EDUC6145 - Week 3 Effective Communication

Effective Communication

"How well we communicate is not determined by how well we say things but how well we are understood." – Andrew Grove, engineer, CEO (Vibe Team, 2022)

 

Communication is "a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior" (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).  People exchange information all the time, expecting what we expressed is understood. Written or verbal communication can be ineffective when the message is unclear, leading to misunderstandings and emotional disturbances. In some cases, we are more concerned with giving out a message and less concerned with how the message is received. When exchanging information, the sender and receiver are responsible for getting the message right. In this week's exercise, one message was delivered in three different ways, and we recorded our interpretation of the message regarding how it was delivered. 

 The Email  

How the reader interprets the message in an email relies heavily on the tone. The tone can be misleading or nonexistent, making it challenging to understand the message.  In this case, the email had a tone of desperation, as if Jane was pleading with Mark to send her his part of the report. The reader gets the impression that the due date is near and time is running out to submit the report on time.  The email was written informally, as though the author wrote it exactly how they would say it, which contributed to the emotional tone of the message.

 The Voicemail  

Hearing Jane make the request changed the tone of the message. The message still had a tone of desperation, but it was clear that Jane was feeling frustrated. Via the voicemail, the situation seemed to be more intense than how it was stated in the email. The words were the same, but hearing the emotion in her voice gave the listener a clearer understanding of Jane's feelings about the situation. 

 The Face-to-Face Conversation 

There is debate about 93% of effective communication being non-verbal (Novak, 2020). However, in this example, eye contact, gestures, and body language are crucial to understanding the face-to-face message.  The conversation between Jane and Mark seemed casual yet important. Jane's tone depicted concern, which was emphasized by how she leaned over the partition. While Jane moved her head around in a relaxed manner, and there was no urgency in her voice, her hand movements and expression indicated that she was serious about the topic.

 What Does This Mean 

Dr. Harold Stolovitch mentioned that a Project Manager should avoid ambiguity and ensure communication is clear, concise, and focused (Walden University, n.d.). The communication exercise demonstrated how easy it is to misinterpret email and voicemail messages without non-verbal communication cues to validate the message. To be an effective communicator, one should recognize the influence of tone, body language, attitude, and timing on the message (Walden University, n.d.). If one or more of these factors are at odds with the other or missing, the message will be distorted.

 In Conclusion

Face-to-face communication is the best way to ensure a message is conveyed. It is beneficial for Project Managers to relay important information in person (Walden University, n.d.), but it can be time-consuming.  To ensure effective communication during an in-person meeting, a follow-up email should be sent to avoid miscommunications.

Phone calls, like in-person meetings, should be followed by written documentation to ensure everyone understands the information communicated. Voicemail is not the place to express one’s thoughts; it is best to leave one’s name, phone number, and a brief reference of the call's purpose.

Emails are the primary form of communication in most workplaces. It is necessary to be clear and concise when writing an email to aim for a professional tone by avoiding humor or emotional language (Indeed Editorial Team, 2023).  

 

 References 

 

Indeed Editorial Team. (2023, December 4). 20 best practices for professional email etiquette. Indeed. https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/email-ettiquette

 

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Communication. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communication  

 

Novak, D. (2020, March 17). Killing the myth that 93% of communication is nonverbal. David R. Novak. https://davidrnovak.com/writing/article/2020/03/killing-the-myth-that-93-of-communication-is-nonverbal 

 

The Vibe Team. (2022, May 5). 35 Quotes about communication for inspiring team collaboration. Vibe. https://vibe.us/blog/35-quotes-about-communication/  

 

Walden University, LLC. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Communicating with stakeholders [Video file]. Retrieved from https://waldenu.instructure.com