The document discusses the importance of mindfulness for healthcare professionals amid rising issues such as stress, burnout, and mental health disorders that impede their effectiveness and patient care. It outlines various mindfulness practices, their historical origins, and their potential benefits, emphasizing that mindfulness can enhance self-care, emotional regulation, and resilience in healthcare settings. The study highlights the necessity for healthcare professionals and organizations to prioritize wellbeing to improve service delivery.

1. Surname 1
Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Title
Mindfulness Among Healthcare Professionals
Currently, cases of disrespect, stress, prejudgment,
reduced concentration at work, poor conflict resolution skills,
reduced resilience, reduced engagement in physical activities,
and reduced expression of creative arts, among others, have
increased significantly among various professionals. These
actions have derailed the reputation of various professionals.
They have also compromised the professionals’ deliverables,
thus leaving their clients unsatisfied. This study, therefore, is
specific to healthcare professionals. Healthcare is a very vital
service in the life of humans, such that the people providing it
must always be keen and sober when on duty. This
argumentative essay will aim to teach healthcare professionals
on the importance of mindfulness and how such knowledge can
improve the quality of the delivery of healthcare services.
Shea (2016) states that “The present defines the future.
The future builds on the foundation of the past” (15).
Mindfulness has a history chronologically describing how it
came about. The practice of mindfulness practice was employed
in various religious and philosophical teachings such as
Buddhism, Hinduism, and Yoga. More recently, the practice has
expanded into non-religious meditation. Mindfulness was
mainly popular in the religious and spiritual communities of the
East. Its spread in the Western world can only be linked to
particular people and secular institutio ns. It is important to note
that some commentators argue that the history of mindfulness
should not only be confined to Buddhism and Hinduism, as the
practice also has origin in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity

2. (Shea 20). Depending on people’s thoughts, many theories can
be applied to explain the history of mindfulness, leading to
conflicting conclusions.
The possible arguments of the theories can be traced to its
origin in the field of medicine, Christianity, and Islam.
Mindfulness might indeed have been much applied in the
Christian, Islam, and the medicine set up. However, at the time
of this research, there existed no material pieces of evidence to
support that. The available materials show that mindfulness was
popularly used in Buddhism and Hinduism. The modern western
world later came to learn the practice of mindfulness from the
traditions of Buddhists and Hindus. Therefore, this paper will
focus on mindfulness from a Buddhist and Hindu perspective. In
the succeeding paragraphs, we will get to know the different
mental and emotional issues that healthcare professionals
struggle with, the general definition of mindful practices,
specific mindful practices that may help the healthcare
professionals. The paper will address any opposing arguments
and, finally, offer opportunities for future research.
From the resources employed to develop this paper, there
is significant evidence that shows that the increase in anxiety
disorders, sleep disorders, psychological disorders, and mood
changes are higher in healthcare professionals than other
professionals in other industries. Some factors that have been
reported as the causes of mental health disorders include low
levels of support from supervisors and co-workers, time
pressure, heavy workload, uncertainty regarding decisions, little
autonomy, and sleep deprivation due to night-shift work.
Healthcare workers also suffer from burnout, which is as a
result of chronic stress, a state of exhaustion combined with
doubts about the value of one’s work and competence. It is
directly correlated with depression. Healthcare professionals are
usually exposed to conflicting situations, thus causing
depression and anxiety in them. Despite such violent
circumstances in their workplace, the healthcare workers must
keep working in the place where such violence occurred. This

3. reminds them of the violent events, thus experiencing anxiety
associated with a potential threat.
Healthcare professionals are under pressure to face their
clients with empathy instead of expressing negative emotions.
Thus, there is a need for them to stamp down their antagonistic
emotion aptly. This kind of work is referred to as emotional
labor. Severe emotional labor is a significant job stress -or
linked to mental disorders and burnout. The act of a healthcare
worker engaging in complaining patients is also linked to
anxiety and depression. Sleep disorders are more common in
healthcare professionals than other workers, due to night-shift
work, a renown cause of shift work-related disorders.
Nightmares, night terrors, somnambulism, and narcolepsy are
other critical sleep disorders affecting healthcare professionals.
Mindfulness generally refers to the practice of being
attentive in the present moment and doing it deliberately and
with mindfulness. The mindfulness meditation act relates to the
intentional methods of regulating attention through the
observation of thoughts, body states, and emotions. Your daily
activities bring ample chances to call up mindfulness at any
moment. These five daily actions can result in more mindfulness
in your life. They include, firstly, mindful waking up. On
waking up, sit on your bed in a relaxed posture, with your spine
straight. Close your eyes and link them with the sensations of
your seated body. Take about three long breaths—breath in
through your nose and out via your mouth. Formulate and set
your day’s goals and ensure you pursue and achieve them.
The second mindful action is Mindful eating. Breathe
before eating. Listen to your body by bringing your attention to
the physical sense experience in your belly. Eat per your hunger
by being mindful of what you eat, how much you eat, and when
to eat. Eat peacefully. If you don't love it, don't eat it. Thirdly,
practice the mindful pause, rewire your brain—trip over what
you want to do, whether to do some yoga, or to meditate.
Refresh your triggers regularly and create new patterns.
Fourthly, have a mindful workout by activating your mind and

