{"id":3077,"date":"2023-09-08T10:46:55","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T10:46:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/project.co\/?p=3077"},"modified":"2024-11-19T17:20:16","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T17:20:16","slug":"project-communication-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/project.co\/project-communication-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Project Communication Plan: Why You Need One &amp; How to Create It"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div>\n<p>Successful project management is about more than just delegating tasks and allocating resources. It&#8217;s about effective communication that keeps everyone on the same page, minimises misunderstandings, and paves the way for achieving desired outcomes. That&#8217;s where a solid project communication plan comes into play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we&#8217;ll explore why having a project communication plan is so crucial and why it should be an essential part of any project management strategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plus, we&#8217;ll walk you through the essential steps to create an effective communication plan tailored to your project&#8217;s unique needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, let&#8217;s dive in and unlock the secrets behind building a robust project communication plan that can transform the way you manage projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is a project communication plan?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A project communication plan outlines how important information will be communicated throughout your project, who will be communicating, and when that information will be shared.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This communication plan should bring value to everyone involved in the project, including project stakeholders, project manager or managers, and clients.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s really all about the when, how, who, and what of your <a href=\"https:\/\/project.co\/communication-strategies\/\">communication strategy<\/a>! Here\u2019s an example (based on a company that\u2019s creating an explainer video for a client):<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-blank-purple-Z1YAeah wp-block-lazyblock-blank-purple\"><div class=\"pdc-block blank-purple\" style=\"background:#301151; border:5px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.4); padding:20px; border-radius:10px; margin-bottom:1.4em; color:rgba(255,255,255,1)\">\n  <strong>WHEN<\/strong>: We will communicate with the client every Friday at 2pm<br><strong>HOW<\/strong>: We will communicate via Google Meet and share the conference link in advance<br><strong>WHO<\/strong>: The creative team working on the project will be involved (scriptwriter, storyboard artist, and animator) as well as the stakeholders on the client\u2019s side<br><strong>WHAT<\/strong>: The weekly meetings will be for the creatives to give an update on progress and for the client to bring up any potential questions or issues\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why is a project communication plan important?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A project communication plan is important because it can ensure your project stays on track, on time, and on budget.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/project.co\/streamline-team-communication\/\">good project communication<\/a> plan also ensures that all stakeholders are informed on the progress of the project, increasing customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without a communication plan, you can easily end up with problems and issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Poor communication can result in all kinds of problems, including decreased productivity and even financial loss for businesses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-statistic-1qTnh0 wp-block-lazyblock-statistic\"><div style=\"color:#301151; font-size:16px; font-weight:bold; padding-left: 20px; margin-bottom:5px;\">\n  <i class=\"fa-solid fa-chart-mixed\" style=\"margin-right:5px\"><\/i>Statistic\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background:#301151; border:5px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.4); padding:20px; border-radius:10px; margin-bottom:1.4em; color:rgba(255,255,255,1);\">\n  <strong>12% of people<\/strong>\u00a0have lost customers to competitors as a result of communication issues in their business.\n  <div style=\"margin-top:5px; font-size:14px;\">\n    <strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/project.co\/communication-statistics\/\" style=\"text-decoration: underline; color:rgba(255,255,255,1);\">Project.co Communication Statistics 2024<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>This issue can be easily solved with a strong project communication plan. And once you have one in place, you can use it for all of your projects in the future so that communication is improved indefinitely.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to create the perfect project communication plan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Choose a project management platform<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Inviting your internal project team and your clients (if applicable) to work together on a project management platform is one of the best ways to ensure your <a href=\"https:\/\/project.co\/client-communication\/\">project communication<\/a> gets off to the smoothest start.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A project management platform will keep all project communications centralised, meaning that everyone knows exactly where to look for the latest piece of information.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/project.co\/\">Project.co<\/a>, you can not only keep your communications in one place, but also any project files, and tasks that each team member is working on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"A hub for your work\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gZje9D8F76s?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Everything about your project &#8211; from start to finish &#8211; can be managed on Project.co.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Decide how you\u2019re going to communicate (and when)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The next step is deciding <em>how<\/em> communications should be shared and making sure everyone on the team is aware of that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many <a href=\"https:\/\/project.co\/communication-styles\/\">different ways to communicate<\/a> about your project. You could use a video conferencing tool, or have face-to-face meetings.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also use emails and, as mentioned above, your project management platform. The Project.co discussions tool is a great way to communicate with your project teams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All messages appear in date and time order under the discussions tool, and everyone involved in the project can choose whether to receive email notifications every time a new comment is added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"The Discussion Tool | Project co\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3qqeskNsBRs?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You shouldn\u2019t feel limited to just one communication method. A mix of communication methods can be helpful. For example, you could start your project with a meeting and then use the project management platform for daily communication.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-statistic-Z2wYvHK wp-block-lazyblock-statistic\"><div style=\"color:#301151; font-size:16px; font-weight:bold; padding-left: 20px; margin-bottom:5px;\">\n  <i class=\"fa-solid fa-chart-mixed\" style=\"margin-right:5px\"><\/i>Statistic\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background:#301151; border:5px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.4); padding:20px; border-radius:10px; margin-bottom:1.4em; color:rgba(255,255,255,1);\">\n  75% of people have adopted a new tool to help them better meet their business communication challenges in the past 12 months.\n  <div style=\"margin-top:5px; font-size:14px;\">\n    <strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/project.co\/communication-statistics\/\" style=\"text-decoration: underline; color:rgba(255,255,255,1);\">Project.co Communication Statistics 2024<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The main thing is just making sure that everyone knows how and when you\u2019re going to communicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Assign tasks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to keep your project moving along, everyone involved needs to know what is expected of them, including when they will be expected to send and receive deliverables.