This week, we were asked to listen to three types of communication about the same subject, but through different modalities. The same information was relayed in email, voicemail and face to face interaction. The outcome of these three communications was very different and this was a fascinating study of how communication should be delivered.
Email-Although there was nothing mean or unprofessional in the email that was sent, it seemed to me to take a very curt and impersonal tone. While an offer of understanding was made, it seemed very forced and not personal.
Voicemail-The voicemail had a slightly more personal tone because you could hear that the person leaving the message was not angry, just concerned that this needed to get finished. There were still a few questions left about if there was anger at the other person, but I did not feel that this was a bad form of communication.
Face-to-Face-This was obviously the preferred mode of communication. Jane was calm, made eye contact, was not at all confrontational and offered a solution that I did not pick up in either of the first two communications.
This activity has been important to me because it is obvious that face to face communication is by far the best way to talk to a teammate. I have to admit, I am an over communicator in email, and I need to remember that it’s important to seek out face to face communication whenever possible. In my profession, where I am responsible for students for the majority of my day it’s important for me to seek out people that I need to talk to during my planning and break time instead of sending an email, particularly when the subject of what I am talking about could be sensitive.
I had a similar reaction to each of the delivery methods. I agree that the email seemed rushed and written in a more personal style, and could have been perceived like Jane has been waiting forever for this report. I truly like the voicemail better than the face to face because it came across as less judgmental, where as the face to face delivery had some body language that could have been misconstrued. Jane pointed her finger and used voice inflection/intonation with the word ‘your’.
ReplyDeleteAs Audrea’s posted, http://travelingtechnicaltrainer.blogspot.com/, “that is what I said but that is not what I meant.” She also reminded us of Stolovitch’s comments about how communication is influenced by spirit and attitude, tonality and body language, timing, and personality of the recipient.
I still agree with you that face-to-face is a preferred communication method because it is two-way communication. The sender can observe the receiver and ensure the message is being received appropriately and correctly and then it allows for the sender to alter or adjust the message based on the receiver’s response. In other words, the receiver and sender can see and experience more of the communication influences Stolovitch listed.
As we venture into a flatter world (more global), how would a PM overcome or counter the lack of being able to meet face-to-face? In other words, what are some things the PM could do to virtually manage a project and project team?
Stolovitch, H (n.d.). Communicating with Stakeholders. [Video] Available: Laureate Education, Inc.
Gene,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how this activity really seemed to have such a powerful affect on the way you perceive communication. I feel that the face-to face modality really confirmed what I thought to be true in the email and the voice mail.
The important lesson that I learned this week is that communication by the project manager should be clear and concise, but the receiver should be considered in the scenario as well (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, & Sutton, 2008). Communication is interactive and the project manager must "tailor the communication to the needs of the stakeholder" for success(Budrovich, n.d.).
I enjoyed reading your interpretations this week.
References:
Budrovich, V. (Speaker). & Achong, T. (Speaker). (n.d.). Practitioner voices: Strategies for working with stakeholders [Video podcast]. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5693702&Survey=1&47=7253860&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
Portny, S., Mantel, S., Meredith, J., Shafer, S., & Sutton, M. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.