Communicating Effectively

Communicating Effectively

Effective communication is essential for project managers. “The ability to communicate well, both orally and in writing, is a critical skill for project managers” (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer, 2008, p. 357). This communication can be influenced by many factors such as spirit and attitude, tonality and body language, timing, and the personality of the recipient (Laureate Education, Communicating with stakeholders, 2010). For this assignment, we were presented a communication in three formats and asked to consider:

• How did your interpretation of the message change from one modality to the next?
• What factors influenced how you perceived the message?
• Which form of communication best conveyed the true meaning and intent of the message?
• What are the implications of what you learned from this exercise for communicating effectively with members of a project team?

(Laureate Education, Inc., 2012. Blog Assignment)

Initial Reflections on Each Message Modality

First Modality – Written Text (Email)

Jane is communicating to Mark that she needs his report to finish her report. The message is polite and encourages Mark to reply. There is no sense of blame and in fact Jane acknowledged that Mark may have been busy with an all day meeting.

Second Modality – Audio (Voicemail)

The message is delivered and sounds somewhat urgent as Jane cannot complete her report without Mark’s report and data. Tone and inflection in the voice indicate an urgency and almost a pleading to get the necessary report. There was a communication of the sense of urgency that was not as solid in the written version.

Third Modality – Video (Face-to-Face)

At first, Jane almost appears apologetic for asking Mark to send his report. She turns this around with the emphasis on the word “but” as she indicates urgency in need for the report to complete her own. She also places emphasis on needing “your” report so that her “own” does not miss the deadline. The body language helps to drive home the message of urgency.

Implications Regarding Communicating
With a Project team

When reading the email, I felt it was polite and encouraging a reply. However, the sense of urgency increased when listening to the voicemail and increased yet again when viewing the video clip. This would seem to emphasize the importance of auditory and visual cues when receiving a message. Portny, et al., (2008) indicate that one of the things written reposrts do not do is, “Enable project managers to verify that their audiences received and interpreted their message in the way intended” (Portny, et al., 2008, p. 358). Being able to hear the inflection in the voice and see the body language helped to convey the sense of urgency.

The message, in all three forms, clearly delineates that Mark is accountable to provide Jane his report so that she can finish her report. The responsibility is clearly being reiterated and serves to remind Mark of the importance to keep his commitment. According to Portny, et al., “If you’re responsible, you should be held accountable” (Portny, et al., 2008, p. 294). Clearly, the accountability factor is being stressed in all three methods of communication. As the communication is still relatively friendly and lite, I would assume this is an early reminder of the need for the follow through with the report.

While all three forms are communicating the same message, it is the face-to face message that seems to convey the urgency of the message best. However, the written message is still important as it adds documentation to the request. It is important to “confirm in writing the important information that was shared in informal discussions” (Portny,et al., 2008, p. 357).

Conclusions

Receiving the message in three different modes shows the importance of planning the message for the intended audience. Portny, et al., states, “The key to successful project management is effective communication – sharing the right message with the right people in a timely manner” (Portny, et al., 2008, p. 357). The more urgent the message, the more consideration needs to be placed on a face-to-face meeting of some type as this conveys the auditory and visual cues that are missing in written communication. Written communication is still important and serves to document informal discussions and provide necessary detail on specific topics. For me, the ideal communication would be in a face-to-face meeting followed up by an email or report that higlights important aspects of the meeting and serves as documentation. “Whatever form communications take, however, project managers should plan and prepare so their messages are received and correctly interpretted by project audiences” (Portny, et al., 2008, p. 367).

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2012). Blog assignment: Communicating 
        effectively.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Communicating with stakeholders.
        Stolovich,H. [Video Webcast]. Retrieved from  https://class.waldenu.edu
        /webapps/portal

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer,
        B. (2008). Project Management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling
        projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The art of effective communication [Multimedia Program]. (n.d.). Laureate
        Education, Inc. Retrieved May 15, 2012 from: http://mym.cdn.laureate-
        media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6145/03/mm/aoc/index.html.

