By definition, the term decipher means to make out the meaning of, decode or to interpret the meaning of. (www.merriam-webster.com, n.d.) Effective communications are essential when working with individuals in various settings. As a project manager, communications are vitally important especially when conveying specific directions, establishing project expectations and delegating work to those affiliated with scheduled work.
For this week’s project management course, we were given the task of interpreting a message in three formats - text, a voiced response and face to face contact. With the exception of the mode of presentation, no changes were made to the original message.
Written (Email notification)In my review of the email message, the words gave me no reason to react or provide immediate assistance. The message provided no specific time or date for the information which gave me a sense that it really wasn’t needed and/or important. In fact, I would ask the individual writing the email to define “soon”. Does soon mean today, tomorrow or next week?
Audio (Voicemail notification)
Similar to the written message, I did not receive a full sense of urgency for the requested information in the voice message. The voicemail did however provide more emphasis of the potential level of desperation from the co-worker. The tone and varying inflection levels in the presenters voice gave me with a better sense of urgency which would most likely prompt me to follow-up the message with a phone call to ask additional questions.
Face to Face (Cubicle conversation)
When an individual takes time to stop by to express their needs in person, I had a full compliment of clues available to help me in determining their level of need. For me, a face to face message means the issue is more pressing especially since they took the time to come to me. With the person in front of me, I could also view their physical attributes to get a better sense of urgency surrounding the issue. Lastly, their presence is unavoidable. Unlike emails and voice messages, this form of contact shows more of the personal touch. It will also get me to react faster than the electronic methods would.
The use of electronic communication methods (email, voicemail) are essential for many organizations. When used in conjunction with managing projects, good communications provide improved dividends for all stakeholders. According to the Project Management Institute (2013), “organizations that communicate more effectively have more successful projects.” (www.pmi.org/~/media..) Communications are lock step with the successful activities of a project. Successful project management communication is about being involved with the challenges, understanding the issues within the team, and understanding the complete project message. (www.successful-project-management.com, n.d.)
When presented with the three messages, I did not receive any sense of urgency when presented with the email or voicemail message. Only when the individual took time out of her busy schedule to stop by to see me did things change. Although the message did not change, the tone from the email and voicemail did not give me reason to believe it was urgent. Emails have no emotion and tend to lead to word interpretation only. More information was provided during the voicemail message yet parts were monotone in my opinion. As noted in the Summer 2004 issue of The Total Communicator, a monotone suggests to your listeners that you have little invested in them or in the message; it suggests you don’t really care much about a response. (totalcommunicator.com/vol2_3/…)
When presented with the chance to meet face to face, the circumstances changed. Body language, non-verbal queues and other messages were given during the delivery of this message. In this form, the communications are more formal and active meaning they are designed to address the “here and now” (2020projectmanagement.com) of the situation. When delivering messages, the personal touch can insure more benefits compared with the electronic communication tools.
Every project manager needs to have a plan of attack prepared for effectively conveying messages to their project team. In many instances, the project team is comprised of a mixture of people from various groups and potentially, various industries. The lack of effective communication increases the risk projects face and the likelihood of them falling short. (www.pmi.org) In order to design an effective plan for communicating, a clear defining plan must be implemented to accommodate the needs of all. This should include a mixture of active (face to face, telephone. Skype or video conferences) and passive (email, podcast, blogs, websites) communication methods. (www.successful-project-management.com) Once the expectation has been set and agreed upon, these methods will help insure project timelines are met and success is achieved.
MFABRAMS - ID ArchiTech
References
Communication - The key to successful project management. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://2020projectmanagement.com/2014/06/communication-the-key-to-successful-project-management/
Communication: The message is clear. [White Paper] (December 2013) Retrieved from http://www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/Knowledge%20Center/Communications_whitepaper_v2.ashx
Definition: decipher. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decipher
Project Management Communication - perfection eludes us… (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.successful-project-management.com/project-management-communication.html
There’s a message in your voice. (2004) The Total Communicator, Volume II, issue 3. Retrieved from http://totalcommunicator.com/vol2_3/voicemessage.html
