An experienced Project Manager typically spends about 90 percent of their time on communication. Which of the following will result and have the biggest impact if communication regarding Project A is not being done effectively?
Explanation
Answer: a - Scope creep is when the number of deliverables or total work required for a project grows and includes items that were not noted as being integral in the project’s charter or in any change requests. Scope creep typically causes project delays and huge cost increases due to additional labor, materials and missed deadlines. It is a project manager’s job to keep the scope of work within what is defined by the agreed upon requirements.
Encoded messages pertain to how we communicate with others - the meaning of what we say is not always perfectly clear as it is wrapped up in tone, word choice and method of communication.
Feedback is merely getting one’s views on the prevalence of poor communication and could be beneficial, but would not impact the project as much as scope creep.
Change requests typically are born out of meetings with project stakeholders, tend to be limited in nature, and can be controlled/scheduled. You’d rather formal change requests than scope creep.
CPI is a measure of cost performance.
Key Take Away: Scope creep is one of the biggest detriments to any project and any PM's career. Experienced Project Managers know that the best way to keep a project on track is to be constantly aware and critical of project changes, to keep the project true to its charter.
We find that much of scope creep occurs at the very beginning of a project when PMs do not sufficiently document and communicate the scope of the work. By nature, PMs spend a lot of time talking about what they can do during the selling process, but not what they won't do. If you say you can do it, and you don't state you won't in some type of formal document, it tends to be expected by stakeholders.