4. muscles. Be clear about your aims, a warm-up for at least five
minutes, and try some simple moves like jumping jacks. By
moving consistently, your brain activity, nervous system, and
heart rate begin to align and stabilize. Settle on a speed,
challenge yourself by increasing the speed, cool down, and
finally, have rest. Finally, have a mindful drive by driving
yourself calmly and not crazy.
Other general mindfulness practices include mindful non-
judgmental awareness f breadth, body, feelings, thoughts, and
emotions, mindful walking meditation, mindful eating, mindful
body scan in a sitting or lying position, listening with non-
judgment. Mindfulness results in reduced stress and improved
ability to manage stress increased focus; the improved ability to
pay attention, concentrate and focus, improved emotion
regulation and reduced impulsiveness, increased emotional
intelligence and conflict resolution skills, increased empathy,
respect, and understanding of others, increased capacity to
overcome challenges and intelligence, increased engagement in
physical activity, improved creativity and collaboration.
The potential benefits of concatenating mindfulness into
the lives of health care professionals are multidimensional and
far-reaching. There are three pathways to this concatenation.
First, for helping professionals, self-care is obligatory for
providing efficient care. Mindfulness education has been shown
to cut down anxiety, depression, stress and rumination, and to
better-compassion and positive mood states in health care
professionals. Second, the practice of mindfulness improves
qualities that are captious to effective treatment, such as
attention, emotion regulation, empathy, and affect endurance.
Practicing mindfulness appears to help clinicians be more
present and effective during sessions. Third, experience with
the practice of mindfulness is essential for professionals
wishing to provide mindfulness-based treatments.
Health care professionals are driven to work with the
purpose that they should be caring for others, yet often the view
of caring for themselves as selfish in some way. If they do not

5. involve in self-care and are consistently working themselves to
the limit, perhaps suffering from burnout, it is unlikely that they
will have ample energy to help others in the ways they would
like. There is accelerating cognizance that productivity,
creativity, and extended high enthusiasm are not the result of
prolonged engagement with stressful mental frameworks.
Instead, they require a more balanced, protective
conceptualization to the social control of personal energy and
one’s responses to the environment and situations that arise.
It has been exhibited that persons and groups can be taught
to process their effect to stressful conditions in productive ways
that aid resilience, well-being, and long-term health. That is
why health care organizations such as IHI are, to a great extent,
centralized on restoring satisfaction and joy to health care it is
not adequate to depend on clinical skills and the want to do
great to face the mounting challenges of delivering safe, quality
care in a frantic workplace. We need a workforce that is
armored with training to be more present-minded, resilient, and
compassionate toward patients and themselves.
“For more than 20 years, in my former role as part of the U. S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s emergency response team, I
have worked on several natural and man-made disasters,” Ali
provides a fact about himself.
Ali in The Progressive Magazine, provides the statistics of
the American Emergency Service according to the American
Security Foundation. “American Security Foundation estimates
that America has 891,000 emergencies medical service (EMS)
professionals, including 600,000 EMT s and 142,000
paramedics.” Ali also offers the data of the firefighters
according to the National Fire Department Registry, “there are
approximately 1.065,200 firefighters serving in 27,195 fire
departments nationwide, and responding to emergencies from
51,382 fire stations.” He then outlines some of the emotional
issues that healthcare professionals go through (“Protect Our
First Responders”).
This study has a few limitations, hence giving room for

6. future research. First, as a crosswise study, reasoning regarding
the effects of unmindful practices is limited, and several
prejudices could have affected the results. Healthcare
professionals troubled by a mental disorder may have quit their
jobs since they need to utilize emotional intelligence to perform
their duties. However, we cannot evaluate the size of this
healthy worker effect mathematically. Generally, workers in
healthcare facilities have high knowledge of health and physical
convenience for medical services. In psychiatric disorders,
despite higher convenience, such knowledge can make them
more reactive to the risk of ‘stigmatization’ by their workmates
or supervisors. The prejudice caused by variation in
accessibility could be substantiated via comparing results with
control-diseases such as thyroid disease and rheumatic disease.
Still, it could not be confirmed could not confirm it.
Second, the healthcare sector includes several occupations
such as nurses, laboratory technicians, facility maintenance
workers, and medical doctors. There could be variations in
occupational stress factors and approximated preponderance of
mental disorders among these workers. Third, most people in
the broad population wonder about possible demerits in the
workplace caused by psychiatric diagnoses, which, then, leads
to some patients electing not to apply for national health
insurance for treatment to avoid a report of such treatment
being into the public record.
Conclusion
Healthcare professionals need to understand the importance of
mindfulness and how such knowledge can improve the quality
of the delivery of healthcare services. From the above
arguments, it is evident that the increase in anxiety disorders,
sleep disorders, mood disorders, and various psychiatric
disorders among professionals in the healthcare industry is a
worrying trend. As healthcare workers strive towards employing
mindfulness in their work, it is also essential for pati ents and
the management of healthcare organizations to ensure that they
are also mindful of the well-being of healthcare workers.

