wrote a presentation on Step 1. Introduction Information and communication technology also plays a role in expressing ourselves. Aided by the digital recording functions integrated into smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices, we are able to index the world the way they see it and add their own perspective to already existing bodies of knowledge to create original work. With audio, photo and video editing software and the various ways to post self-created media on the Web,

Information Technology Project Management
9th Edition
ISBN:9781337101356
Author:Kathy Schwalbe
Publisher:Kathy Schwalbe
Chapter10: Project Communications Management
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wrote a presentation on

Step 1. Introduction

Information and communication technology also plays a role in expressing ourselves. Aided by the digital recording functions integrated into smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices, we are able to index the world the way they see it and add their own perspective to already existing bodies of knowledge to create original work. With audio, photo and video editing software and the various ways to post self-created media on the Web, we can not only access information but also contribute to its creation. The ability to be active members of the learning community, whether on the small scale of a school’s social media site or on the larger canvas of the entire World Wide Web, gives their work broader significance and affirmation.

Information and communication technology provides more opportunities to communicate and collaborate. With Learning Management Systems such as Blackboard, many courses have an online space to participate in discussion threads and forums, chats, and video conferences. Collaborative functions in office applications allow us to view revisions and add comments in real time, making the process of relaying feedback more efficient.

Computers are critical for communication and are the centre piece of information technology. The early 1990s saw the emergence of household Internet use, which eventually spurred common use of email, websites, blogs, social networking, video chat and Voice-Over-Internet Protocol. Today, many traditional communication modes including postal mail and landline phones seem obsolete.

The art of communicating, in its true sense, involves the ability to listen, to understand, to contemplate and to put across the right message suitable to the audience. All these aspects of communication play a vital role when you are working in the IT field. An IT professional essentially should be able to understand the needs of the client or the employer and deliver technology solutions accordingly. In a globalized environment, English is gaining more and more importance as a lingua franca and there is a need for IT professionals to be able to converse and write precisely in the language. Experts state that communication skills are as important as the technical knowledge of an individual and the skills go a long way in helping the candidates successfully climb the ladder of hierarchy within an organization.

Step 2

Communication skills are often undervalued in the realm of technology. Soft skills are wrongly ranked beneath technical abilities. Many people assume that they do not need strong communication abilities to work in tech. After all, won’t they be spending more time with computers than people? This is a false assumption. You are responsible for communicating. 

To get a better picture of the role of communication in an IT professional’s day-to-day work, let us consider a web-designer/developer who is working for an off-shore client. Consider all interactions between the client and the company (service provider) takes place via Emails. Now this is how good communication skills play a key role in the business.

  • With technically knowledgeable professional on one side and not so tech savvy client on the other, the professional should have the ability to understand the requirement of the client (which may be communicated through layman’s language in Emails). It is important for the professional to realize why the client is thinking in a particular way. For this the professional should be able to read through the lines of client’s Emails. This can help the professional provide ground breaking solutions to the client
  • There may be times when the client is wrong. It is important for the IT professional to be patient and diplomatic when responding to the client. The professional should be able to use the right words to put across the message and ensure the client is not dissatisfied and continues business with the company
  • Educating the client about the technology may come as one of the day-to-day responsibilities of the professional. The professional should ensure to use the right language to optimally explain the client about how the technology works and why things are in a certain way in his/her product or services
  • The professional should be able to win the trust of the client through the way he/she communicates. This can go a long-way and help clients make quick and informed decisions whenever there is a change in the technology which needs to be adapted in the product or when a new service/product proposal is made by the company. It also helps the company serve clients better and build long lasting business association with them

The points mentioned above are just few instances related to web development domain where communication is key. The role of communication skills in IT sector is much broader and deeper. Therefore developing people skills greatly helps professionals during their career.

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