The Art of Effective Communication

Various communication styles can have implications for the way our messages are received. As Project Managers, it is detrimental to the success of the project's completion to communicate effectively with everyone involved in the project audience.

For this week's blog assignment, we were given three different message styles to interpret. Each was the same message, just delivered in a different style.  Jane, a team member sent a message to Mark, another team member,  to ask him for data that she needed to get her report  finished.  Mark never responded.

This is the message that was communicated in several different styles by Jane:

Hi Mark,

I know you have been busy and possibly in that all day meeting today, but I really need an ETA on the missing report.  Because your report contains data I need to finish my report, I might miss my own deadline if I don't get your report soon.  Please let me know when you think you can get your report sent over to me, or even if you can send the data I need in a separate  email.

I really appreciate your help.

Jane

Below follows my interpretations of the following styles used to communicate this message:

1. email

Jane used an informal style to communicate with Mark regarding the needed report.  However, the message lacked clarity.  Jane did not name the report that she needed from Mark. When communicating via a written document, the purpose of the communication should have be included in the first sentence of the document (1. Laureate Ed. Inc. , n.d.). Jane assumed that Mark was busy, and possibly in an all day meeting.  Jane then gave Mark an alternative. She decided that he could send her the data in a separate email.  However,  Jane never told Mark exactly what data she needed.  If Mark is really a busy person, then , he will have to spend more time by calling Jane to clarify what information she needs from his report.  Now,  Jane will have to wait until Mark finds time to call her. The extra waiting period could have been avoided if Jane would  have confirmed in her email what was needed from him.

Email can be an effective means of communicating, if done properly. Begin email requests with a clear concise purpose. State the situation and give a date for when the response is needed (1. Laureate Ed., Inc. , n.d.). 

2. Voicemail

Again this same scenario is replayed, but this time Jane left the message on Mark's telephone.  If this is an ongoing communication regarding work,  from Jane to Mark, then using the telephone's voicemail to leave a message  is acceptable.  However, Jane began the communication assuming that Mark was very busy and in an all day meeting.  Jane's assumption gave Mark an excuse for the report to be late. Project Managers should never assume anything about the status of the project  information. T

he voicemail does not relay urgency, and makes the situation less important than when it was written.  The use of the acronym, ETA, allowed for ambiguity.  What if Mark did not know what ETA meant?  When communicating it is unacceptable to use acronyms unless you know the receiver of the message is familiar with what you are saying.  Again,  more time can be wasted figuring out what Jane meant. needed. Rather than asking for an ETA, Jane should have asked him if he could have the report by a certain date.  Again she should have told Mark exactly what data she needed, rather than assuming he knew.  We should not make assumptions in an important situation.

3. Face-to-Face

Face-to-Face is probably the best form of communication for most people.  This formal mode of communication allows the message to be defined, if unclear. The Project Manager can view the team member's body language and attitude. When people communicate with me, I notice everything about them. I not only hear their words, I listen for the tone of their voice, body language, eye contact and anything else that will give me a clue about the sincerity of this person's message.

While Jane communicated to Mark that she needed the report from him, her style and body language said something different.  Rather than Jane hanging over the cubicle wall to talk to Mark, she should have stepped into Mark's cubicle so that she would have been able to look him in the eyes when she relayed the importance of receiving his report.  Hanging over the wall seemed like such a childlike action while talking about an important issue. The fact that "she might miss her deadline" lets Mark know that he may even have more time to deliver  the report to her. After all, she may not miss her deadline. 

Although it is important to be friendly and diplomatic, our body language and tonality can communicate volumes of information about us to the receiver of the message.  Lastly, Jane's enormously friendly smile says that it is alright if Mark is late with the report.  Her huge smile said that she would handle any trouble that would come to her if her report would be late. 

Dr. Stolovich talked about the importance of effective communication by engaging the audience in his video (Laureate Ed., Inc. , n.d.).  The communicator's style, spirit and attitude makes a great difference in how people perceive the message.  The project audience should have a business friendly respectful tone through the project's  completion. It is a great idea for Project managers to take notes documenting any project issues or concerns that come up in conversations. Later, the notes can be re-circulated, asking for understanding and modifications from the team members. If possible, perhaps the communicator can ask for a return response by a certain date making sure all team members are on the same page.  Dr. Stolovich recommends keeping a daily journal when working on a project.  That way the PM will not forget that he said something.

As we have seen from Jane's communication to Mark, if there is any ambiguity then mistakes can be expected (1. Laureate Ed., Inc. , n.d.).  When the Project Manager  is unclear in his directions, the team members are  left to guess on the project's direction. It is a waste of time if the work has to be done over because it was delivered incorrect due to the lack of clarity.  

Troy Achong, Project Director,  advises that everyone has their own agenda which is important to them.  She says that communicating is an art.  If anyone is unable to communicate with a key person,  they can collaborate with team members that the key person frequents with. These team members may be able to communicate for you on your behalf (2. Laureate Ed., Inc. , n.d.). 

Last but not least, if  communication problems or concerns still exist, Dr. Stolovich advises that a team member that can be trusted may be able to give advice to the Project Manager (3. Laureate Ed., Inc. , n.d.).  Look for commonalities, study the organization's culture, or any other venue where acceptance may take place.  If all else fails, the Project Manager can call a meeting to let the team know that he feels uncomfortable in communicating with them.  It is okay to explain to the team that the easier the communications are the more effective the team's work will be.  The Project Manager should document the outcome of the meeting and circulate the results back to the team . Give the team members a date to respond by, and ask them for any modifications that are necessary for the improvement of communication. 

After all, effective communication, whether it is verbal or nonverbal  is key to the Project Manager's  successful  project completion.  Start smiling, and happy communicating.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d).(1). "Communicating with Stakeholders"
[DVD]. In EDUC 6145 Project Management in Education and Training.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d). (2).  "Practitioner Voices: Strategies for Working With Stakeholders"[DVD]. In EDUC 6145 Project Management in Education and Training.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d). (3). Project Management Concerns: Communication Strategies and Organizational Culture [DVD]. In EDUC 6145 Project Management in Education and Training.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d). "The Art of Effective Communication". Multimedia Program. In EDUC 6145 Project Management in Education and Training.