7. Works Cited
Bass, S. Jonathan. Blessed Are the Peacemakers : Martin Luther
King, Jr., Eight White Religious Leaders, and the "Letter from
Birmingham Jail". Baton Rouge, La. :Louisiana State University
Press, 2001.
Braun, Sarah Ellen, Patricia Anne Kinser, and Bruce
Rybarczyk;Can mindfulness in health care professionals
improve patient care? An integrative review and proposed
model." Translational behavioral medicine 9.2 (2019):
187-201.
Calabrese, Leonard H. “Why Mindfulness/Meditation Is a ‘No-
Brainer’ for Health-Care Professionals.” Journal of Patient
Experience, vol. 6, no. 1, Mar. 2019, pp. 21–23,
doi:10.1177/2374373518774390.
Johnson, Sarah. “How Can Health and Care Professionals Use
Mindfulness?” The Guardian, 20 Sept. 2017,
www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2016/jun/07/health-
social-care-professionals-use-mindfulness.
Raab, Kelley. "Mindfulness, self-compassion, and empathy
among health care professionals: a review of the
literature." Journal of health care chaplaincy 20.3 (2014): 95-
108.
Shapiro, S., et al. "Chapter 14 - Mindfulness for Health Care
Professionals and Therapists in Training." Mindfulness-Based
Treatment Approaches (Second Edition), 2nd ed., Elsevier
Inc., 2014, pp. 319-345.
Shea, Christopher. " A brief history of mindfulness in the
USA and its impact on our lives." Psych Central 27
(2016).
PJM 6210 Communication Skills for Project Managers:
Paper: Pulse of the Profession-NotStarve Kitchen
Overview and Rationale

8. In this assignment you will research NotStarve Kitchen and
reflect on how the project relates to communication practices.
Completing this assignment will allow you to demonstrate
proficiency with the content in this course and allow you reflect
on how the content impacts your practice.
Program and Course Outcomes
This assignment is directly linked to the following key learning
outcomes from the course syllabus:
· LO2: Assess the impact of organizational communication
culture on project management and managers
In addition to these key learning outcomes, you will also have
the opportunity to evidence the following skills through
completing this assignment:
· Critical thinking and analysis
Essential Components & Instructions
Read PMI’s Pulse of the Profession In-Depth Report: The
Essential Role of Communications, conduct research on
NotStarve Kitchen, and provide an analysis of NotStarve
Kitchen to the findings within PMI’s paper. Based on your
current knowledge of the project, the information available on
NotStarve Kitchen, and PMI’s report do you feel NotStarve
Kitchen is a "high-performing organization" that understands
the importance of communication or does NotStarve Kitchen
struggle with communication?
Based on your analysis address the following topics in a
coherent and integrated paper.
Topic 1 - Current Status of the Organization:
· Provide an overview of NotStarve Kitchen
· Does NotStarve Kitchen struggle with either of the problem
areas mentioned on page 4, "A gap in understanding the
business benefits" and "Challenges surrounding the language
used to deliver product-related information, which is often
unclear and peppered with project management jargon"?
· Would NotStarve Kitchen be considered a “high-performing

9. organization”?
Topic 2 - Recommendations: Which of the following strategies
would you recommend for NotStarve Kitchen to adopt or to
continue? Why?
· Close the communications gap around business benefits.
· Tailor communications to different stakeholder groups.
· Acknowledge the value of project management, including
project management communications.
· Use standardized project communication practices, and use
them effectively.
Format & Guidelines: This is a very short paper, and will be a
great exercise in gathering peer reviewed research, reading and
understanding the research and then synthesizing your thoughts
in a very clear concise manner. In the Blackboard assignment, I
have provided a template for your use. The paper should follow
the following format:
· The document should be no more than 5 pages
· Page 1 = Title Page
· Page 2 = Abstract
· Page 3-4 = Introduction, Topic 1 and Topic 2, conclusion
· Page 5 = References
Below are some key guidelines you will want to ensure you
follow in this assignment. Think of this short list as a quality
control checklist, along with the attached grading rubric.
· Document should professionally formatted using titles,
headers, and bullets where appropriate.
· You must include a title page and cite any outside sources
using a works cited page according to APA 6th
edition guidelines
· Submission is free of grammatical errors and misspellings
· Double spaced, times new roman, 12 point font, 1 inch
margins
· Direct quotes should account for no more that 15 percent of
paper (use direct quotes sparingly)

10. Please be sure to review the attached rubric. It along with these
assignment instructions will ensure you have a solid
understanding of the assignment requirements.
Rubric(s)
Assessment Element
Above Standard
(100-95%)
Meets Standards
(94.9 – 84%)
Approaching Standards
(83.9 – 77%)
Below Standard
(76.9 – 70%)
Not Evident
(69.9 – 0%)
Topic 1
(25%)
Coherently addresses all questions pertaining to a specific
organization and makes complex connection between the article
and the organization in question
Coherently addresses all questions pertaining to a specific
organization using appropriate citations from the article
provided that connect the article and the organization
Addresses questions pertaining to a specific organization using
appropriate citations from the article with

11. Briefly addresses questions, but does not address a specific
organization or lacks detail or does not connect article to the
current organization
Does not address the questions or does so insufficiently
Topic 2
(25%)
Addresses all questions and makes coherent and specific
recommendations based on current status and the article content
that is clearly articulated
Addresses all questions and makes coherent and specific
recommendations based on current status and the article content
Addresses questions and makes general recommendations based
on current status and the article content
Briefly addresses questions and make recommendations based
on current status and the article, but is not specific, or lacks
detail
Does not provide recommendations or recommendations do not
follow from the description of the current status or the article
content
Personal Competencies
(25%)
Assignment reflects an excellent use of written communication
skills and a professional respect for others integrated
throughout the paper in a way that synthesizes with the key
topical area
Assignment clearly reflects written communication skills and a
professional respect for others integrated throughout the paper

