ABSTRACT
Much of effective project management is wrapped around the notion of the classic communications model. That model involves the orientation of a message sent by the sender via a medium to a receiver. For projects, the sender–receiver issue is normally rather clear. The project manager is largely responsible from the sender side of the equation, whereas the team members are the receivers. The media used mainly comprise e-mail, verbal communication, and telephone calls. Filters, such as language, interfere with communications by changing the potential interpretation and making the information transfer incomplete. Other issues that surface within the communications model include noise. Noise is any environmental distraction that interferes with the free flow of communication between sender and receiver. Communications is a shared responsibility within projects, as many different participants need to participate. Although it materializes in a variety of forms, two of the most common distinctions are formal and informal communications.
