365QOD- Day1105

Channels of Communication

"Who needs to know?"- my question to myself

While managing projects it is very easy to overlook a critical stakeholder.  A stakeholder is someone that can positively or negatively affect the projects.  So not communication with stakeholders could be disastrous.

Let us consider the number of communications between people.  Suppose two people are talking between each other.  There exists only one channel of communication.  This channel has both back and forth direction but it is still only one channel.

By definition, there exist

                          n*(n-1)/2 

channels between people.  For two people, n=2, it is 2*(2-1)/2=1.  If we consider three people, n=3, then 3*(3-1)/2=3*2/2=3.

Most teams that I work with have ten people or more that are stakeholders.  For n=10, then the number of channels is 10*9/2=45.  I have to be aware that there are 45 potential channels that are taking place that I might not be informing, managing, or controlling.  This is very critical to a team's success and needs to be carefully managed.

Today's question is:
"How many people are stakeholders on your project?"