12. in a way that synthesizes with the key topical
Assignment reflects written communication skills and
professionalism throughout.
Reflects vague and unclear applicable personal competencies
Does not reflect applicable personal competencies
Format
(15%)
Presents a logical and organized format that can be followed.
Clearly evident to reader what is contained in each section.
Sections are unified and not redundant or contradictory with
other sections. Virtually no errors in formatting, citations, or
references.
Presents a well-organized format that can be followed. Evident
to reader what is contained in each section. Sections are
integrated but not redundant or contradictory with other
sections. Rare errors in formatting, citations, or references.
Presents a reasonably organized format that can be followed. It
is generally clear to reader what is contained in each section.
Some integration between sections and not generally redundant
or contradictory with other sections. Few errors in formatting,
citations, or references.
Paper has issues with organization that make it hard to follow.
It is unclear to reader what is contained in each section. Little
integration between sections and there is some redundancy or
contradiction with other sections. Some errors in formatting,
citations, or references.
Not presented in an organized format. Not evident to reader
what is contained in each section. Sections are not integrated
and there is redundancy or contradictions with other sections.
Multiple errors in formatting, citations, or references.
Grammar & Clarity

13. (10%)
Expresses ideas and opinions in a clear and concise manner with
obvious connection to the assignment
Uses clear language to accurately express abstract ideas and
explain concepts
Minor errors in writing and lack of clarity and accuracy
Many errors in writing and lack of clarity and accuracy
Uses unclear language and fails to express abstract ideas and
explain concepts accurately
MAY 2013
ORGANIZATI ONAL
AGILITY
PMI’s
PULSE OF THE PROFESSION IN-DEPTH REPORT
THE HIGH COST OF LOW PERFORMANCE:
THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF COMMUNICATIONS
2 ©2013 Project Management Institute, Inc. The Essential Role
of Communications, May 2013.
E X E C U T I V E S U M M A RY
In the context of organizational project and program
management, communications is a core competency that, when
properly executed, connects every member of a project team to
a common set of strategies, goals and actions. Unless
these components are effectively shared by project leads and

14. understood by stakeholders, project outcomes are
jeopardized and budgets incur unnecessary risk.
As reported by PMI’s 2013 Pulse of the ProfessionTM, an
organization’s ability to meet project timelines, budgets and
especially goals significantly impacts its ability to survive—and
even thrive. As they address the urgent need to improve
project success rates, organizations are faced with a complex
and risky environment that includes:
» A “do more with less” economic climate
» Expanding global priorities
» Necessity to enable innovation
The Pulse study also revealed that the most crucial success
factor in project management is effective communications
to all stakeholders—a critical core competency to all
organizations. In a complex and competitive business climate,
organizations cannot afford to overlook this key element of
project success and long-term profitability.
Business research from Forbes, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
and Towers Watson shows that organizatio ns are very
aware of the positive impact that effective communications has
on projects, programs, and portfolios. However,
what hasn’t been clear until now is how much of an impact
ineffective communications has on project outcomes and
subsequent business success. PMI’s Pulse of the ProfessionTM
In-Depth Report: The Essential Role of Communications
provides that eye-opening insight.
PMI’s 2013 Pulse of the ProfessionTM report revealed that
US$135
million is at risk for every US$1 billion spent on a project.
Further
research on the importance of effective communications

15. uncovers that a startling 56 percent (US$75 million of that
US$135 million) is at risk due to ineffective communications.
(See Figure 1)
Despite this risk, many organizations admit that they are
currently
not placing adequate importance on effectively communicating
critical project information, especially when explaining the
business benefits of strategic initiatives to stakeholders at all
levels of a project. Organizations cannot execute strategic
initiatives unless they can effectively communicate their
strategic
alignment and business benefits.
PMI’s Pulse communications research finds that effective
communications leads to more successful projects, allowing
organizations to become high performers (completing an
average of 80 percent of projects on time, on budget and
meeting original goals). These organizations risk 14 times fewer
dollars than their low-performing counterparts. The
report also focuses on communications challenges that prevent
organizations from accomplishing more successful
projects, and identifies key initiatives that can help
organizations improve their communication as they face their
own
unique challenges in such a complex and risky environment.
US$75 MILLIONUS$135 MILLION
56 PERCENT IS AT RISK
DUE TO INEFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATIONS
TOTAL
DOLLARS
AT RISK

16. DOLLARS
AT RISK DUE TO
INEFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATIONS
Figure 1. The amount at risk for every US$1 billion
spent on a project.
3©2013 Project Management Institute, Inc. The Essential Role
of Communications, May 2013.
E X E C U T I V E S A N D P RO J E C T M A N AG E R S
AG R E E :
C O M M U N I C AT I O N S I S C R I T I C A L
Executives and project managers around the world agree that
poor communications contributes to project failure. The
Forbes Insights 2010 Strategic Initiatives Study “Adapting
Corporate Strategy to the Changing Economy,” found that
nine out of ten CEOs believe that communications is critical to
the success of their strategic initiatives, and nearly half of
respondents cite communications as an integral and active
component of their strategic planning and execution process.
And project managers see it similarly from their side; according
to PMI’s Pulse research, 55 percent of project managers
agree that effective communications to all stakeholders is the
most critical success factor in project management.
The third global PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLC (PwC) survey on the current state of
project management reveals that, according
to executives, effective communications
is associated with a 17 percent increase in

