Table Of ContentCOMMUNICATING PROJECTS
The communication of projects to each stakeholder group is essential to
their success. This book is an end-to-end guide for project managers and
communication teams seeking to communicate effectively with all con-
stituents, both internal and external.
This new edition includes a number of key topical themes that build on
the first edition:
• An introduction to project management for those new to the field,
including communicating “agile”, as many communication practi-
tioners and project managers find themselves having to communicate
in an agile environment, which has a language all of its own.
• The important role of social media and enterprise social networks as
vital communication channels.
• The principles of change management.
• The role of storytelling and the importance of translating technical
terminology and data into stories that clients and the wider stake-
holder groups understand.
• Crisis communication – ensuring there is a crisis or emergency com-
munication process in place in case it is ever needed.
This highly practical book is invaluable reading for communication profes-
sionals who are increasingly managing the communication elements of
projects. It also supports project managers who need to gain a practical
understanding of how to design and deliver communication, as well as
helping them to procure effective communication support.
Ann Pilkington is the co-owner and founder of PR Academy Ltd which
provides training and qualifications in PR and communication. It is now
the largest centre for qualifications awarded by the CIPR. She holds a
Masters in PR and Communication and is qualified in project management
via the Association for Project Management where she is also a member of
its People Specific Interest Group.
COMMUNICATING PROJECTS
From Waterfall to Agile
Second Edition
Ann Pilkington
Second edition published 2022
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2022 Ann Pilkington
The right of Ann Pilkington to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
First edition published by Routledge 2017
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Pilkington, Ann, author.
Title: Communicating projects : from Waterfall to Agile / Ann Pilkington.
Description: Second [edition]. | Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge,
2022. | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2021017061 (print) | LCCN 2021017062 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780367685287 (hardback) | ISBN 9780367685331 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781003137962 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Project management. | Communication in management.
Classification: LCC HD69.P75 P536 2022 (print) |
LCC HD69.P75 (ebook) | DDC 658.4/5—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021017061
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021017062
ISBN: 978-0-367-68528-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-68533-1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-13796-2 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003137962
Typeset in Joanna
by codeMantra
CONTENTS
List of figures vii
List of tables viii
Preface ix
1 Setting out 1
2 An introduction to project management
for communicators 25
3 Change management 37
Project communicator’s toolkit: template job description
for change network members 48
Vignette: change management theories and models 49
4 Who are our stakeholders? 52
Project communicator’s toolkit: example stakeholder
feedback summary 66
Project communicator’s toolkit: pulse survey for
capturing stakeholder feedback 66
vi CONTENTS
5 Developing the strategy 68
Vignette: employee engagement 83
Vignette: culture 90
Project communicator’s toolkit: communication strategy
template 94
6 Channels 99
7 Creating content 114
Vignette: project vision 132
Vignette: communication theory 134
Project communicator’s toolkit: example house style guide 140
Project communicator’s toolkit: sign-off protocol 144
Project communicator’s toolkit: briefing a designer 144
8 Creating plans 146
Project communicator’s toolkit: template
communication plan 158
9 Research and measurement 159
Vignette: organisational listening 171
10 Issues and crisis 173
References 183
Index 187
FIGURES
1.1 Project communication is both strategic and technical 10
2.1 The triangle of project management 30
4.1 The focus of communication activity can shift between
stakeholder groups throughout the life of the project 54
5.1 The RADAR model of planning 70
5.2 Different types of objectives for those who will use the
product or service being developed should be set at
different stages of the project lifecycle 79
5.3 The change curve, project lifecycle and strategic
communication approaches. Remember that different
stakeholders will go through the change curve at
different stages in the project lifecycle 80
5.4 Engagement results from providing accurate, timely
information and giving employees a voice 86
7.1 Good written communication gets straight to the point 128
7.2 Shannon and Weaver’s early model of communication 134
7.3 Mass communication models 137
TABLES
1.1 Communication disciplines defined 5
1.2 Communication skills and competencies 7
1.3 Communication function structure: corporate resource
versus project resource 12
1.4 Examples of communication project documentation 16
1.5 Key relationships for the project communicator 21
3.1 Example allocation of stakeholder engagement responsibility 44
4.1 Prompts for identifying stakeholders 56
4.2 Analysing stakeholders: power/interest matrix 58
4.3 Analysing stakeholders, accounting for those with less
influence 58
5.1 The communication function has often brought the
solution rather than the problem or the problem may be
misdiagnosed 74
5.2 Project level and communication level objectives 76
5.3 The difference between poorly worded and
SMART objectives 77
5.4 The difference between output and outcome objectives 78
5.5 How project communication can contribute to the
drivers of engagement 85
7.1 Overcoming blockers to authentic
leadership communication 124
7.2 What influences the way that a communication is received? 135
7.3 How communication can support people to adopt a change 140
9.1 Different types of research methodology 164
PREFACE
Why an update now?
I wrote the first edition of Communicating Projects back in 2013. Why a new
edition now? What’s changed?
The truth is that some things are just the same and always will be. The
principles of good communication are constant. Things such as getting to
know your stakeholders and looking at things from their perspective, set-
ting objectives and measuring effectiveness are evergreen.
However, a few things have changed. Through teaching internal com-
munication practitioners at PR Academy I see more and more focus on
change communication. This is good news because it means that change
projects are recognising the need for comms and bringing people on board
to help. For the relationship between project and communication to work
the best it can, each needs an understanding of the other. Comms practi-
tioners need to understand how projects work and projects need to know
what they should expect (and not expect!) from their comms colleagues.
Communicators are often working alongside, or as part of, change man-
agement teams but how should this relationship work? There is the poten-
tial for overlap between the roles – for example, both are concerned with
stakeholders – but when the functions work together well it’s much more
likely that the project benefits will be realised.
