Communication Planning

Correct Answer: Assign a meeting facilitator

The best solution to maintain focus on the meeting agenda would be to assign a meeting facilitator. The facilitator's job is to guide the meeting and ensure that all topics on the agenda are covered effectively. They can also control the meeting discussions and manage any conflicts that may arise, steering the conversation back to the agenda if things get off-track. Holding separate meetings for each team lead may not be conducive to collaborative decision-making and could be highly time-consuming. Ignoring conflicts and continuing discussions would not address the root cause of the problem and could result in unresolved issues and lingering tension among team leads. Lastly, leaving decision-making to higher management defeats the purpose of having a project manager and could disempower the team leads.

Correct Answer: Implement daily stand-ups supplemented with visual progress boards

In agile projects, effective communication requires frequent, transparent, and lightweight methods of sharing information. Daily stand-ups with visual progress boards represent the optimal agile approach because: - They enable real-time information sharing - Visual boards provide instant status updates - The approach maintains agile principles of transparency and minimal documentation - It facilitates quick problem identification and resolution - Team members stay aligned with project goals The other options are less effective because: - Detailed weekly reports with comprehensive metrics create unnecessary documentation and overhead - Bi-weekly team meetings are too infrequent for agile projects and may delay important communications - Monthly reporting cycles with extensive documentation contradict agile principles by being too slow and formal The key is to maintain frequent, transparent communication while keeping documentation lean and meaningful.

Correct Answer: Create a rotating schedule with varied meeting times and formats to accommodate all stakeholders

The best approach is to create a rotating schedule with varied meeting times and formats to accommodate all stakeholders. Here's why: Best Answer Explanation: - Demonstrates flexibility and inclusivity in project communication - Ensures all stakeholders can participate meaningfully at different times - Addresses diverse time commitments and scheduling constraints - Shows consideration for stakeholder needs while maintaining project progress - Allows for various communication formats to enhance participation Why Other Options Are Less Effective: - Mandatory peak hour meetings may exclude stakeholders with conflicting commitments or different time zones - Basing schedule solely on project sponsor's availability could alienate other key stakeholders and reduce engagement - Using standard core working hours fails to account for stakeholders' varying schedules and commitments Key Considerations: - Stakeholder engagement is crucial for project success - Different stakeholders have different time constraints and priorities - Flexible communication approaches increase participation and effectiveness - Rotating schedules ensure fair distribution of convenient and inconvenient times