17. finishing projects within budget.
Similarly, the Towers Watson 2011-2012
“Change and Communication ROI Study
Report” shows that companies that have
highly-effective communications practices
are 1.7 times more likely to outperform their
peers financially.
Clearly, organizations are very aware of
just how critical effective communications
is to the success of strategic projects
and, ultimately, organizational success. However, the Pulse
communications research finds that only one in four
organizations can be described as highly-effective
communicators. This suggests that the majority of organizations
have opportunities to identify problem areas and chart a course
to improve the effectiveness of their project
communications. The Pulse communications report quantifies
just how much effective communications can lead to
more successful projects, and just how much ineffective
communications can cost an organization.
Sources:
1 PMI’s 2013 Pulse of the Profession™
2 PMI’s Pulse of the ProfessionTM In-Depth: The Essential
Role of Communications
Figure 3. Organizations that communicate more effectively have
more
successful projects.
ORGANIZATIONS THAT COMMUNICATE MORE
EFFECTIVELY HAVE MORE SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS
52%

18. 37%
71%
76%
48%
MET
ORIGINAL
GOALS
ON TIME
WITHIN
BUDGET
MINIMALLY-EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS
HIGHLY-EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS
ORGANIZATIONS THAT COMMUNICATE MORE
EFFECTIVELY HAVE MORE SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS
52%
37%
71%
76%
48%

19. MET
ORIGINAL
GOALS
ON TIME
WITHIN
BUDGET
MINIMALLY-EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS
HIGHLY-EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS
Figure 2. Ineffective communication puts US$75 million at risk.
US$75 MILLION
% OF PROJECTS THAT
FAIL DUE TO INEFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
(CONTRIBUTING FACTOR)
(21.0%)
% OF EVERY DOLLAR
AT RISK DUE TO
INEFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
(CONTRIBUTING FACTOR)
(7.5%)

20. % OF PROJECTS
NOT MEETING
GOALS
(37.7%) 1
% OF UNSUCCESSFUL
PROJECTS WHERE
INEFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION IS
CONTRIBUTING FACTOR
(55.7%) 2
% OF FAILED
PROJECTS’
BUDGET LOST
(35.9%) 1
THE AMOUNT AT RISK DUE TO
INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS,
FOR EVERY US$1 BILLION SPENT
ON A PROJECT
+ +=
=
4 ©2013 Project Management Institute, Inc. The Essential Role
of Communications, May 2013.
THE REAL RISKS OF INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

21. Not all projects succeed. On average, two in five projects do not
meet their original goals and business intent, and one-half of
those
unsuccessful projects are related to ineffective communications.
(See Figure 4) This translates to US$75 million at risk for every
US$1 billion spent – more than 50 percent of the US$135
million
reported by PMI’s Pulse report. (See Figure 2)
Not only is an organization risking dollars, but it is risking
project success rates. Our research proves that ineffective
communications leads to fewer successful projects;
organizations
that are minimally-effective communicators report significantly
fewer projects that meet original goals, come in on time, and
complete within budget. (See Figure 3) Organizations must
take ownership of this problem and spearhead initiatives that
will
improve communications and prevent additional project
failures.
THE COMMUNICATIONS GAP, LANGUAGE CHALLENGES
Results reveal that while all aspects of project communications
can be challenging to organizations, the biggest problem areas
are:
» A gap in understanding the business benefits.
» Challenges surrounding the language used to deliver project-
related information,
which is often unclear and peppered with project
management jargon.
The Gap Surrounding Business Benefits

22. PMI’s research indicates that organizations recognize that
effective communication is an important component of success.
However, it also reveals that understanding the importance of
communication does not always guarantee successful
communications. Our study finds a disconnect within
organizations; while business owners and executive sponsors
report that
communications about business benefits and alignment to
strategy is communicated, project managers do not agree. PMO
directors and senior project leaders in the organization must
take ownership of this gap and translate the business benefits of
strategic initiatives to the project teams. (See Figure 5)
Figure 4. One out of five projects is unsuccessful due to
ineffective communications.
UNSUCCESSFUL PROJECTS
SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS
Due to ineffective
communication
Figure 5. Compared to project managers, business owners and
executive sponsors report
that their organizations are communicating business benefit/
contribution to strategy of
projects more frequently. (Average Top 2 Box (Virtually
Always/ Most of the Time))
“Everyone needs
to understand the
long-term goal so
they can know how
they’re contributing,
how they’re making

23. an impact.”
Jennifer Georgius,
Program Manager at TD Bank
54%
52%
57% 57%
64%
62%
66%65% 67%
59%
63%63% 65%
67% 68%
43%
60%60% 62%
OBJECTIVES BUDGET SCHEDULE SCOPE OUTCOMES
BENEFIT/STRATEGY
PRACTITIONERS EXECUTIVE SPONSORS BUSINESS
OWNERS
5©2013 Project Management Institute, Inc. The Essential Role
of Communications, May 2013.
When companies close the gap between the developers of the

24. strategy and those that must execute it, projects are more
successful. Organizations that report more frequent project
communications, particularly surrounding the business benefit
and contribution to strategy, average significantly more
successful projects versus organizations that communicate that
same information less frequently. (See Figure 6)
The Pitfalls of Poor Language
Research findings show that organizations have
difficulty communicating with the appropriate levels
of clarity and detail. This difficulty is likely exacerbated
by the divide between each key audience and its
understanding (or lack thereof) of project-specific,
technical language. (See Figure 7)
Not surprisingly, this trouble spot also impacts the
success of an organization’s strategic initiatives.
The data show that an average of four out of five
projects that are communicated with sufficient
clarity and detail—communicated in the language
of the audience—meet their original business goals
and intent, compared to just over half of projects
when communications are not sufficiently clear and
detailed. (See Figure 6)
From these indicators, it is evident that project success is
dependent upon communicating the correct information to the
appropriate stakeholders, using clear and relevant language that
resonates with the audience.
40%-
60%-
100%-

