Planning Resources and Training for Communication

 So far in your notes you have:

• who needs what information when,
• how you get feedback and information from stakeholder,
• the timing and format of the communication. 

Now we need to add that work to the project schedule and assign the right resources.

For some communication, you will need the star performer associated with the  project’s objective.  They may be the sponsor, the project manager or a technical specialist and they must be comfortable in the spot light. These people must also be ready to take the hard questions if the project is facing difficulties at the time of the communication.

You may use a specialist facilitator, interviewer or writer for other communication.  Their availability and contracts must be in place before they are needed.  There is nothing more frustrating for stakeholders than cancelled or poorly run communication events.

There is a diversity of specialist training for communication: the right way to say uncomfortable things, how to receive negative feedback, how to understand what a stakeholder really says, how to deliver a presentation or how to facilitate a meeting.  Review your communication  plan and your project schedule, ask this question: what training is needed by whom and when?  Add that to your training plan and schedule the time in your project plan.

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