodology: it reveals how experienced project managers negotiate the complex factors, strategies, and values that impact team participation."
-Stacey Pigg, Assistant Professor and Director of Professional Writing, North Carolina State University
"Ben Lauren outlines how project managers can achieve a participatory communications culture. This book is a needed addition to the canon of literature for project managers--both experienced and novice."
-Lisa Welchman, Digital Governance Advisor and Author
"In Communicating Project Management, Ben Lauren encourages project managers to broaden and deepen their ability to communicate effectively and to encourage communication among their team members by making space for them to participate both actively and safely in the work of their projects."
-JoAnn Hackos, President, JoAnn Hackos & Associates. Inc
"Lauren's research helps reveal the skills, attitudes, and character traits of expert project managers and, in doing so, paves the way for folks who are passionate about communication - including technical and professional writers - to find career paths in project management."
-William Hart-Davidson, Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Education, Michigan State University & Graduate Education
"This book gives us new perspectives in conceptualizing and practicing project management for information development projects. The focus on managing distributed work, regarding project management as an act of communication and as writing itself is exceptionally valuable."
-Stan Dicks, Professor Emeritus, North Carolina State University
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Postgraduate, Professional, Professional Practice & Development, and Undergraduate
Illustrations
10 s/w Zeichnungen, 4 s/w Tabellen
4 Tables, black and white; 10 Line drawings, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
440 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-138-04638-2 (9781138046382)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
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Person
Benjamin Lauren is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures. He is also an Assistant Director of the Graduate Program in Rhetoric and Writing. His work has been published in journals such as Technical Communication, Computers and Composition, the Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, and Transactions on Professional Communication.
Content
Acknowledgements
Foreward
Introduction
Project Managers as Technical Communicators
Distinguishing Between Participation and Collaboration
A Bit About Scope
My Background with Project Management
Terms
Project
Project Manager
Efficiency Models
Development Teams
Decentralization
Participation
Participatory Communication
Organization
The Research in this Book
What is to Come
Chapter Conclusion
References
Chapter 1: Decentralization and Project Management
Decentralization
Decentralized Development Teams
Decentralization and Development Methodologies
Agile Development
Lean Development
SixSigma
How Decentralization Influences the Role of Project Manager
Decentralized Project Communication*
Chapter Conclusion
References
Chapter 2: Rethinking the Paradigm of Project Management: From Efficiency To Participative
Project Management is Rooted in an Efficiency Paradigm
Efficiency in Communicating Project Management
Criticisms of Efficiency*
Tensions Between Communicating Efficiency and Participation
Participation Leads to Efficiency
A Paradigm in Transition
Participation and Project Management as Methodology
Participation Informed by Participatory Design
Participation Informed by Feminist Thinking*
Project Management Methodologies as a Heuristic*
Reactive*
Future Action
Systems-based*
Chapter Conclusion*
References*
Berkun, S. (2008). Making things happen: mastering project management. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Media
Chapter 3: Communicating to Make Space for Participation: Locating Agency in Project Communication
Theorizing Making Space Through Communication
Extensions of Social Space*
Locating Agency in Participation*
Brief Description of the Study
Participants
Interview Results: Communication Factors and Strategies
Factor 1: Personality type*
Strategies for Responding to Personality type
Understand communication styles and approaches vary by person
Understand that ICTs overwhelm some personalities
Be self-aware of the effects of your own personality type
Learn to talk less
Use role-play to disarm people*
Factor Two: Gender*
Strategies Related to Gender
Find common interests to build relationships across gender
Intentionally adopt a gender neutral role*
De-emphasize gender disparities
Identify efforts to silence women*
Use organizational networks and backchannels to give and receive feedback*
Factor 3: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity*
Strategies for Considering Cultural and Linguistic Diversity
Focus communication on project work instead of language barriers*
Give multilingual people time to prepare and respond to requests
Understand the influence of national cultural identity on meeting spaces*
Translate confusing language
Use plain language
Realize a person's relationship to their cultural context is unique
Be patient and give the benefit of the doubt*
Recognize cross-cultural disagreements exist
Be interested in cultural difference*
Factor 4: Building and Maintaining Relationships
Strategies for Building and Maintaining Relationships*
Embrace unscripted moments*
Learn about people's intellectual background*
Use organizational networks as a sounding board*
Check on people's perception of a communication or meeting
Choose ICTs that get the job done (not always the latest technology) *
Embrace face-to-face communication*
Notify those affected by project changes ahead of time
Learn who is being overworked and do something about it
Recognize good work publicly
