Communicating Effectively

In this week’s assignment, we were asked to consider the same piece of communication in three different forms: email, voicemail, and face-to-face. While the content was the same, the tone and my own interpretation of the message varied due to the different modalities.  According to our Dr. Stolovitch in this week’s course resources, effective communication is influenced by the communicator’s attitude, tone, and body language; the timing of the communication; and the recipient’s personality (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).

First, I viewed the email message. It starts out with Jane communicating empathy for Mark’s situation – he’s been busy, maybe he was stuck in a meeting all day. Then the email explains exactly why Jane needs the information right away, and it outlines specific steps Mark can take to fix the problem.  My first impression is that this is a great way for Jane to communicate with Mark about the missing report.

Next, I listened to Jane’s voicemail. It’s worded exactly the same as the email – she sounds very polite and makes connection with the listener. Her tone of voice is very understanding. I felt like in this case she should have asked for a return call or email with a specific deadline: “Please get back to me today – you can reach me in my office until 5, or send me an email anytime.”  

Finally, I watched the video of the face-to-face message. I was unimpressed with this one. First of all, there wasn’t a conversation at all – it was completely one-sided. One of the benefits of face-to-face conversation is that it allows back-and-forth communication, and this clip totally left out that part. Jane’s tone in this clip sounds too apologetic. The tone of this message was not as direct as the voicemail message, and her body language seems like she’s almost hiding from the confrontation (behind the cube wall). Another problem with this one was that Jane seemed to be too formal in her language – usually face-to-face interaction is somewhat less formal than written communication.

I think this activity suggests the importance of taking into account several factors when deciding what type of communication modality to use.  Budrovich and Achong explain that It’s important to tailor communication strategies to the needs of each stakeholder, and I think this is very true – without knowing Mark’s communication style or personality, it’s hard to decide which communication method would be most effective (Laureate Education, Inc.).

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (2010). Communicating with Stakeholders. [DVD], Dr. Harold Stolovich

Laureate Education, Inc. (n.d.). Strategies for Working with Stakeholders. [DVD], Budrovich and
      Achong

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.

Project Post-Mortem

This week's assignment asked us to think about a recent project with which we were involved that did not have a successful outcome, and then perform a "project post-mortem" to see what went wrong. Greer (2010) suggests conducting a “post mortem review” of a project in order for all team members to reflect on the project and make sure they don’t repeat mistakes in future projects.

One recent project I was involved in had to do with remodeling the upstairs portion of our home. We began the project soon after we bought the house. First, my husband and I consulted a few family members more knowledgeable about remodeling than ourselves; we outlined the needs and general objectives for the project (an extra bedroom for our oldest, dividing the existing very large bedroom into two separate spaces with a hallway between, expanding the existing tiny bathroom into a more usable space), and we discussed the time frame for the project and the allocated budget.  These consultants were quick to say “oh, that would be easy” and “no problem!” until we had come up with an expansive list of remodeling needs.  Unfortunately, when we were in the planning stages of the project, we didn’t account for the possibility of unexpected issues arising that would require our attention and our remodeling funds.  

 

(the house - note the curling shingles that led to the

                                                     downfall of the interior remodeling project)

 

What contributed to the project’s success or failure?

In general, the project failed because we failed to prioritize tasks. In planning for the remodeling project, we focused on the interior needs of the house without thinking about outside factors that might also influence our decisions. We had a project budget set, but when we had to unexpectedly pay for repairs to the roof, it cut significantly into the remodeling budget. In addition, we had lots of ideas about what we wanted done, but no prior knowledge or background as far as what exactly the remodeling would entail. “Putting up a few walls and wiring some outlets” sounded like a manageable task, until I started to think more about how little we actually know about drywall and wiring.

 What parts of the PM process, if included, would have made the project more successful?

I think if we had planned more realistically, the project would have been much more successful. Rather than thinking we could figure out a major remodeling project as we went along, budgeting for a contractor to complete the work makes much more sense (especially because my husband and I both have full-time jobs). In addition, we should have looked into other possible outside factors that would affect our remodeling budget, such as the condition of the roof.  In addition, we should have asked more detailed questions of our subject-matter experts.

We haven’t completely scrapped this project, but as a result of this project post-mortem, we are planning for a time when this project will fit more realistically into our budget and our lives.

References:

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.