I did not find Jane to carry a positive tone in any of the forms: email, voicemail, or face-to-face. As I viewed each of the modalities I interpreted a similar meaning. In the email I got the message of, if you can't do it, then I will do it myself. In the voicemail her tone came off as somewhat condescending, as did her tone in the face-to-face meeting; however in the face-to-face meeting there was the addition of non-verbal communication that sent the additional message that Jane was not happy, even though she showed a big-fake smile at the end. In each of the modalities I noticed right away the use of "I", "your", and "my own." There was no indication of teamwork. One difference I noticed was in the email the message seemed authoritative, while in the voicemail and face-to-face to meeting Jane seemed somewhat passive.
I think the same message could have been conveyed in a more positive manner. I understand what as a project manager it is Jane's responsibility to make her team accountable and to create a sense of urgency, but there are proper ways to approach the situation. "Merely assigning people to perform selected tasks on a project does not create a project team" (Portney, etal., p. 301). Good communication throughout a project will help to create a team atmosphere.
References
Portny, 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.
The Art of Effective Communication [Multimedia Program]
http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6145/03/mm/aoc/index.html
Hi Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post, I can see that Jane did not mix words, but sometimes the direct approach gets the message across. Jane could have been more tactful and talked about a team approach and appeal to his work ethics. I have definitely experienced much worse in some team communication. Jane could have come across as an equal partner rather than an authoritarian. All in all it was a typical day at the office. She did keep it brief but could have been more explicit to why she needed the report (ASAP). I certainly agree with positivity. Maureen
The Art of Effective Communication [Multimedia Program] http://mym.cdn.laureate=media.com/
Hi Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteIt is funny how - viewing the same resources - we interpret them differently. I guess that proves the point of the assignment! Additionally, I interpreted slightly different nuances in all three of the messages. In the email, the tone seemed slightly panicked or stressed to me. (Perhaps I was projecting my own!) In the voicemail message, I agree with you, her tone sounded a bit condescending and irritated/edgy. Where our perceptions were very different was in interpreting the face-to-face message. I thought she seemed very direct but kind of laid back and pleasant. The editing glitch that caused the "big fake smile" (to quote you...lol), at the end, did throw me. Overall, that was the message I prefered. But they all might have been a bit passive-aggressive.
I like what you've said about teamwork and not so much "I, me, mine". Good point. There was opportunity for her to weave that message into hers.
Reference
The Art of Effective Communication [Multimedia Program]
http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6145/03/mm/aoc/index.html
Hi Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteWe interpreted Jane's communication in completely different ways. I thought she was polite and friendly in all 3 modes - with some more effective than others. I guess that proves how communication can be misinterpreted easily - and how important it is to communicate thoroughly and frequently when working on a project.
If Jane was the project manager, our text explains how to create a sense of urgency and importance with assignments. It is best to not minimize any pressure on the person regardless of how busy they feel. By minimizing the pressure or saying it's ok to be late with an assignment, you are telling the person that their work is not important. It is best to let the person know how their work influences other work (Portny, 2008). In this case, Jane let Mark know his report was critical in the report she needed to complete. I thought Jane followed our text advice.
Resources
Portny, 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.