25. 80%-
20%-
0%-
10%-
30%-
50%-
70%-
90%-
FREQUENT COMMUNICATION THAT IS CLEAR AND
RELEVANT, AND FREQUENT
COMMUNICATION ABOUT BUSINESS BENEFIT AND
CONTRIBUTION TO
STRATEGY = MORE SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS
81%
65%
82%
60%
84%
54%
BUSINESS
BENEFIT/

26. STRATEGY
WITH SUFFICIENT
CLARITY &
DETAIL
NON-TECHNICAL
LANGUAGE
PERCENT OF PROJECTS MEETING ORIGINAL GOALS AND
BUSINESS INTENT
COMMUNICATE INFREQUENTLYCOMMUNICATE
FREQUENTLY
IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS TO MAXIMIZE SUCCESS
AND MINIMIZE RISK
Clearly, organizations that communicate
more effectively have more successful
projects. Findings show that high
performers are more effective
communicators. Thus, it is no surprise
that highly-effective communicators
are five times more likely to be high
performers3 than minimally-effective
communicators. And as reported in
the Pulse study, high-performing

27. organizations put 14 times fewer
dollars at risk. These findings suggest
that low performers can clearly benefit
from improving their communications
practices, as improvements will enable
them to realize more successful
projects, and fewer dollars at risk.
(See Figure 8)
Figure 8. Communication effectiveness and high performance:
those who
communicate more effectively are more likely to be high
performers.
HIGH PERFORMERS COMMUNICATE MORE FREQUENTLY
ACROSS ALL TOPICS, INCLUDING COMMUNICATING THE
STRATEGY/ BUSINESS BENEFIT
62% 62%
57%
59%
56%
63%
66% 66%66%64%

28. TIMELY MANNER SUFFICIENT CLARITY
& DETAIL
NON-TECHNICAL
LANGUAGE
APPROPRIATE
SETTINGS OR MEDIA
PRACTITIONERS EXECUTIVE SPONSORS BUSINESS
OWNERS
59%
57%
Figure 6. Frequent communication that is clear and relevant,
and
frequent communication about business benefit and contribution
to
strategy leads to more successful projects. (Percent of projects
meeting
original goals and business intent)
Figure 7. The most difficulty reported is communicating with
the appropriate clarity/
detail, while the largest gap is communicating with universally
understood language.
(Average Top 2 Box (Virtually Always/ Most of the Time))
3 More projects that finish on time, within the original
budget, and with meeting the original goals and
business intent of the project are the hallmarks of
high-performing organizations, as they average 80
percent or more of projects for these three measures
(compared to low performers’ average of 60 percent or
fewer projects for all three measures.)

29. HIGHLY-EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS ARE
MORE THAN 5 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE
HIGH PERFORMERS THAN MINIMALLY-
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS
HIGHLY-EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATORS
7%
38%
MINIMALLY-EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATORS
6 ©2013 Project Management Institute, Inc. The Essential Rol e
of Communications, May 2013.
Figure 10. High performers communicate more frequently
than low performers in all ways of delivering the message.
(Average Top 2 Box (Virtually Always/ Most of the Time))
Figure 12. Project communications plans for high-performing
organizations are more than three times as effective.
Figure 11. High performers create formal communications
plans for nearly twice as many projects.
HIGH PERFORMERS CREATE FORMAL
COMMUNICATIONS
PLANS FOR NEARLY TWICE AS MANY PROJECTS
38%

30. 68%
HIGH
PERFORMERS LOW
PERFORMERS
PROJECTS CONTAINING A FORMAL
PROJECT COMMUNICATION PLAN
Figure 9. High performers communicate more frequently across
all topics, including communicating the strategy/business
benefit.
(Average Top 2 Box (Virtually Always/ Most of the Time))
36%36%
38%
49%
25%
64%
73%
75%
81%
83%
39%
76%
OBJECTIVES BUDGET SCHEDULE SCOPE OUTCOMES

31. BENEFIT/STRATEGY
HIGH PERFORMERS LOW PERFORMERS
High-performing organizations are better at communicating key
project topic areas, including objectives, budget, schedule,
scope, outcomes and the project’s business benefit. (See Figure
9)
Additionally, high-performing organizations are notably better
at delivering project communications in a timely manner,
providing sufficient clarity and detail, using non-technical
language, and choosing appropriate settings or media for the
delivery. (See Figure 10)
High-performing organizations use formal communications
plans more frequently, and more effectively
compared to low-performing organizations. High performers
create formal communications plans for
nearly twice as many projects. (See Figure 11) And, project
communications plans for high-performing
organizations are more than three times as effective compared
to their low-performing counterparts. (See Figure 12)
Data show that high-performing organizations distinguish
themselves by excelling in all quantified aspects of project
communications, specifically with regard to the gap and trouble
spots noted earlier.
»
»
»
LOW

32. PERFORMERS
20%
68%HIGHPERFORMERS
LOW
PERFORMERS
75%
79%
77%
72%
TIMELY MANNER SUFFICIENT CLARITY
& DETAIL
NON-TECHNICAL
LANGUAGE
APPROPRIATE
SETTINGS OR MEDIA
HIGH PERFORMERS LOW PERFORMERS
34%
39%
40%
42%

