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.