100 points to know about...
Inclusive project management

The 5 W and 1 H

The five words are WHO, says WHAT, in WHICH channel, to WHOM, with WHAT effect?

• The first ‘WHO’ is the communicator, i.e., the person who formulates the message.
• ‘WHAT’ is the content of the message.
• ‘WHICH’ refers to the channel of communication, i.e., medium of communication.

There are two media of communication, physical and mechanical.

• Physical media includes channels where the communicator and receiver of the message can physically see each other. Video conferences, face-to-face meetings, and departmental meetings, for example, are physical media. We sometimes refer to video conferences as ‘e-meetings.’
• Mechanical media means written or electronic channels, i.e., personal letters, E-mails, billboards, newsletters, magazines, SMS, or social media.

'WHOM’ refers to the audience, i.e., to whom is the message delivered?
This could be one individual or many people scattered over a wide area. It could also mean many people in one area. If you give a presentation in a large auditorium, for example, the audience is in one place.
With WHAT effect’ refers to the message’s outcome, i.e., how effective it was. Did the message achieve what the communicator wanted?
To answer this question feedback and questions in the channel of communication can be very useful.
Now we can concentrate on the 1 H, How?

• How am I going to communicate? (aids available and type of audience)
• How am I going to convince?
• How am I going to handle difficult audience or questions?
• How did I arrive at a particular decision or idea?
• How is going to help the stakeholders?
• How should action be taken?