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.