Communicating with Project Team Members

Project managers should choose the most effective mode of communication for each message they deliver to their teams. In The Art of Effective Communication, a multimedia program demonstrates a message from a sender requesting a report in three different delivery modalities (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d. a). The author conveyed different meanings depending on which modality she used to deliver it. In the email modality, the message seemed about right. In a memo, a project manager should state the purpose, situation, solutions, specify the form of response, and be respectful (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d. b). In the voicemail modality, the message seemed a little too long. It is more effective to be concise and direct on a voicemail by asking a question that requires a response. In the example of the communication in the face-to-face modality, the speaker did not pause for a response in between statements (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d. a). The speaker’s tone sounded more serious than it seemed when the sender used email. 

One factor that affected my perception of the message in different modalities is hearing the person’s voice delivering the message. In the video of the message that the sender communicated face-to-face, the receiver hears the tone, speed, and volume of the message and sees the sender’s face (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d. a). Hearing the message seemed more personal because the speaker’s voice had tone and inflection on different words that changed the meaning of the sentences to seem more severe or concerning. Another factor that affected my perception was that the amount of information seemed appropriate for an email more than it did for a voicemail. Many project team members may not have time to listen to long voicemails, especially those with whom a project manager usually communicates using email and in-person meetings. Project managers should determine what their stakeholders value most and tailor their communications to demonstrate the benefits to the given stakeholder (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d. c).

Of the three messages, email, voicemail, and face-to-face, the method that conveyed the message most effectively was email. Using email to deliver this message seems most effective because the author asks the receiver to respond using email, so it makes sense to send an email to which the receiver can respond. Project managers should send follow-up emails with a list of the main points and action items from their face-to-face meetings because an email is a form of documentation of what the project manager covered in the meeting (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d. b). In the examples of the communication, the author explains why she needs the information and why she requires an urgent response (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d. a). Email is an effective way to send an urgent message. An email is delivered soon after the author sends it, and an email may be more likely to be received than a voicemail. The length of the message sounded impersonal when I received it verbally through both voicemail and face-to-face methods.

To communicate effectively with their team members, project managers should tailor every message to the person they are communicating with. Project managers who are effective communicators solicit guidelines from the key stakeholders on a project, document guidelines for effective communication, and gain agreement and sign-off for the guidelines (Laureate Education, Inc., n.d. d). Some individuals may send nonverbal messages in their communications that they do not intend to send. Project managers must be thoughtful in matching the methods of communication to the subject matter and receivers of the messages they send.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (n.d. a). The Art of Effective Communication [Multimedia program]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (n.d. b). Communicating with stakeholders [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (n.d. c). Practitioner voices: Strategies for working with stakeholders [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (n.d. d). Project management concerns: Communication strategies and organizational culture [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu


Comments

  1. Tammie Dixon - Colleague at WaldenNovember 20, 2021 at 5:43 AM

    Mary,

    You pointed out some strong factors in the different modalities of communication. You also identified the essential aspects of communication and how important it is for engaging stakeholders. You said specifically "Some individuals may send nonverbal messages in their communications that they do not intend to send. Project managers must be thoughtful in matching the methods of communication to the subject matter and receivers of the messages they send." I agree. For example, if you are distributing your communication in written form, you would make sure to start with clear intentions of the project schema. Then you move on to describe the scenario succinctly. Thereafter, you might want to incorporate a potential resolution. Denote if there any approvals are required or needed. Ensure your tone of this communication form is business friendly and respectful (Laureate, n.d).

    References

    Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (n.d.a). Practitioner voices: Strategies for working with stakeholders [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

    ReplyDelete
  2. Airyn LongoriaNovember 21, 2021 at 10:46 PM

    Mary,

    Thank you for providing your insight to this week’s blog. You make a great point that during the in-person interaction Jane did not take any pauses from what she was saying it sounded like Mark needed to make her request a priority. I felt the voicemail was the best way of conveying the message since it came across professional and concise. I also prefer speaking through phone or email in my professional and personal life so it may have impacted my judgement. Individuals who are sending a message should not only be aware of how the stakeholder will interpret the message, but the mindset and personality of who is sending the message (Bourne, 2016).

    Airyn

    References
    Bourne, L. (2016). Targeted communication: The key to effective stakeholder engagement. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 226, 431-438.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Leah30November 22, 2021 at 4:43 AM

    Email is an effective way to send an urgent message to colleagues and management. Email serves as an effective way to send on-way messages or engage in two-way interaction that doesn’t have time urgency. Sending an email eliminates the opportunity for immediate feedback from the recipient. The lack of nonverbal cues can often cause miscommunication, especially when humor or sarcasm are involved. Overuse of email decreases internal and external rapport and may reduce effectiveness in communication.

    Reference
    Chron Contributor (2020). The Impact of Email in the Workplace. Retrieved: https://work.chron.com/tools-disseminating-workplace-information-11070.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. kaseyash77November 22, 2021 at 5:03 PM

    Mary,
    Some individuals may send nonverbal messages in their communications that they do not intend to send. Project managers must be thoughtful in matching the methods of communication to the subject matter and receivers of the messages they send. I agree, The implications of lessons from the exercise for communicating effectively with project team members is choosing video communication modality that resonates with the audience, that is more expressive and with a personal touch, and conveys the message in a way that stimulates, convinces, calls to action, and enhances understanding.

    ReplyDelete

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