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Does anybody know what is the source of this statement in the PMBOK Guide? Spending sufficient time communicating (research shows that top project managers spend about 90% of their time on a project

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Farhad Abdollahyan Managing Director| Cyrus Associados Apoio em Projetos Sao Paulo, Sp, Brazil
“Spending sufficient time communicating (research shows that top project managers spend about 90% of their time on a project in communicating)”… (PMI, 2017, p.61)
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Farhad Abdollahyan Managing Director| Cyrus Associados Apoio em Projetos Sao Paulo, Sp, Brazil
Feb 18, 2018 10:02 AM
Replying to Shahid Anees
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Hi All,

I have just seen this ( A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition.

"Spending sufficient time communicating (Research shows that top project managers spend 90% of their time on a project communicating);", under section qualities and skills of a leader, part1.
Dear Shahid,

My original question was exactly this: Which research and done by whom backs this statement in the PMBOK® Guide?
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Farhad Abdollahyan Managing Director| Cyrus Associados Apoio em Projetos Sao Paulo, Sp, Brazil
Feb 18, 2018 7:46 AM
Replying to Cheikh FAYE
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In all cases, whatever the percentage, communication is key. The only outcome without a good communication management is collapse.I believe that beyond the number 90% which seems to be is a good reference, efficient communication is also as important.
Dear Cheikh
The point is that the methodology of this research is somewhat questioned. Starting with the communication concept: Any real manager (job of managing multidisciplinary subordinated teams and other partners) communicates all the time, that is, 100% of his productive time is used either to plan, analyse problems and risks, coordinate, allocate resources, monitor, control or report. All of these activities are done by reading, listening, talking to people or writing things. So it is hard to find something that the manager does that is not related to communication.
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Cheikh FAYE Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Expert, CEO and owner| Eurêka Technologies Dakar, Senegal
Absolutely true what you're saying, this is the methodology which is questionable. I believe that the question requires a larger discussion in order to define a new standard accepted by the majority of project managers.
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David Maynard Fort Wayne, In, United States
Farhad,

Great discussion!

I also spent a lot of time tracking down the 90%. I could never find a solid basis for it. I think it's a case of enough people have said it for long enough -- it's considered to be true.

Another one like the 90% is the "communications model" in chapter 10. I tracked that down to work done by Shannon and Weaver (1949) at Bell Labs.

"Their goal was to discover how communication messages could be converted into electronic signals most efficiently, and how those signals could be transmitted with a minimum of error. In studying this, Shannon and Weaver developed a mechanical and mathematical model of communication, known as the “Shannon and Weaver model of communication”.

https://www.utwente.nl/en/bms/communicatio...rmation_Theory/

--- Dave
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