Project "Post-mortem"

Learning from a Project “Post-mortem”

Back in 2004, my wife and I decided it was the right time to by a newer, larger house (our family had grown too large for the one in which we were living) and move our family across the county. We looked at many houses with the features we desired and eventually found a small subdivision with a house plan that was right for our needs. The house would be constructed on the lot we chose and would be ready for us in August of 2005. Plans were made to make the move on a specific day in August that happened to be the weekend before school started.

Planning for the Move

The move was planned to take place with the majority of the furniture moved on a Saturday. We would move smaller items in smaller trucks and vans to try and fit all the larger items onto one large truck. Working together, we decided to hire a moving company to handle the larger items and we agreed to have everything packed in labeled boxes to best facilitate the move. The company we contracted with was to arrive on Saturday morning at or around 8 AM. Things did not work out as planned……

Wherefore art thou moving van?

The contracted moving company did not show up on time. After allowing a substantial waiting period (over an hour), we began trying to contact the company to determine where they were and, more importantly, why they were not where they were supposed to be. Multiple hours passed before contact was finally made. At this point, several trips moving van loads and car loads of items to the new house had already taken place so as not to waste the time of the family and friends who had volunteered to help. Eventually, the moving van showed up at 4 PM. Not only was it extremely late, it was a rental truck and was substantially smaller than the one promised! We continued with the move but it now required 3 trips with the smaller moving van. At the end of a very long day, the driver expected to be paid in cash when we were expecting to pay with a check. Then, he had the nerve to ask for a tip! I am not a violent person but it was all I could do to remain civil, pay him what was owed (a combination of all the cash I had and a check), and ask him to leave.

Contributing Factors to Project Failure

While the project was ultimately successful (the move did take place), the plans were not as effective as hoped. The early phase of the project had shown it was needed and feasible to execute the move in one day with the assistance of a moving company (in addition to family and friends who volunteered). Looking back, when the moving van did not show up on time, the plan should have been altered. According to Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, and Kramer, “Ignoring these occurrences can seriously jeopardize a project’s success; responding to these occurrences almost always adds time to a project” (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer, 2008, p. 106). In this case, the company should have been fired and another company hired for a later date to move the heavier items. This would have added time to the plan but it would have greatly reduced the frustration.

Asking the question, “Were our constraints, limitations, and requirements made clear to all vendors/contractors from the beginning?” (Greer, 2010, p. 43), the conclusion is that the expectations were clear but the follow through on the part of the vendor was lacking.

Using Project Management Processes to Improve Results

More attention to the details of the plan could have resulted in a positive experience. During the planning phase, the project manager should, “clarify with all persons the specific activities they will perform and the nature of the work they will do” (Portny, et al., 2008, p. 83). In this example, confirming with the moving company may have helped them to understand the expectation levels and the importance that they fulfill their obligations. Another planning tool that would have helped is the work order agreement. According to Portny, et al., this is, “a written description of work that a person agrees to perform on a project, the dates the person agrees to start and finish the work, and the number of hours the person agrees to spend on it” (Portny, et al., 2008, p. 83). 

Using these portions of the project management process may have resulted in a less frustrating experience.

Ultimately, the project was a success as the desired result was accomplished. However, there was much frustration along the way that could have been avoided with better planning. We learned a lot through this and, if we ever pursue a similar project again, the lessons we learned will be applied.

-jeff

References:

Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate

custom ed.). Baltimore, MD: Laureate Education, Inc.

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. (2008). Project

Management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons,

Inc.

Welcome - Program Management/Instructional Design

Welcome to My Blog for Program Management/Instructional Design

Hi everyone. Welcome to my blog. My name is Jeff Harris and I live in Dallas, Georgia. I work for the local school district training teachers to utilize existing hardware and software with their students. Music is a large part of my life as I lead the orchestra for my church and play trombone with a big band. I also enjoy riding my motorcycle when possible. When not working on schoolwork, I spend most of my time with my family (wife and two boys – ages 12 and 16). For the coming weeks I will be using this blog class assignments for EDUC 6145, Project Management in Education and Training. I look forward to reading your comments and learning together as we continue on this journey.

– jeff