Project Management - Organization and Communication (U5DB) - Essay Example

Project Management – Organization and Communication Effective Listening Miscommunication is one of the most common reasons for project confusion andfailure, but it can be avoided through the practice of effective listening. Lewis and Graham provide seven basic tips for effective listening. The first tip says to carefully pay attention to what others are saying. The second tells us to give others the impression that you are listening through sending nonverbal cues. The third involves avoiding the practice of evaluating what others are saying before they have finished speaking.

The fourth tells us to avoid defensive mode. The fifth tip is to practice the art of paraphrasing. The sixth tip is to carefully watch for and observe the demonstration of feelings from the other party. Finally, do not be afraid to ask questions for clarification (Lewis and Graham, 2003).Effective Meetings In order to conduct a more productive and effective meeting, those in charge absolutely must stay focused on the subject at hand. EffectiveMeetings.com offers six objective tips for conducting more effective meetings.

They include not meeting if the information can be exchanged through a memo or similar method, having a predetermined list of objectives for each meeting, having a predetermined agenda for each meeting, having action plans for items discussed in the meeting, and reviewing the process of each meeting at the end in order to determine how effective it was (EffectiveMeetings.com, 2008).Project Reports Project reports are a useful tool that can be used for various different reasons. There are many different sets of guidelines that are available for one to follow when writing a report for any type of project, but most of them carry the same basic advice.

First of all, data should be processed and placed directly into the report. Second, the audience should be determined and the report should be worded in such a manner that it addresses that audience. Third, examples and templates can be extremely helpful in deciding upon report formatting. Fourth, reports should follow a detailed layout plan. Fifth, explanations should be clear and logical. Sixth, points should be easy to understand and well-supported. Seventh, the readers’ attention should be kept throughout.

It is also important that back-up reports be kept in a safe place and that a draft is provided to the project supervisor for review (University College London, 2008).ReferencesLewis, T.D. and G. Graham. (2003). 7 tips for effective listening: Productive listening does not occur naturally. It requires hard work and practice. Internal Auditor. Retrieved April 24, 2008, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4153/is_4_60/ai_106863366/pg_2Six tips for more effective meetings. (2008). EffectiveMeetings.com. Retrieved April 24, 2008, from http://www.

effectivemeetings.com/meetingbasics/6tips.aspTechnical project reports: A students guide. (2000). University College London. Retrieved April 24, 2008, from http://www.ee.ucl.ac.uk/~dselviah/ReportOutline.html