The message was the same throughout the 3 different types of communication (email, voicemail, and face to face). As I went from each message I felt that it was the same for the email and voicemail, and different with the face to face.
Perceptions influence how you can take any of the messages. In emails, I have found that you have to use very direct language. Also the way a person takes the message depends greatly on their mood and how the take the written message. In the voicemail the tone of the message can determine how the listener takes the message. In the example the voice was positive and asking in a supporting manner. Finally in the face to face communication, your non-verbal communication speaks louder than your words. Like Stolovitch (2010) stated the attitude, body language is a huge factor in communication. One thing that I was taught long ago (not sure by who), “the mouth speaks lies, the body tells you all!” This is so true, and in the face to face communication, I felt negative vibes from her. From my perception the voicemail conveyed the best and true meaning of the message.
From the exercise and the video segments, communication needs to be direct and to the point. The problem should be stated clearly and in the beginning, a solution of some kind should be suggested, and how you want the person to respond to you. One thing that I need to work on is getting all the team players involved and engaged in my projects. I have run projects so long by myself that I will have to learn how share and communicate the tasks and focus (Portny, 2008). One thing that I have done and it was suggested by the text is involving the right people (Portny, 2008). Identifying the right people in the project is extremely important and making sure they stay engaged is a key feature (Stolovitch, 2010). Another important item is to not be ambiguous (Stolovitch, 2010), in the case study Carlos was extremely ambiguous and open-ended, and this lead to problems in the project with Catherine and Dan. There are many things to think about and I liked how Catherine put a real world number on how much time it takes, 300:1 (Portny, 2008). Planning is extremely important and just as important as communication, because without proper communication all the planning is worthless.
Sources:
• 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.
• Video Program: “Communicating with Stakeholders”
Dr. Stolovitch discusses communication strategies and managing client expectations.
• Video Program: “Practitioner Voices: Strategies for Working with Stakeholders”
In this program, Troy Achong discusses strategies for dealing with different stakeholder personalities, and Vince Budrovich illustrates why stakeholders need to be kept involved during the entire lifecycle of the project.
• Video Program: “Project Management Concerns: Communication Strategies and Organizational Culture”
Dr. Stolovitch gives Carole Kramer advice on adjusting her communication style to fit her client’s culture.
Bill,
ReplyDeleteI love your saying “the mouth speaks lies, the body tells you all!” I’m going to remember that one for sure. I think it is sad but true. I too felt a weird vibe from Jane in the face-to-face contact. To me, Jane’s tone actually sounded seductive in the beginning, and then she switched to a timid voice like she was trying to use her sexuality with Mark to get him to give up the report.
In my blog I too felt that I found the tone of Jane’s voice in the voicemail was the most sincere form of communication of three modalities. She was clear and concise and yet I sensed the urgency in her tone of voice, but no rudeness or impatience, just concern that she was going to miss her own deadline if she didn’t get the missing report or data from Mark.
There is an excellent book authored by a former FBI agent, Joe Navarro and it is called “What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed Reading People.
In it, he writes that nonverbal behaviors are called “tells” because they tell about the person’s true state of mind. He goes on to say that people are not always aware that they are communicating nonverbally. He used an example of the squinting or closing of eyes, which is called eye blocking. It is something we do when we feel threatened or don’t like what we see. In an example of an arson case he worked, he said the individual being interviewed used the eye blocking cue every time they asked him where he was when the fire started. I found that interesting.
Reference
Navarro, J. (2008). What every body is Saying: An ex-FBI agent’s guide to speed reading people. Harper Collins Publisher, NY
William,
ReplyDeleteThe mood of the recipient at the time they receive the message can play a part in how the message is received. If the recipient is already upset or angry over something then this message could just exaggerate the feeling. The sender has no way of knowing the mood of the receiver when sending email or voicemail.
The recipient’s mood is an important thing to keep in mind when viewing return messages. Sometimes people respond angrily and it is up to the sender to diffuse a situation they really didn’t even start.
I found it interesting when you mentioned you felt the tone for the voicemail was positive and supporting. I mentioned in my post that I felt the tone was annoyed and chastising. Just goes to show you never know how your message will come across.
Nanett