Listen actively
Be empathetic*
Be available to meet/talk outside of meetings*
Don't waste people's time*
Factor 5: Attending to Psychological Safety
Strategies for Attending to Psychological Safety*
Be available after meetings
Make safety with structure
Change the meeting structure to suit the team
Use ICTs to support feedback loops
Create space for people to draw their own conclusions
Understand how people experience safety
Know that leadership personality can negatively impact safety
Share in the risk of trusting people
ICTs as surveillance can erode safety
Use feedback loops*
Seize moments for feedback
Create a dependable rhythm for communication
Use kickoff meetings to normalize communication expectations
Factor 6: Development Methodologies
Strategies for Communicating Within Development Methodologies
Efficiency is less important than impact
Adapt methods to the team or organization*
Adapt methodologies to the team or organization
Use development approaches to influence work, but don't apply them as a rule
Address methodological confusion*
Be strategically agnostic (or apply methodologies as a heuristic)
Remember each organization, project, and team is unique
Factor 7: Organizational and Team Culture*
Strategies for Responding to Organizational and Team Culture*
Learn the team's origin story
Contemplate organizational context
Read hierarchies of influence
Work to develop a culture of inclusion
Remove silos*
Implications for Making Space
Further evidence of a paradigm in transition*
Making space is a business interest
Agency as an Invitation
Outcomes for Participatory Communication
Intentional and Reactive
Future Action*
Systems-based
Chapter Conclusion*
References*
Chapter 4: On site with The Gardener and The Chef: Project Leadership and Communication*
Communicating Leadership, Positionality, and Identity*
Capturing Leadership Communication with Experience Sampling
Data Collection Methods*
Data Analysis Methods*
Leadership Values The Gardener*
Value 1: Teach Methods of Effective Collaboration*
Value 2: Learn About Teams and Organizations*
Value 3: Communicate to Include*
Value 4: Be Responsible to the Team*
Value 5: Empathize with People*
A Mind Map of Communicating from The Gardener*
Introducing The Chef*
Leadership Values of The Chef*
Value 1: Keep People on Task*
Value 2: Assign Roles to Individuals and Teams*
Value 3: Communicate to clarify the goal*
Value 4: Be Responsible to the Project*
Value 5: Empathize to Motivate Action*
A Mind Map of Communicating from The Chef*
Comparing Communication Values of The Gardener and The Chef*
Leadership Identity as Rhetorical Performance*
Chapter Conclusion*
References*
Chapter 5: Managing a Reorganization Project at CTI: Participation and Making Space for Communicating Change*
Organizational Change and Project Management*
Organizational Change as an Activity*
Methods*
Observations*
Artifact Collection*
Interviews*
Experience Sampling Reports*
Analyzing Data*
Research participant profiles*
Participant 1: Bob*
Participant 2: Tom*
Participant 3: Don*
Participant 4: Tammy*
Participant 5: Steve*
Participant 6: Sheila*
Organizational Changes at CTI*
CTI and Project Management*
Participation and Communication at CTI*
Disruptions During Synchronous Communication*
Disruption 1: Infrastructure and information communication technologies*
Disruption 2: Virtual collaboration*
Disruption 3: Sharing and Retrieving information*
Disruptions During Asynchronous Communication*
Disruption 1: Lack of training in the new project management system*
Disruption 2: Inconsistent adoption of project management system across the team
Disruption 3: The existing role of email*
Participation in the Activity System*
Participation as Stable, Nonlinear, Productive*
Chapter Conclusion*
References
*
Chapter 6: Conclusion: A Participatory Rhetoric for Development Teams
Reviewing the Chapters and Cases
Characteristics of Participative Communication*
Project Management Communication as Designed Experience
Distributing Agency, Collectivizing Kairos
Toward a Theory for Communicating Project Management
Final Takeaways
For Researchers
For Project Managers
For Instructors
Chapter Conclusion
References
Foreward
Introduction
Project Managers as Technical Communicators
Distinguishing Between Participation and Collaboration
A Bit About Scope
My Background with Project Management
Terms
Project
Project Manager
Efficiency Models
Development Teams
Decentralization
Participation
Participatory Communication
Organization
The Research in this Book
What is to Come
Chapter Conclusion
References
Chapter 1: Decentralization and Project Management
Decentralization
Decentralized Development Teams
Decentralization and Development Methodologies
Agile Development
Lean Development
SixSigma
How Decentralization Influences the Role of Project Manager
Decentralized Project Communication*
Chapter Conclusion
References
Chapter 2: Rethinking the Paradigm of Project Management: From Efficiency To Participative
Project Management is Rooted in an Efficiency Paradigm
Efficiency in Communicating Project Management
Criticisms of Efficiency*
Tensions Between Communicating Efficiency and Participation
Participation Leads to Efficiency
A Paradigm in Transition
Participation and Project Management as Methodology
Participation Informed by Participatory Design
Participation Informed by Feminist Thinking*
Project Management Methodologies as a Heuristic*
Reactive*
Future Action
Systems-based*
Chapter Conclusion*
References*
Berkun, S. (2008). Making things happen: mastering project management. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Media
Chapter 3: Communicating to Make Space for Participation: Locating Agency in Project Communication
Theorizing Making Space Through Communication
Extensions of Social Space*
Locating Agency in Participation*
Brief Description of the Study
Participants
Interview Results: Communication Factors and Strategies
