leadership interpersonal and communication skills in project planning and management

1. Running head: INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS 1
The Importance of Interpersonal and Communication Skills in Project Planning
(Name)
(Institutional Affiliation)

2. INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS 2
Introduction
The subsequent step after the conception and initialization of the project is the project
planning phase. This phase being the second stage of project management practice
incorporates the procedure of laying out the tasks to be accomplished, determining the cost of
performing the outlined tasks, developing a schedule, and determining the resources to be
marshaled to accomplish the task at hand. Fundamentally, the project planning phase is the
cornerstone of the entire project. Without this phase, the whole project is doomed to failure.
As such, this stage involves brainstorming among the teams with all the individual team
members making a contribution to the successful fruition of the project. Therefore, during this
stage, interpersonal, communication and leadership skills are crucial as they are relevant to
conflict management, team building and relationship building.
Interpersonal and Communication Skills in Project Planning
Communication and interpersonal skills are important because they build relationships
and promote teamwork. According to Alam et al. (2010), a project manager’s ability to
communicate has great influence on how the teams execute their various tasks especially in
the project planning phase. This ability to communicate and interact with the team members
promotes a strong relationship and teamwork from all the members involved in the project.
Thus all the members are in a position to voice and be recognized for their contributions
which leads to a highly motivated workforce that is ready and willing to work with others for
the successful completion of the project. It is natural for individuals to associate with others in
order to come up with better and more efficient ways of accomplishing various tasks. As such,
with effective communication, team members often achieve their highest potential when they
freely ask for recommendations or counsel from others in the team.

3. INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS 3
Communication and interpersonal skills assist resolve disputes easily and also prevent
conflict from arising. Ng and Walker (2008) observed that disputes are inevitable and are
primarily brought about by restrictions in schedules and budget, power struggle due to an
overlap in duties, as well as the varying learning curves of the team members.
Communication skills are thus crucial in resolving such disputes in the planning phase. The
ability of the project manager to manage his temperament and know the appropriate time to
raise or lower his voice, when to confirm, object or contribute, and which words to use for
maximum effectiveness will reduce miscommunication that often leads to disagreements and
disputes. Furthermore, according to Stagnaro and Piotrowski (2013), it is the responsibility of
the project manager to supervise all tasks and resolve conflict. Thus, leaders in all contexts
must be able to effectively communicate with the workforce to find a common ground
effectively avoiding disputes and conflicts that are no more than time wasting activities.
Conclusion
Based on the reasons mentioned above, it is evident that interpersonal and leadership
skills are indispensable in the project planning phase. This phase is where teamwork is
crucial. Consequently, communication skills are also paramount during this phase as this soft
skill aids in avoiding conflicts that are a detriment to the teams’ relationships. In summary, an
effective project manager should possess exceptional interpersonal and leadership skills as
well as be an effective communicator.

4. INTERPERSONAL AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS 4
References
Alam, M., Gale, A., Brown, M., & Khan, A. I. (2010). The importance of human skills in
project management professional development. International Journal of Managing
Projects in Business, 495-516.
Ng, C.-H. T., & Walker, D. H. (2008). A study of project management leadership styles
across life cycle stages of an IT project in Hong Kong. International Journal of
Managing Projects in Business, 404-427.
Stagnaro, C., & Piotrowski, C. (2013). Shared Leadership In IT Project Management: A
Practice Survey. International Journal of Management and Information Systems, 223-
234.