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Assigning tasks to your team members is a great way of making it easy for them to keep on top of their workload.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Project.co, you can assign team members, departments, and dates to your tasks, as well as any relevant notes or files. Your team can then view their tasks in whatever way helps them best manage their workload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Using Tasks in Project.co \u2705\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RR6u6CyoUYI?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Define points of contact<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Knowing how and when communications will be received is important, but it\u2019s also equally important to know <em>who<\/em> is going to be the person communicating.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This makes responsibilities clear for internal teams while also informing clients who their main point of contact will be for the duration of the project.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Project.co, you can open as many projects as you like, and within those projects you can add specific team members and clients via the people tool.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2908\" height=\"1514\" src=\"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Screenshot-2023-09-08-at-11.42.43.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-289939\" srcset=\"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Screenshot-2023-09-08-at-11.42.43.png 2908w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Screenshot-2023-09-08-at-11.42.43-300x156.png 300w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Screenshot-2023-09-08-at-11.42.43-150x78.png 150w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Screenshot-2023-09-08-at-11.42.43-768x400.png 768w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Screenshot-2023-09-08-at-11.42.43-1536x800.png 1536w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Screenshot-2023-09-08-at-11.42.43-2048x1066.png 2048w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Screenshot-2023-09-08-at-11.42.43-400x208.png 400w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Screenshot-2023-09-08-at-11.42.43-1080x562.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2908px) 100vw, 2908px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As soon as someone is added and you see the green &#8216;ON&#8217; text next to their name, you&#8217;ll know that person will start receiving notifications every time a new comment is posted to the project.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Agree on tools<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As you\u2019re creating your project communication plan, it\u2019s really important that you get buy-in from everyone involved.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve decided that you\u2019re going to use a <a href=\"https:\/\/project.co\/project-management-software-reviewed\/\">project management platform<\/a> and someone on the team only uses email communication then this could cause issues and result in communication breakdown.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The same applies for any files shared back and forth. If it\u2019s been agreed that everyone will work on Google Docs and then someone in the team shares a PDF, that\u2019s going to make life difficult for everyone and could result in slowed progress on the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/kb.project.co\/p\/iPrU_ytpw4xHSM\/Untitled\">embeds feature<\/a> makes it easy to agree on tools because you can work on your files without ever leaving the project!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Project-Embed-Frameio.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-288508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Project-Embed-Frameio.png 1920w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Project-Embed-Frameio-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Project-Embed-Frameio-150x84.png 150w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Project-Embed-Frameio-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Project-Embed-Frameio-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Project-Embed-Frameio-400x225.png 400w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Project-Embed-Frameio-1080x608.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Just embed your item to the project, and from there people will be able to open the file within Project.co and collaborate in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>6. Create and share a schedule&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The last piece of the puzzle is creating a schedule that you can share with everyone involved on the project.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This schedule can include expected delivery dates, who is assigned to what task, and when the next meeting or communication will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can easily share your project communication plan with your team via the files tool on Project.co.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1634\" height=\"970\" src=\"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tool-Files.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-290675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tool-Files.png 1634w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tool-Files-300x178.png 300w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tool-Files-150x89.png 150w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tool-Files-768x456.png 768w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tool-Files-1536x912.png 1536w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tool-Files-400x237.png 400w, https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tool-Files-1080x641.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1634px) 100vw, 1634px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This way, everyone can download and keep their own copy to refer back to whenever they need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3 Benefits of using a project communication plan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"lazyblock-blank-purple-1d3O4F wp-block-lazyblock-blank-purple\"><div class=\"pdc-block blank-purple\" style=\"background:#301151; border:5px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.4); padding:20px; border-radius:10px; margin-bottom:1.4em; color:rgba(255,255,255,1)\">\n  <strong>1. Increased efficiency<\/strong><br>A project communication plan means there\u2019s no more wasted time digging through inboxes or repeating information. Everyone involved on the project will know where everything is, what\u2019s expected, and when the next communication will be.\u00a0<br><strong>2. Better relationships<\/strong><br>When information is communicated clearly and on-time it results in better relationships, both internally and externally. This can improve your customer satisfaction rates and even reduce employee turnover.\u00a0<br><strong>3. More successful projects<\/strong><br>With a project communication plan in your toolbox you\u2019ll be setting your team up for success. And once you have a solid plan in place you can emulate this again and again so that all of your projects go more smoothly in the future.\u00a0\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Final thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Clear communication is the key to successful projects, happy team members, stress-free project managers &#8211; and even happier clients.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A project management tool like Project.co can help you to keep all of your communications in one place and can, on average, <strong>save you 2 hours per day on unproductive work.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/project.co\">Click here to get started<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When communication breaks down, costly and time-consuming mistakes can happen. So find out how to create a project communication plan in just a few steps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":287627,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-productivity"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Project-communication-plan-why-you-need-one...and-how-to-write-it.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgGBe0-ND","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3077","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3077"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3077\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/287627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/project.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}