The Impact of Effective Communication








 

Good communication can make the difference between confident, motivated employees or stakeholders and an unproductive team with low morale. Communication is critical for the success of any project. Our ability to communicate as project managers with other team members is key to improving our professional relationships and building confidence in stakeholders of the project and results at the workplace. It builds thriving relationships and gives team members and stakeholders the information they need, to contribute to the success of the project. It is of importance that a project manager is a good communicator who can encourage two-way dialogue, discuss critical issues, exchange information, build trust, and engage people in achieving the mission of the project. 

 As more communication up and down the line at work is done electronically, face-to-face discussion can easily fall by the wayside. For the project manager, choosing the right channel depends on what is your purpose and what message you intend to pass on. Depending on the platform you use and the way the message is framed, one could end up compromising the quality and the immediacy of your message. What is equally interesting to take note of as a project manager is how team members and stakeholders interpret the meaning we convey. Sometimes the meaning one wants to or tries to send might not be what other people will understand. Hence it is important to take note that business communication is held to a higher standard than our everyday communication. The consequences, impact, and influence of misunderstandings of the message are usually higher and the chances to recognize and correct the mistake are lower. 

 In this week's blog, we will be reflecting on the multimedia program " The Art of Effective Communication ". Will be looking at the same communication done in three different modalities, written text in this case which we have emails, audio which we have as a voicemail, and video or face-to-face. When each communication modality is used at the right time and in the right context it will help ensure that the desired results are achieved on a strong team and a good working relationship with varying stakeholders in the project. Sending emails has become a standard protocol in business communication, but it is very important that one needs to refine their skills for effective communication. In this case, I think the email did not serve its main purpose. The way the email was started did set a different tone for the entire message, it is more casual, yet the email might have the intention to address an important issue that might have needed a little bit of being formal although friendly and encouraging. The email tone can convey many attitudes such as professionalism, friendliness, or optimism. Choosing the appropriate tone for the email ensures the message sent can be interpreted easily and correctly which helps in obtaining the desired results. 

 Face-to-face communication can indeed be still said to be the best method of communication. Communicating face - to face sends a message before one can even say a word. People will not only hear what you are saying but they will perceive the greater meaning of your tone, voice inflection, emotion, and body language in this face -to- fall communication, it demonstrated the importance of the issue, being addressed, showing that it is worth their time and yours. The focus will also get another partner's attention and increase the potential of the message being heard and acted upon. As it might save all this purpose, it should not be taken for granted the need for the communication to be a conversation giving room for another partner involved to respond. 

 Lastly, what I think achieved the best was the voicemail. The voicemail was specific, it shows the purpose of calling, communicating exactly the information, she was seeking and what she would like to be provided with. It was also brief with no ramblings, communicating only the most important details. Above all the time that was used was relaying the message to whoever was listening. We know that whoever was listening to the voice message relies on solely the voice for an impression. This means it is very, important to have a warm tone and professional message.

References
Email vs face-to-face vs call: What to use when? MultiCall. (2021, September 27). Retrieved July 2022, from https://www.multicall.in/email-vs-face-to-face-vs-call/ 

FRANKLIN, A. I. M. E. E. L. (2021). Stakeholder engagement. SPRINGER. 

Fulgencio, J. L. (2017). Communication in instructional design. International Journal of Designs for Learning, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.14434/ijdl.v8i2.22798 

Pauley, J. A., & Pauley, J. F. (2009). Communication: The key to effective leadership. ASQ Quality Press.

Taylor, S., & Lester, A. J. (2010). Communication: Your key to success. Marshall Cavendish Business. 

Taylor, S. (2010). E-mail etiquette: A fresh look at dealing effectively with e-mail, developing great style, and writing clear, concise messages. Marshall Cavendish Business. Walden University, LLC (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Communicating with stakeholders [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu.

Comments

  1. Dr. Angelica Ellman ChristieJuly 23, 2022 at 11:12 AM

    I totally agree that face-to-face communication allows the sender to utilize facial and body language to help emphasize aspects of the message in ways that can not be emphasized through voice and written messages. A quick internet search returns a number of sources that concur with your position of preferring face-to-face communication above other modes. The global nature of our society does not always support the feasible use of communicating in person. Existing technologies like Microsoft Office Teams, Zoom, WebEx, etc. does offer the ability for virtual face-to-face connection, but the challenge of availability is not diminished. Verbal communication of any kind (e.g., phone, video conferencing, in person, voice chat, etc.) includes aspects of tone, volume, speed, modulation, etc. for added emphasis. In the absence of written documentation of the discussion that expires, however, any oral communication is informal and should be followed-up with a written summary if it is to be considered formal communication.

    In the situation demonstrated in this week's resources, I feel that the in-person communication was most effective and appropriate. The conversation felt as if it was an informal reminder that the speaker needed specific information from the recipient and being in front of them indicated the urgency. It is also feasible to assume that the telephone and email messages may not be received for a timely response.

    I strongly believe that how communication occurs should be driven by a number of factors including who is participating in the conversation, the purpose of the conversation, and if documentation is needed. The goal should always be to establish effective, meaningful relationships, ensure clarity is obtained with misconception or misinterpretation, and contribute to organizational/project success (Sethna, 2020).

    Reference

    Sethna, J. (2022). Different Effective Methods of Communication (Useful) [web log]. Retrieved July 23, 2022, from https://www.educba.com/different-methods-of-communication/.

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    Replies
    1. Barry CoseyJuly 24, 2022 at 5:23 PM

      Hey John on this week's assignment I though all were effective. However, like I mentioned in my post I often do like some type of trail so that all those involved do know that I'm doing what I am supposed to do. I hate to say it like that but there did seem to be some urgency in Jane's messages.

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  2. Mel WmsJuly 24, 2022 at 10:08 PM

    In a study conducted by University of Gothenburg, they found that most employees prefer face-to-face communication over emails. Arndt writes,”sending an E-mail can seem lazy and one has to be careful about the written words because the receiver’s reaction to it is unknown. Some respondents do not use E-mail so much anymore because they want more transparency” (2011). Forbes magazine writes, “business executives overwhelmingly agree that face-to-face meetings are not just preferable but necessary for building deeper, more profitable bonds with clients and business partners and maintaining productive relationships with co-workers” (2009). More recently Wooll wrote about the six benefits of face-to-face communication as follow:
    1. Face-to-face communication keeps employees in the loop.
    2. Face-to-face communication reduces misunderstandings.
    3. Face-to-face communication is quicker and more efficient.
    4. Face-to-face communication boosts engagement.
    5. Face-to-face communication builds trust.
    6. Face-to-face communication can be more persuasive.

    References
    Arndt, C. 2011. The Importance of Face-to-Face Communication in HR Departments: A study in the field of Organizational Communication. University of Gothenburg.
    Forbes Insights. 2009. Business Meetings: The Case for Face-to-Face. https://images.forbes.com/forbesinsights/StudyPDFs/Business_Meetings_FaceToFace.pdf
    Wooll, M. 2022. Why face-to-face communication matters (even with remote work). BetterUp. https://www.betterup.com/blog/face-to-face-communication

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