Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Communicating Effectively

For this blog assignment the same message was presented in three different modalities; email, voicemail, and face-to-face.  The assignment is to reflect upon all three and share similarities or differences in interpretation.

 Email

I found the email to be straightforward with a clear and concise message.  The needs are clearly identified with instructions on how to respond.  The message while formal and straight to the point is still in a personable manner without any negative undertones.

 Voicemail

The voicemail conveys the same message and is in a manner similar to the email, it is straight to the point and in a friendly tone.  The voice inflections are appropriate and stress key points in the same manner.

Face-to-face

The face-to-face video also results in a similar interpretation.  The message is delivered with a smile and non-threatening body language, and the facial expressions also help in stressing any important information.  But I thought it was a bit too relaxed for someone needing a report right away. 


In this scenario and in the way it was presented I preferred the email method of communication, and then the voicemail and the face-to-face video last.  Dr. Stolovitch in his video presents ways to communicate effectively and states that effective communication involves attitude, tone, body language, and is most effective when face-to-face with all parties involved “ (Stolovitch, 2012).  I think in many situations face-to-face can be a very effective way to communicate.  Not only are you hearing the message but can also see a person’s attitude and tone, and so have the opportunity to dynamically change the way the conversation is going if necessary.  In email this is harder to do, once the email has been written it cannot be changed.  So, it is important to be sure the email conveys a clear purpose in a diplomatic way that cannot be misunderstood or taken the wrong way, the email in this scenario accomplished that. The reason I preferred the email in this scenario is just because of the very relaxed nature of the video, for me it took away from the message.  As far as voicemails, in my experience they are not always acknowledged and can go unheard.  There is also the possibility of the message being inaudible and unclear, although that was not the case in the scenario.

Dr. Stolovitch suggests a strategy for communicating with project teams and to set the standards early on.  The recommendation is to discuss the frequency, format, and response times of meetings with the client.  Dr. Stolovitch reminds project managers that their responsibility is to remain diplomatic, keep the peace, and keep any communication clear and focused (Stolovitch, 2012). 

  

References:

Stolovitch, D. (2012). Communicating with Stakeholders. Laureate Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_551248_1%26url%3D