Factor 1: Personality type*
Strategies for Responding to Personality type
Understand communication styles and approaches vary by person
Understand that ICTs overwhelm some personalities
Be self-aware of the effects of your own personality type
Learn to talk less
Use role-play to disarm people*
Factor Two: Gender*
Strategies Related to Gender
Find common interests to build relationships across gender
Intentionally adopt a gender neutral role*
De-emphasize gender disparities
Identify efforts to silence women*
Use organizational networks and backchannels to give and receive feedback*
Factor 3: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity*
Strategies for Considering Cultural and Linguistic Diversity
Focus communication on project work instead of language barriers*
Give multilingual people time to prepare and respond to requests
Understand the influence of national cultural identity on meeting spaces*
Translate confusing language
Use plain language
Realize a person's relationship to their cultural context is unique
Be patient and give the benefit of the doubt*
Recognize cross-cultural disagreements exist
Be interested in cultural difference*
Factor 4: Building and Maintaining Relationships
Strategies for Building and Maintaining Relationships*
Embrace unscripted moments*
Learn about people's intellectual background*
Use organizational networks as a sounding board*
Check on people's perception of a communication or meeting
Choose ICTs that get the job done (not always the latest technology) *
Embrace face-to-face communication*
Notify those affected by project changes ahead of time
Learn who is being overworked and do something about it
Recognize good work publicly
Listen actively
Be empathetic*
Be available to meet/talk outside of meetings*
Don't waste people's time*
Factor 5: Attending to Psychological Safety
Strategies for Attending to Psychological Safety*
Be available after meetings
Make safety with structure
Change the meeting structure to suit the team
Use ICTs to support feedback loops
Create space for people to draw their own conclusions
Understand how people experience safety
Know that leadership personality can negatively impact safety
Share in the risk of trusting people
ICTs as surveillance can erode safety
Use feedback loops*
Seize moments for feedback
Create a dependable rhythm for communication
Use kickoff meetings to normalize communication expectations
Factor 6: Development Methodologies
Strategies for Communicating Within Development Methodologies
Efficiency is less important than impact
Adapt methods to the team or organization*
Adapt methodologies to the team or organization
Use development approaches to influence work, but don't apply them as a rule
Address methodological confusion*
Be strategically agnostic (or apply methodologies as a heuristic)
Remember each organization, project, and team is unique
Factor 7: Organizational and Team Culture*
Strategies for Responding to Organizational and Team Culture*
Learn the team's origin story
Contemplate organizational context
Read hierarchies of influence
Work to develop a culture of inclusion
Remove silos*
Implications for Making Space
Further evidence of a paradigm in transition*
Making space is a business interest
Agency as an Invitation
Outcomes for Participatory Communication
Intentional and Reactive
Future Action*
Systems-based
Chapter Conclusion*
References*
Chapter 4: On site with The Gardener and The Chef: Project Leadership and Communication*
Communicating Leadership, Positionality, and Identity*
Capturing Leadership Communication with Experience Sampling
Data Collection Methods*
Data Analysis Methods*
Leadership Values The Gardener*
Value 1: Teach Methods of Effective Collaboration*
Value 2: Learn About Teams and Organizations*
Value 3: Communicate to Include*
Value 4: Be Responsible to the Team*
Value 5: Empathize with People*
A Mind Map of Communicating from The Gardener*
Introducing The Chef*
Leadership Values of The Chef*
Value 1: Keep People on Task*
Value 2: Assign Roles to Individuals and Teams*
Value 3: Communicate to clarify the goal*
Value 4: Be Responsible to the Project*
Value 5: Empathize to Motivate Action*
A Mind Map of Communicating from The Chef*
Comparing Communication Values of The Gardener and The Chef*
Leadership Identity as Rhetorical Performance*
Chapter Conclusion*
References*
Chapter 5: Managing a Reorganization Project at CTI: Participation and Making Space for Communicating Change*
Organizational Change and Project Management*
Organizational Change as an Activity*
Methods*
Observations*
Artifact Collection*
Interviews*
Experience Sampling Reports*
Analyzing Data*
Research participant profiles*
Participant 1: Bob*
Participant 2: Tom*
Participant 3: Don*
Participant 4: Tammy*
Participant 5: Steve*
Participant 6: Sheila*
Organizational Changes at CTI*
CTI and Project Management*
Participation and Communication at CTI*
Disruptions During Synchronous Communication*
Disruption 1: Infrastructure and information communication technologies*
Disruption 2: Virtual collaboration*
Disruption 3: Sharing and Retrieving information*
Disruptions During Asynchronous Communication*
Disruption 1: Lack of training in the new project management system*
Disruption 2: Inconsistent adoption of project management system across the team
Disruption 3: The existing role of email*
Participation in the Activity System*
Participation as Stable, Nonlinear, Productive*
Chapter Conclusion*
References
*
Chapter 6: Conclusion: A Participatory Rhetoric for Development Teams
Reviewing the Chapters and Cases
Characteristics of Participative Communication*
Project Management Communication as Designed Experience
Distributing Agency, Collectivizing Kairos
Toward a Theory for Communicating Project Management
Final Takeaways
For Researchers
For Project Managers
For Instructors
Chapter Conclusion
References