One message, different deliveries and different meanings!
The message in this email is the same words that were delivered via voicemail and then in person. Listed below is how I interpreted each message from the method it was communicated.
The email came across as trying to be polite and sensed that I had hindered the project; however, there was an undercurrent of understanding and apologizing for needing the information on short notice.
Understanding – I know you have been busy and possibly in meetings all day
Voicemail truly sent a kinder message in Jane’s tone of voice and conveyed a truer understanding than the email. No emphasis on the word ‘your’. Tone of voice implies his or her attitude to the message (Besson, Graf, Hartung, Kropfhausser, & Voisard, 2004).
Face to face – conveyed understanding but there was a tone of annoyance. Jane began with a smile and then it disappeared. She also used her fingers to show emphasis on the word ‘your’ in this phrase “because your report”, as well as, her voice inflection/intonation on the word.
Oral communication can be significantly more effective in expressing meaning to an audience because there are more signals such as gestures, intonation, inflection, volume, pitch, pauses, movement, and overall appearance (Ferraro & Palmer). When a person speaks, they have more control over the listener will hear and can alter their message while talking with the listener than a writer has over what the reader will read. Most times written words can be chosen with greater deliberation and thought. The exception is when a writer is writing as they talk or text.
Implications:
1. Need to know what and how you want your message to be conveyed.
2. Need to know yourself. Example: If you know your body language may be misinterpreted and your email written quickly may come across with room for misinterpretation, use voicemail.
3. Prior to beginning a project, discuss preferred methods of communication for each team member and use scenarios to truly understand which method will be most appropriate for that team member.
4. During post project assessment, ask project team members to rate your communication style during the project and request an explanation for the rating.
Therefoe, communication is an integral part of any relationship. Therefore, it is important to know yourself, your most effective means of communication, and adapt them based on the needs of your team and the individuals on the team.
Ferraro, V., & Palmer, K. (n.d.). Differences between oral and written communication. Retrieved from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/speech/differences.htm
Besson, C., Graf, D., Hartung, I., Kropfhausser, B., & Voisard, S. (2004). The importance of non-verbal communication in professional interpretation. Retrieved from http://aiic.net/ViewPage.cfm/page1662.htm
Chris:
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog. I particularity liked the point you made about communication being central to any relationship.
Prior to taking this course, I always leaned more towards formal written communications. However, I drew the line when I realized that some senior administrators were by-passing my office, and then sending me e-mails about critical matters which should have been discussed verbally. At that point,I informed them in a meeting that emails were fine as reminders; but I preferred if new information was communicated to me, initially, face-to-face. Some of them were not too happy with this. This week's discussions have proven that my action was correct!
I agree with your many points about the advantages of the face-to-face communication channel. However, to augment what you said just a bit, I would like to add that, in addition to having the body language, tonality etc., face-to-face communication is an interaction or synergy between individuals which increases "acceptance" of ideas, and thus contributes to the sustainability of change" (Cox, d, 2009, p. 117).
Chris,
ReplyDeleteI have been fascinated by the different interpretations of the email, voice mail, and face-to-face conversations. You and I both stressed that communication is interactive and that the project manager must present the information clearly as well as understand the intended audience. Although we, as classmates, this week have had the same experience,how we interpereted the message was very different from one another (Gillard & Johansen, 2004). I wonder how much is related to the receiver's learning style preference?
I felt that this assignment stressed the importance of the project manager getting to know team members and stakeholders so that he or she could meet them at their comfort level as Stolovich(n.d.)discussed in the video resources this week.
Excellent job with your analysis,
References:
Gillard, S., & Johansen, J. (2004, February). Project management communication: A systems approach. Journal of Information Science, 30(1), 23-29. doi:10.1177/0165551504041675
Stolovich, H. (Speaker). (n.d.). Communicating 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
Thank you both for reviewing my post and making the insightful commments.
ReplyDeleteI commented on a classmates post about barriers to communication, which basically discussed how the received filters information.
I had a similar thought when email first came out, we are talking on a computer when we are next door to each other. There is a time and place for each delivery method. I think you did a nice job of delineating it for your team members.
Chris –
ReplyDeleteI like your analysis and I think your implications offer some good rules of thumb for effective communication. I would add a 5th and that is – understand how people interpret different communication media in your organization. In reviewing the three different messages, I realized that I interpreted their meaning, in part, on the method used to deliver them. For instance, in my work, I never receive phone calls or voice mails unless the matter is critically important. I would not call someone for a request that could wait a few days. For this reason, I thought the voice mail version of the message was the most urgent. If someone stops by my office, I would consider the request more important than if they shot me an e-mail. Where I work, showing up at someone’s office is a way to signal that you need her to pay attention to your request sooner than later. The ways that communication media are used – e-mail, voice mail, text, etc – are part of the culture of an organization. Understanding the meaning placed on these forms of communication is part of communicating more effectively.
Chris,
ReplyDeleteYour analysis was quite intriquing, and I am always interested in the opinions others have on similiar activities. Communication is key to any relationship, whether personal, business, etc. You posit, "Therefore, it is important to know yourself, your most effective means of communication, and adapt them based on the needs of your team and the individuals on the team," and I am in total agreement with you. Warrilow explores 5 barriers to effective communication, (1)Lack of clarity of message, (2)Absence of emotional resonance in your message, (3)In-accurate targeting, (4) Timing schedule, and (5)Feedback process. It is easily notable the instances in the three scenarios, where there were barriers to Jane's commuication with Mark. Different work environments support different styles of communication, but when dealing with deadlines and project related tasks, it is important to effectively deliver your message to the intended receiver. The voicemail message was a more clear and effective message of the three.
Reference:
Warrilow, S. (2009).
Barriers To Effective Communication In Change Management - But Do They Feel What You Are Saying? Retrieved September 25, 2011 from http://stephenwarrilow.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/barriers-to-effective-communication-in-change-management-but-do-they-feel-what-you-are-saying-1523140.html
Chris,
ReplyDeleteNice posting!
I definitely agree that communication is an integral part of any relationship. Interestingly "communication breakdown" is the #2 reason for divorce so there's definitely something to this "communication" thing.
What I like about your posting is the implications sections, specifically #2: Need to know yourself. How often does one consider their own personal posture before selecting a modality of communication?
I also like #3 as everyone has a different preference. I must confess I rarely think of this, and I instead use my own personal value system of which modality is best suited for the situation.
Finally #4 is a great post-mortem procedure that could assist the project manager is assessing his/her style and ways to improve for the next project.
References
Top 5 reasons for divorce. (n.d.). HubPages. Retrieved September 25, 2011, http://basspro.hubpages.com/hub/Top_5_reasons_for_divorce