6.2 Communication Types

The communication management plan should address the needs, expectations, and concerns of the project team and the stakeholders by considering the communication types. Completing a complex project successfully requires good communication among team members. Suppose those team members work in the same building. In that case, they can arrange regular meetings, stop by each other’s office space to get a quick answer, or even discuss a project informally at other places like meeting rooms, in the kitchen, and next to the coffee machine. Many projects are performed by virtual teams interacting primarily through electronic communication (see 6.7). Virtual interaction has been exponentially prevalent for many organizations and collocated project teams. To avoid miscommunication that can harm trust and to include team members in a project culture, the project team needs a plan for communicating reliably and on time. This planning begins with understanding two major categories of communication – synchronous and asynchronous.

6.2.1 Synchronous Communications

If all the parties to the communication participate in the exchange simultaneously, the communication is synchronous. The following are examples of synchronous communications:

• In-person meetings: This is the traditional meeting method utilized by collocated teams. Some virtual teams may also prefer in-person meetings several times (e.g., kick-off and closing meetings) during the project life cycle to socialize and build trust.
• One-on-one and conference phone (audio) calls: These calls would be effective if there is an urgent need to meet and participants are unavailable for video calls.
• Video conferences: These meetings have prevailed with the widespread utilization of virtual teams and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online tools such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, and WhatsApp are used for video conferences.
• Integrated solutions such as Microsoft Teams: Teams can use synchronous communication tools such as video conferences and instant messaging, and share files with other team members (asynchronous).
• IM (instant messaging): Team members can exchange text or voice messages on computers and mobile devices. They can also have group pages on which more than two members can chat and share documents, pictures, and videos. IM may not always be synchronous, but it allows the team members to reply later and keep records of the chat logs.

6.2.2 Asynchronous Communications

Getting a team together simultaneously can be challenging, especially if they are spread out across time zones. Many types of communication do not require the parties to be present simultaneously. This type of communication is asynchronous. There are several choices of asynchronous communications, such as mail and fax. Recently, asynchronous communication has mostly been done on online platforms.

The following are examples of asynchronous communications:

• Physical mail and faxes: These traditional methods allow delayed, written communication, often used for formal documents or when electronic methods are unavailable. In many projects, there is a need to deliver mail and packages to other team members or sub-teams and stakeholders in different locations. Physical signatures can still be demanded to comply with the legal requirements. However, online tools have allowed people to sign electronically, which is also legally acceptable (e.g., Adobe Acrobat, DocuSign). Therefore, this provides time and cost-saving opportunities to the project teams.
• Electronic mail (email): Email enables asynchronous communication where messages can be sent, received, and responded to at any convenient time for the recipient. Email is widely used to coordinate projects, communicate, and collaborate between team members and stakeholders. Emails have several valuable characteristics for project management. Information can be sent to a list of team members. Messages can be saved to document the process in case of a misunderstanding or miscommunication. Files can be attached and distributed.
• Newsletters: Newsletters provide periodic, non-real-time updates to a large group, summarizing information or announcing important updates.
• Cloud storage: Cloud storage allows team members to conveniently upload, access, and share documents or files without needing real-time interaction. Examples include Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive.
• Recorded meetings: They enable team members to catch up on key discussions and decisions at their convenience, ensuring flexibility across various time zones and availability.
• Surveys: They collect feedback or data asynchronously from multiple participants, enabling responses to be provided at their convenience.
• Social media updates: They share information publicly or within specific groups, allowing people to view and interact with the content on their own time.