"Developing excellent communication skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others. If a leader can't get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn't even matter."
Gilbert Amelio
President and CEO of National Semiconductor Corp.
President and CEO of National Semiconductor Corp.
Messages can be delivered using various forms of communication - formal, informal, written, and verbal. However, the same message can be delivered using different modalities, but generate different interpretations.
For this assignment I had to receive the same message using three different modalities: Email, Voicemail, and Person-to-Person. The message was an informal message. Formal communications "are pre-planned and conducted in a standard format in accordance with an established schedule." Informal communications "occur as people think of information they want to share" (Portney, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer, 2008, p. 357). However, just because an informal method was chosen, in today's world of technology I would not consider an informal message unimportant.
Interpretation of the Message:
Email – I had to read the message twice to understand what was being said. I felt the message was run-on sentences; thoughts being thrown onto paper.
Voicemail – The voicemail message was clearer and I had a better understanding of what was needed. The message was friendly and conveyed the feeling that there was a working relationship.
Person-to-Person – I didn't find the message to be any different than the voicemail message. However, the person-to-person message was very scripted and impersonal.
Factors that influenced my perception:
Email – Email can be considered an informal method of communication, but there must still be some structure to the message. Written communications should 1)Begin with a clear purpose, 2) State the situation, 3) include possible solutions, 4) Indicate if a sign-off is required, 5) Specify the form that the response is required to take, 6) Keep the tone of all communications business friendly and respectful. (Stolovitch) In this particular message, not all of these components were relevant, but the purpose, situation, and solution should have been communicated in a more structured manner.
Voicemail – The voicemail seemed more casual and was easier to understand. I do not think the messenger was clear in any of her messages exactly what data she needed. But the message did not seem as fragmented.
Face-to-Face – As in the voicemail, the message appeared clearer. However, the messenger appeared scripted and "unfriendly" making it difficult to stay focused on what she was saying.
Most effective form of communication:
The voicemail worked best for me. I am an auditory learner and maybe that contributed to this method being most effective. The voicemail was casual and clear making it "real" and conveyed a working relationship and a feeling that the messenger knew how to speak so that I would understand.
Effectively communicating with project team members:
"The ability to communicate well, both orally and written, is a critical skill for project managers" (Portney, et al, 2008, p. 357) Written communications should beprofessional, clear and concise. Sending emails(or any written communication) that require multiple readings to understand will either create frustration and lack of understanding for the recipient or it will quickly end up in the "wastebasket." Verbal communications should be professional, but friendly and not intimidating and impersonal. You want to keep the recipient engaged in what you are saying. Regardless of the modality you choose, the one thing that must always be conveyed (and wasn't in any of the examples) is that if there is any question they should contact you and how you can be reached. Letting the recipient know that you are available to clarify and help resolve the issue, tells them the issue is important to you. Just as we all learn differently, we all communicate and interpret communications differently. When dealing with team members on an indivdiual basis,use their preferred communication style. If you are communicating with the group, use a formal style of written communication or consider a face-to-face meeting.
References:
Portney, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Stolovitch, D. (n.d.). Communicating with Stakeholders.
http://www.leadershipnow.com/communicationquotes.html
Good point on including contact information regardless of the message formality; if your recipient gets your point and concern, you definitely want them to reach you by whatever means possible.
ReplyDeleteI felt the multiple iterations of this message went from weak in the email to almost effective in the face-to-face version. My concern on effectiveness is based on word usage, specifically that the original message has too many if's and this reduces the effect of Jane's concern for a response. The proper selection of words in a message allows you to include emphasis that is missed in this exercise's original message. Our course text calls it, "sharing the right messages with the right people in a timely manner" (Portny, et al. pg. 357). Jane needs Mark to react positively to her message so my point of using better words helps make it the 'right message'. Your comment of using your recipients preferred communication style is important, but you should also include a variation of another point our text presents; effective communication is to tailor your message to your needs and concerns (Portny, et al., pg. 363) when the greater consequence will be affecting you.
Reference:
Portney, 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.