Communicating Effectively
Due to the advancements in technology, people can
communicate in many different ways, such as voicemail, email, instant message,
text message, blogs, discussion groups, and through social networking to name a
few. While the advancements in technology have allowed for more types of
communication to become readily available, there is still a need for human
connections to be made face-to-face or through other means such as live video
conferencing and voice messages. As
Greer (2010) mentions in his project management eBook, “Seek first to
understand, then to be understood” (Greer, p. 48, 2010).
Sometimes when we communicate with others, our message can come across the wrong way. Maybe it could be due to the type of communication we are using when communicating with others.
Is this what happens to you sometimes with your message? Does it end up being interpreted the right way to the other person? What can happen if your message turns out like this?
Is this what happens to you sometimes with your message? Does it end up being interpreted the right way to the other person? What can happen if your message turns out like this?
For this week, I was tasked with reviewing a communication that
was delivered in three different modalities: email, voicemail, and a
face-to-face conversation. After reviewing each of the modalities, I recorded
notes of my interpretations and the factors that influenced how I perceived the
message. I have provided a brief summary of my interpretation of the message in
the different modalities below.
Email: When I read
the email and was able to see the words versus hearing them in a voice mail or
face-to-face, I was able to take more time to read the email and digest the
information. Right away, Jane called out the fact that Mark is busy. The tone
of the email created a sense of urgency by mentioning that she may miss her own
deadline. In addition, Jane placed the ownership back on Mark to get the
information to her in a timely manner by using specific words, such as ETA and
soon. The overall tone of the email made it seem like Jane was frustrated at
Mark because she did not have the missing report yet and may miss her own
deadline.
Face-to-Face
Conversation: During the face-to-face conversation, Jane sounds friendly and not
upset at Mark. She also sounds calm, the tone of her voice is even, and the
pace is good. She makes good eye contact with Mark and uses good hand gestures,
which indicates her body language is positive. Furthermore, her smile at the
end of the conversation seems genuine and sincere. The face-to-face
communication was by far the best communication out of the three forms because
Jane sounded friendly, made good eye contact, and smiled throughout the
conversation.
After completing this activity, I have learned that choosing the
right method of communication when working with a project team can prove to be
critical to the success of the project. If it is possible, face-to-face
communication is usually going to be the best way to communicate with people on
a project team. This allows everyone to interpret the individual’s tone, and
look for non-verbal communications, such as body language and how the person makes
eye contact with others. This can be accomplished much better through
face-to-face interaction. According to Portney,
Mantel, Meredith, Shafer & Sutton (2008), "Choosing the right method
can stimulate the group's continued interest and encourage them to actively
support the project" (Portney, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer & Sutton, p.
282, 2008). The right form of communication can also keep everyone on the
project team motivated and inspired, especially during difficult times. After
all, we not only want to keep everyone interested in the project, but also
inspire each individual on the team to complete the work to the best of their
ability.
Resources
Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough
PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate
Education, Inc.
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J.,
Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E.
(2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling
projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
2 comments:
Jackie,
Thank you for using the quote from Greer. I will forever keep that in mind. Just yesterday, a colleague asked that I read an email exchange between her and a parent. The exchange had become rather heated, or so it seemed. Who really knows? I suggested that she request a phone conference at the very least so that she could hear the tone of voice as communication is not just words (Stolovitch, 2012). I could envision my colleague feeling bitter towards this parent for weeks to come when, in fact, the parent may not have meant the emails he sent to be confrontational. She and I both “read” the email in a hostile tone. She read it that way because she felt that he was challenging her on a point, the parent could have been merely looking for clarification. I read the email in a hostile tone due to the background information that she had given me.
Years ago, when our county began using an email system, my supervisor gave me some very good advice to use when writing an “intense” email. She was concerned by the tone of some of my emails. While I did not intend for the emails to have a brazen tone, they often did. She suggested that I “back away from the keyboard” and read the email as a recipient might before I hit send. I will forever remember that as well as Greer’s advice.
Stolovitch, H. (Performer) (2012). Communicating with Stakeholders. [Video Podcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_1373694_1%26url%3D
Jackie,
Seeing your quote of Covey’s fifth habit of highly effective people Covey (1989) brought back a flood of memories of time spent digesting the books content. As I reviewed the chapter from Covey, I noticed a common theme with the relationship Russell (2000) makes between effective communications and trust, the emphasis Greer (2010) places on communication consisting of both listening and informing, and the insistence Portny et al (2008) place on effective communications and project success. Every resource in this course has placed significant importance on the function of communications for successful project management. Covey rates effective communication as a necessary component for success in all areas of life and he goes to great length to breakdown and explicitly define effective communications.
If we take Covey’s method to communications “Seek first to understand” (1989, p. 239) then Jane’s approach might have been first to seek to understand Mark’s situation before communicating her own needs. Portny et al (2008) explain that different communications strategies are required for different audiences. Seeking to understand is part of the process of learning the audiences’ needs in order to develop appropriate communications strategies. The second and equally important part of Covey’s axiom is “then to be understood” (p. 255) which describes the attributes of clear communications. Covey explains, “When you can present your own ideas clearly, specifically, visually, and most important, contextually-in the context of a deep understanding of their paradigms and concerns-you significantly increase the credibility of your ideas” (p. 257).
Therefore, effective communications is more than distributing information; it is developing empathetic and meaningful relationships. The problem is developing meaningful relationships takes time and there never seems to be enough time. Which brings us to another Covey axiom “slow is fast and fast is slow”.
References
Covey, S. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Russell, L. (2000). Project management for trainers. Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press.
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