Communicating Effectively

; Perceptions of E-mail, Voice Mail and Face-to-Face Communication E-mail I found the e-mail very impersonal and felt detached or even disconnected from its contents. Although I understood the words, I did not perceive that the sender had an urgent need to which I was expected to respond. Honestly, my subconscious reaction might be, in time I shall send the document Jane requested. However, in the meantime, I shall continue to browse my e-mail. Voice Mail This was more engaging and more personalized as a voice was now attached to the message. However, my perception was that the tonality of the voice suggested that Jane was annoyed that I was preventing her from meeting her deadline. Face-to-Face The face-to-face version was the most engaging of the three media. By her smile, Jane conveyed a friendly attitude. Her body language also communicated that she was concerned about my failure to present the ETA; but was willing to negotiate and compromise with me. The Face-to-Face communication conveyed a more complete message as it stimulated both the auditory and visual channels. Moreover, her emphasis on words like your and my helped to distinguish the tasks for which she was responsible from those that required my attention. I definitely got the message that my tardiness was causing her anxiety about being unable to meet her deadline. Factors that Influence How a Message is Received Cox (2009) contends that "no two persons perceive the same event in the same way" (p. 154). The factors that influence the way a message is received include perception, attitudes and beliefs, values, and noise which is any distortion or disruption of the communication process (Cox, D., 2009 p. 154). Perception relates to how a person processes information cognitively. The interpretation of the message is colored by the attitudes, beliefs and values of the individual. For example, if I felt that it was unfair or wrong to allow my negligence to cause Jane to miss her deadline, I would be more be more receptive to the message. By the same token, if as a result of my values, I did not care whether she missed the deadline or not, I would be less receptive. Face-to-Face Communications - More Effective Daniel Goleman of the New York Times, in an article entitled "E-mail is easy to write (and to misread)", notes that while e-mail are convenient they are "denuded of the rich emotional context we convey in person or over the phone" (p. 2). Phone conversations are more effective than e-mails because they have the added advantage of tonality; but face-to-face communication is the most effective of the three because "face to face interactions are information-rich. We interpret what people say to us not only from their tone and facial expressions, but also from their body language and pacing, as well as their synchronizing with what we do and say" (Goleman, D., 2007, p. 1). Voice mails are more impersonal and less effective than telephone conversations because they lack the person to person interactivity that is possible through live telephone conversations.  Implications In this week's resources, Dr. Stolovich reminds us that 93% of our communication in non-verbal (Laureate Education Inc.). This suggests that, when we communicate exclusively via e-mail, we lose about 93% of the message . From this, one can conclude that, "important information should first be conveyed face-to-face with all the stakeholders present" (Laureate Education Inc.). The message could be reinforced by telephone conversations and finally via voice-mails or e-mails in that order. Thus, project managers, while taking into the consideration communication media preferences of individual stakeholders, should employ the meeting format: large group, small group or one-on-one; as their first strategy for the dissemination of important information. References: Cox, D., (2009). Project management for instructional designers, a practical guide. IN: iUniverse Goleman, D., (2007, October7). Email is easy to write (and to misread. New York Times. Retrieved September, 21, 2100, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/jobs/07pre.html?ref=danielgoleman Laureate Education, Inc. Walden University. (2011) “Communicating with Stakeholders” [Video Webcast]. Retrieved from: http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4894962&Survey=1&47=7389572&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1 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.

Learning from a Project "Post-mortem"

