COMMUNICATIONS
“Effective communication must
be focused on the receiver.”
- Robert D. Ramsey
Project Communication
Successful construction project execution is
virtually impossible unless you have an effective
communication system.
Project Communication
Good communication
skills are basic to
becoming a successful
construction manager.
Why Do Communications Fail?
There is a myriad of reasons why communications
fail in all parts of our life. A few of the more
common reasons business communications fail
are the following:
• Not having a clear goal in mind
• Staying in a negative mode
• Concentrating on your
own thoughts to the
exclusion of the other
person's ideas
Why Do Communications Fail?
• Not establishing rapport
• Assuming that others have the same information
on the subject that you have
• Being impatient not hearing the other party out
• Mistaking interpretations for facts
• Failure to analyze and to handle resistance
• Being ashamed to admit you don't understand
• Overabundance of ego
Communication
• Transfer of information and understanding
from one person to another.
• Social process in which two or more parties
exchange information and share meaning.
“Communication is what the receiver
understands, not what the sender says.”
Importance of Communication
• Communication promotes motivation.
• Communication is a source of information
• Communication also plays a crucial role
in altering individual’s attitudes.
• Communication also helps in socializing.
• Communication also assists in controlling
process.
The Purpose of Communication
Achieve
Coordination
Action
Express
Share
feelings and
Information
emotions
The Communication Process
The Communication Process
BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION
• Personal Barriers
– Emotions
– Listening
– Psychological Distance
• Physical Barriers
– Noise
– Geographical distance
• Semantic Barriers
– Language
– Symbols
Specific Barriers to Communication
• Filtering
• Selective Perception
• Information Overload
• Emotions
• Communication Apprehension
• Lack of Credibility
• Difference between people
• Attitude
• Improper Timing
Project Communications
Typically, project communications fall into the
following key categories:
1. Project correspondence
2. Audiovisual presentations
3. Project reporting
4. Meetings
5. Training
6. Listening
Interpersonal Communication
• Verbal communication
- the use of verbal communication is very
convenient and quick and it provides the
opportunity for a rapid feedback.
- A major disadvantage of this communication
is the distortion of the message when it
passes to several people.
Verbal communication is the appropriate
method if the sender:
• Wants to appear informal
• Wants to invite suggestions and ideas
• Is explaining something complex and might
need clarification
• Needs to be very diplomatic and feels he will
be more effective face-to-face
• Has important news to impact
• Has something confidential to say and putting
it in writing is risky
Verbal communication is not appropriate
when the sender:
• Wants to maintain formality or distance from
the other person
• Wants a permanent record of what has been
said
• Need receiver’s comments to be in writing for
legal reason
• Wants to avoid further discussion of the
subject
Interpersonal Communication
• Written communication
- includes memos, notice-boards, and letters to
staff, emails, faxes, internal newspaper, and
instant messaging.
The advantages of written communication are
the following:
• It is formal and authoritative
• It provides a permanent record of what have
been said
• It provides a document useful for legal
purposes
• A number of people will receive exactly the
same information
• It is useful in communicating something
complicated
• It is sometimes quicker
• Words can be chosen carefully
Written communication is not appropriate
when:
• The receiver needs to ask question or seek
clarification
• More discussion is needed before facts are
established
• A friendly and informal atmosphere is needed
• The message is very urgent
• The message is confidential
• The information may be using upsetting to the
receiver
Interpersonal Communication
• Nonverbal communication
- communication that takes place through facial
expressions, body movements, eye contact,
and other physical gesture
Kinds of Communication
• DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION
>refers to message flows from higher levels to lower
levels of authority.
• UPWARD COMMUNICATION
>refers to messages from persons in lower level
positions to persons in higher positions.
• HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION
>refers to messages sent to individuals or groups
form another of the same organizational level or
position.
• DIAGONAL COMMUNICATION
> Communication that takes place between a
manager and employees of other workgroups
is called diagonal communication.
• EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION
> Communication that takes place between a
company and external groups such as -
suppliers, vendors, banks, financial institutes
etc.
External Communication
UPWARD DOWNWARD
INFLUENCE
COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION
* Problems and exceptions *Implementation of goal,
INTERPRET
* Suggestions strategies and objectives
* Performance report * Job instructions
* Financial report * Procedures and practices
HORIZONTAL
COMMUNICATION
COORDINATION
* Interdepartmental problem
solving
* Interdepartmental coordination
* Staff advising
COMMUNICATIONAL NETWORKS IN
THE ORGANIZATION
• FORMAL SMALL GROUP NETWORKS
COMMUNICATIONAL NETWORKS IN
THE ORGANIZATION
• FORMAL SMALL GROUP NETWORKS
– Chain network of formal small groups mainly
follows the formal chain of command
– Circle network has the leader as the central
person for conducting all communications within
the group.
– Wheel network is characterised by openness that
enables the joint communication of all members
of the group.
COMMUNICATIONAL NETWORKS IN
THE ORGANIZATION
• FORMAL SMALL GROUP NETWORKS
COMMUNICATIONAL NETWORKS IN
THE ORGANIZATION
• INFORMAL SMALL GROUP NETWORKS
– Informal communication in the organization is
known as grapevine is secondary and very
complicated communication network that is based
on personal contact, and opposed to the system
of formal communication it does not follow a
particular line settled in advance.
ORGANIZATIONAL GRAPEVINE AND
RUMORS
The grapevine is an informal communication system.
Factors that encourage grapevine activity are as follows:
• work that allow conversation
• a job that provides information desired by others
• personality of communicator
• excitement and insecurity
• involvement of friends and associates
• recent information
• procedure that brings people into contact
ORGANIZATIONAL GRAPEVINE AND
RUMORS
• The major problem with the grapevine – and one
that gives the grapevine its poor reputation – is
Rumor.
• Rumor is grapevine information that is
communicated without secure standards of evidence
being present
GUIDLEINES FOR CONTROL OF
RUMOR
• Remove its cause in order to prevent it
• Apply efforts primarily to serious rumors
• Refute rumors with facts
• Deal with rumors as soon as possible
• Emphasize the face-to-face supply of facts, confirmed in
writing if necessary
• Provide facts from reliable sources
• Refrain from repeating rumor while refuting it
• Encourage assistance of informal and union leaders if
they are cooperative
• Listen to all rumors in order to understand what they
may mean
Communication Systems
CMs need to keep
abreast of the latest
communications
hardware.
IMPACT OF ELECTRONIC
COMMUNICATION
• EMAIL
– The ability to release information to many
different people at once, without calling a meeting
or requiring printing of the materials, turned into
a money- and time-saving device.
– Negatively, more people spend more time on
email than on other projects.
IMPACT OF ELECTRONIC
COMMUNICATION
• TEXT MESSAGING
– Rather than seeing or talking to a person face-to-
face, you can talk to a person over the phone
– has its own language, an abbreviated form of
speech that has found its way into classrooms and
businesses
IMPACT OF ELECTRONIC
COMMUNICATION
• INSTANT MESSAGING
– allowed people to reach other people without
having to use the phone.
– The downside is that employees are less likely to
engage in social activities away from their
computers.
IMPACT OF ELECTRONIC
COMMUNICATION
• SOCIAL MEDIA
– Rather than talking to their friends in person, they
can post a comment about their life.
– Cyber bullying is one of the problems with social
media.
– The amount of information you put out on the
Internet over social media, intended or not, affect
you in the real world.
THANK YOU!