33. 7©2013 Project Management Institute, Inc. The Essential Role
of Communications, May 2013.
It is clear that high-performing organizations are far more
successful
at communications. Not surprisingly, the study also reveals that
high performers realize the critical importance of
communications
to the success of their projects—much more so than low-
performing
organizations (69 percent versus 58 percent). And, placing
importance on communications isn’t the only area in which high
performers excel; high-performing organizations report all
project
management-related tasks as much more important compared to
their low-performing counterparts. (See Figure 13)
EFFECTIVE STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS
LEAD TO MORE EFFECTIVE PROJECTS
Communications are impacted when different stakeholder
groups
use different jargon and language. This communications issue
can
also lead to different expectations for a project, which ends up
impacting the bottom line.
“… In any project you have to adjust the language depending on
the
audience [in one example] there is a technical team who
understands
the technical terms very well but doesn’t understand all the
project
management terms. So the project management terms need to be
translated into terms they can understand.”

34. “At the middle management level, they understand ‘operations.’
They understand more details, and probably these are the people
that I can use the project management terminology, and some
technical terminology, with – but not deep, deep technical
terminology… Senior management, they speak the language of
money. They want to know ‘hard numbers,’ ‘yes or no,’ … They
are
more focused on the ‘business value,’ on ‘cost and benefits…
but
not so much on the project management terminology. So in that
case I also have to translate that language into terms they are
familiar with and that they want to hear – which most of the
time
is about money.”
“A few years ago we had a major media project involving new
technology and it was very complex. Communication was
confusing
because it was new technology and there were high
expectations.
So the sales department was very good at communicating a
vision
and communicating some benefits... But the technical language
in the communications wasn’t that clear… So when I received
the project, I started to put together all the parts, going through
the contract and preparing all the resources. And I r ealiz ed
that ther e was a disconnect betw een the vision and what
the solution was going t o deliv er. Because of the lack of
t echnical knowledge and because of the complexity in the
con tr act and how the pr opos al was cr eat ed, ther e w er e
many inac c ur at e assumptions .”
“ So the first step in the project was clarifying that for senior
management. There was a misunderstanding about what the
solution was going to deliver. After many conversations

35. between the technical people and senior management we
decided that instead of being one project it would be three
phases in order to meet the deliverables desired by senior
management.”
- Victor Olvera, Program Manager, Cisco Systems
Figure 13. High-performing organizations report that project-
management related tasks are much more important compared to
their low-performing counterparts. (Percent Top 2 Box
(Critically/
Very Important))
95%
94%
79%
89%
76%
70%
92%
74%
IDENTIFYING
PROJECT
REQUIREMENTS
PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
COMMUNICATIONS

36. BALANCING PROJECT
SCOPE, QUALITY,
SCHEDULE, BUDGET,
RESOURCES AND RISK
MANAGING
PROJECT
STAKEHOLDERS
85%
66%
SOURCING AN
EFFECTIVE
PROJECT TEAM
HIGH PERFORMERS LOW PERFORMERS
8 ©2013 Project Management Institute, Inc. The Essential Role
of Communications, May 2013.
THE WAY FORWARD
Organizations that want to improve their communications and
become high performers,
should consider the following strategies.
1. Close the communications gap around business benefits.
PMO directors and senior project leaders need to take
ownership and better
communicate the strategic and business benefits of projects to
those responsible for

37. their implementation. When the gap is closed, projects are more
successful. High
performers are able to optimize outcomes by relaying this
information to project
teams frequently and effectively.
2. Tailor communications to different stakeholder groups.
Many organizations have difficulty communicating with the
appropriate level
of clarity and detail and in the appropriate language to all
stakeholders. High
performers understand that various stakeholder groups use
language differently
and tailor communications accordingly; they also recognize that
all groups need to
have a clear vision for the project and, ultimately,
organizational success.
3. Acknowledge the value of project management, including
project
management communications.
The Pulse reports that most organizations undervalue project
management, which
results in poor project performance. Findings show that high
performers place
more importance on project management tasks, particularly
project management
communications. As demonstrated, successful communications
are more apparent
in high-performing organizations, because they recognize the
importance and value
of effective project management communications, and project
management.

38. 4. Use standardized project communications practices, and use
them effectively.
The Pulse reports that high performers are almost three times
more likely
than low-performing organizations to use standardized practices
through
the organization, and have better project outcomes as a result.
One form of
standardized project management practice is a formal
communications plan,
which, though standardized, must be adaptable and suitable to
all stakeholders.
Findings show that high performers are using formal project
communications plans
more frequently and more effectively, allowing them to
successfully operate in a
complex and competitive business climate.
With US$75 million at risk due to ineffective communications –
more than 50 percent of
the US$135 million for every US$1 billion spent – the need for
effective communications
for project and ultimately, organization success, is clear.
Project success is dependent
upon communicating the right information to the appropriate
stakeholders using clear
and relevant language that resonates with the audience.
Ultimately, more effective
communications leads to improved project and program
management, more successful
projects, high performance, and fewer dollars at risk.
CONSISTENT
COMMUNICATIONS FROM
PROJECT TO PROJECT LEAD