An experience that comes to mind is the 2009 Commencement Ceremony of my former institution. Commencement is a major event in the calendar year of any institution. Thus, in order to ensure that the team has enough time to complete activities, the committee is commissioned in March of each year and commencement is scheduled for the penultimate Tuesday in November. The project manager is selected by the Principal and approved by senior management. The team consists of senior administrators and faculty representatives from across the five (5) divisions (schools) of the college. Project team members and other senior faculty also chair sub-committees. My role was mainly that of a driver and, to some extent a sponsor as I authorized resources for the project Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. , 2008 p. 84). Challenges  Although the team was commissioned in March, in 2009, project work began mid September. There was no initial planning stage; instead the team began to work immediately premising important decisions on a template of a list of activities from Commencement 2008. The team met weekly but by October, the project seemed to be limping along, and many team members seemed to have lost interest in the project. From my perspective as driver and sponsor, I was not invited to meetings and, looking back, I can remember feeling anxious, wondering if the team would deliver in time for the scheduled date. I lacked information on the progress of work being done and I also felt that the team was making decisions that they were not authorized to make. In addition, the project manager had no authority over members of faculty and was neither skilled in the arts of "negotiation" nor creative problem solving ( Portny, S.et al, 2008 p. 17). Thus, the work of the project was fraught with many interpersonal conflicts . Crisis  Less than a week before the event, cognizant that I had received no budget requests from some sub-committees, I decided to have a chat with a few sub-committee chairs, about the status of their particular activity. It was at that eleventh hour that I discovered that the sub-chair of the decorations committee had not met with members of her committee, and as a result, there was no theme or budget for the event. In fact, it was at that point that she informed me that she did not wish to work on that committee. The project manager seemed blissfully unaware of this. Immediately, I contacted a former member of faculty who was a floral decorator. We agreed on a theme for the event and she created the floral arrangements. On the morning of the event senior administrators, my secretary, the bursar, our children and other senior members of faculty pressed and hung curtains, decorated the gazebo and ensured that the campus was beautifully decorated for the event. Neither the sub-committee chair nor her team members assisted in this task. Lessons Learned Lesson 1 A project by definition is unique. Therefore, each project must have its own initiation, planning, monitoring and controlling and close out stages. One cannot apply a plan meant for Commencement 2008 to Commencement 2009 because each project has its own set of variables. For example the availability of resources or even the fact that team of members work together for the first time will influence the operations of a project. Each project must be individually planned. This initial planning is critical because the framework for the project is developed during this phase. In this regard, Allen et al (2008) posit that if this initial stage is omitted or "passed lightly over. the rest of the project will likely feel (and be) disorganized and haphazard (Allen, S., & Hardin, P. C. ,2008, p. 80). An important product of this phase is a communications plan. This would have ensured that stakeholders like myself would have been kept informed throughout the life of the project. Allen et al (2008) also explain that a communication plan: "ensures that stakeholders receive the right information at the right time in a format that is best suited to their needs. protects all the stakeholders in a legal contractual sense. provides documentation for times when previous decisions are questioned, or referenced, thus maintaining positive relationships among participants and speeding up the decision-making process" (p. 80) Lesson 2 The project must undergo a second phase where it is defined. This involves documenting a rationale, purpose and goals and objectives of the project. The project scope document clarifies for everyone the objectives of the project, what the project will deliver, and the resources required for its successful execution (Cox, D., 2009, p. 69). The work break down structure (WBS) is a product of the planning stage. At this point, the the order of activities determined and each activity is broken down into its smaller tasks. The WBS to create a linear work responsibility charts, estimate budgets and assign tasks. In fact, the linear responsibility chart is a matrix which maps the various project task, the persons responsible for carrying out each task, and the person/s who will approve the tasks ( Portny, W, et al, 2008, p9. 93-95). If Commencement project 2009 had had a linear responsibility chart, everyone would have been aware of the persons authorized to approve decisions. Lesson 3 I have also learned the value of documentation, and how it contributes to the success of a project. For example, the outcome most certainly would have been different if the sub-committee chair of the decorations committee had signed a document agreeing to undertake the work of that committee. I now realize also that project planning permeates almost every aspect of life, as events- professional and personal, are ubiquitous. An understanding of project management tools will certainly redound to greater success in the projects that we undertake. References: Allen, S., & Hardin, P. C. (2008). Developing instructional technology products using effective project management practices. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 19(2), 72–97.   Cox, D., (2009). Project management for instructional designers, a practical guide. IN: iUniverse 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.

Welcome To My Blog

Greetings to my classmates of EDUC 6145! I look forward to communicating, and sharing with you during the next eight weeks.
Sonia