Manage communications
Manage communications
What you will learn
- Distinguish the three communication methods: interactive, push, and pull.
- Choose the most fitting communication method based on message urgency and audience size.
- Explain why push communication doesn't guarantee actual receipt or understanding.
- Define the concept of "noise" in the basic communication model.
Most of a project manager's real time goes into communicating. Three core methods cover every situation: interactive for a direct exchange needing immediate clarification, push for sending information to specific recipients, and pull for reference information a wide audience accesses when needed.
The three communication methods
| Interactive Communication | A direct exchange between two or more parties (a meeting, a call) — best for urgent or ambiguous messages needing immediate clarification. |
|---|---|
| Push Communication | Sending information to specific recipients (email, memo) without guaranteeing actual receipt or understanding. |
| Pull Communication | Information posted somewhere central (a repository, an intranet) that the audience accesses on its own initiative when needed — best for a wide audience and reference material. |
| Noise | Any factor distorting the message or hindering it being understood as the sender intended — linguistic, cultural, technical, or environmental, not just audible noise. |
What matters on the exam
- An urgent or ambiguous message needing immediate clarification calls for interactive, not push or pull.
- Push only guarantees sending — a gap between sending and actual understanding can happen without necessarily meaning the wrong method was chosen.
Push isn't a guarantee of understanding
A common trap: assuming sending an email means the recipient actually saw and understood it. Push communication only guarantees sending — for critical information, extra follow-up or an interactive method may be needed to confirm receipt and understanding.
Quick check
Answer in your head first, then reveal.
Which communication method fits an urgent, ambiguous message?Reveal the answer
Interactive.
What does push communication guarantee, and what doesn't it guarantee?Reveal the answer
It only guarantees sending, not actual receipt or understanding.
What is "noise" in the communication model?Reveal the answer
Any factor distorting the message or hindering understanding — linguistic, cultural, technical, or environmental.
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Sources
Used to verify the facts. The writing is original to Passuit.