Team Communication

Communication within the Project Team

Communication is major component in the team structure. Good communication within a team can help that team reach its goal in a more effective way and is essential for the quality of the project. Each team member has different tasks within the project but yet the team must work as one to accomplish their goal. Poor team communications can cause conflict and make it very difficult to complete the project. What are some ways we can create good team communication and some ways we can prevent a breakdown in communications within the team?

Communication is a fundamental of component of social behavior. It is the transfer of information from one person to another. Most of us spend about 75 percent of our waking hours communicating our knowledge, thoughts, and ideas to others. Communication can be verbal or it can be non-verbal. Verbal communication is organized in language; non-verbal communication is not. Verbal communication involves communication through words. This is not limited to speech; writing and sign language are also considered to be forms of communication because they use words. Non-verbal communication is conveyed through the senses such as sight and touch. It can be a certain look a person gives. It can be in the form of pointing to an object. While both forms can be used in the team project environment, a majority of the time verbal communication is used.

There are several forms of communication available for the project team to use. A face to face meeting would be the most effective because all team members are present and there is less of a chance of miscommunication or misunderstanding. A face to face meeting lets the team members use both verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Telephone calls can also be effective but most of the time is limited to two of the team members. A team can choose to participate in a conference call which can be as effective as a face to face meeting but with the lack of non-verbal communication misunderstandings can arise. Email is also a great communication tool because it allows you to send a message to the entire team. The downside to that is not everyone checks their email at the same time so delays in communication can occur.

Another form of communication that I found is gaining popularity within project groups is group internet or intranet sites. A group website allows for better communications throughout the group and can be updated in real time. It also allows the team members access to information anywhere they have internet access. Also companies prefer this method because they can monitor the progress of the project team.

Why is communication within the project team important? Most people I have spoken with who have previously worked in a project team point to a lack or complete breakdown in communication within the team as the main reason their team failed at the project. I also have found out first hand in my current project team how a lack of communication between the team members has lead to missed deadlines, sub par work, and some conflict between team members. It is important for the members of the project team to know exactly what communication is and the part it plays in the team achieving their project goals. Once each team member understands the