39. TO EFFICIENCIES
Consistent communications is critical to
any successful project. Communications
protocol developments and appropriate
information and knowledge distribution
allows the team to meet original
business goals eff iciently. The more
information that is shared across the
organization re garding a project or
deliverable, the chances of scope
creep diminishes .
IBM’s “Keys to Building a Successful
Enterprise Project Management
Office” found: “One consistent project
management delivery approach across
IBM that improves delivery timeliness
and delivery timeliness and deliverable
quality while reducing project costs.
Communication is simplified and more
timely with standardized tools, formats,
and terminology. Project managers
across IBM benefit from others’
experience so they no longer waste
time reinventing techniques already
successfully used.”
9©2013 Project Management Institute, Inc. The Essential Role
of Communications, May 2013.
PROJECT OWNERS NEED TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF
THE C-SUITE

40. Communicating to an organization’s top leadership requires
sensitivity to both language and
form with the right amount of detail is critical to success.
In “Speak the Language of Leadership” by Phil Bristol and Gary
Yeatts, they explain “With
an expertise in the science of project management, a project
manager (PM) communicates
complex concepts using a highly defined, specialized
language… have specific meaning
and help project management professionals converse concerning
the technical aspects of a
project. This specialized project management language assists a
PM to understand then apply
knowledge in a particular project.”
“Just as the technical language for managing a project helps to
define outcomes, the language
of leadership assists a PM to understand and apply
communication skills in a way, which creates
trust, manages conflict, invites commitment, and embraces
accountability while producing the
right results. Successful PMs have both, project management
and leadership skills.”
Director of Project Management at AT&T Jason Gadsby notes “I
think the folks that fail are not
tying it back to our senior level strategy.”
PMI’s Pulse of the ProfessionTM In-Depth Report: The
Essential Role of Communications research was conducted in
March
2013 among 742 project management practitioners with three or
more years of project management experience and who
are currently working in project management full-time, and
among 148 executive sponsors and 203 business owners who

41. have been involved in large capital projects with total budgets
of US$250,000 or more in the past three years and are within
organizations with a minimum of 1,000 employees worldwide.
Project Management Institute — Headquarters | 14 Campus
Blvd, Newtown Square, PA 19073-3299 USA
Toll number: +1 610 356 4600 | Toll free number: +1 855 746
4849
Fax: +1 610 482 9971 | PMI.org | #pmipulse
www.pmi.org
Running head: FULL TITLE OF YOUR PAPER IN CAPS ON
ONE LINE 1
ABBREVIATED TITLE OF YOUR PAPER 4
Paper Title
by
Your Name
PJM 6XXX Name of the Course
Month, day, year

42. Abstract
Abstracts begin flush left and identify your findings and
implications.
Keywords: the key words themselves are lowercase and are not
italicized. Use three to five words that someone might use to
look up this work in a search engine. [“Keywords” is indented
and italicized and the actual key words are not italicized and are
not indented if they go beyond one line].
Please note: The title page, abstract and reference page does not
count toward your overall paper length. If the assignment
requires 2-3 pages, the page count begins with the introduction
section and ends with the conclusion.
Introduction
Include an introduction for your paper that introduces the reader
to what the paper will discuss. Example: In this paper, a

43. description of a potential research topic will be introduced
along with highlighting key characteristics of the intended
audience. Then, in order to reach the targeted audience, a
description of a venue will be provided along with relevance to
the research topic. Finally, the process required to submit as
well as participate in the venue will be explored.
Topic / Question Title 1
In the second paragraph, begin addressing your first topic or
question. This should directly align to what you stated you were
going to talk about in the first sentence of the introduction.
When citing sources, be sure to follow APA 6th edition.
Example: As an educator and a practitioner within the project
management profession, the importance of transfor mation that is
occurring in the workplace, specifically the adoption of digital
strategies and technology is becoming increasingly relevant
(Sundararajan, 2017).
Topic / Question Title 2
Please follow the same pattern as above.
Topic / Question Title 3
Please follow the same pattern as above.
Conclusion
Here is where you summarize your work. The conclusion should
inform the reader of what they just read. Example: As the field
of project management continues to evolve, it will be important
to capture the voices of participants within the profession. To
do this effectively will require engaging research participants
throughout the entire process. Methods such as co-constructive
interviews and subsequent dialogue will ensure participants are
actively engaged and their voices to be heard further shaping
the professional abilities of students and future project
managers.
The last item is the reference page. The reference list begins on
a separate page.

44. References
It is critical that you know, understand, and apply the
knowledge that APA requires that EACH reference cited in the
text or body of your paper MUST appear in the reference list.
Chapter seven in the APA manual gives you reference examples.
Everything is double-spaced and there is a hanging indent.
You will need to use the APA Publication Manual to ensure that
your reference list is correct. This information may be different
than what you remember from your undergraduate days. Each
reference cited in the text or body of your paper must appear in
the reference list and each entry in the reference list must
appear in the text.
Example references are below:
Project Management Institute. (2017). A guide to the project
management body of knowledge (PMBOK guide). Newtown
Square, PA, USA: Project Management Institute.
Project Management Institute. (n.d.). Global conference
overview. Retrieved from https://www.pmi.org/global-
conference.
Project Management institute. (2018). PMI global conference
champions of change. Retrieved from
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/eSites/2018globalconference/H
omepage.
Sundararajan, A. (2017). The future of work. Finance &
Development, Vol. 54, No. 2
Thiry, M. (2013). The future of project management in a
digitised economy. Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress
2013—EMEA, Istanbul, Turkey. Newtown Square, PA: Project
Management Institute.