Communicating with Stakeholders

Communication occurs when signals carry information-bearing messages between a source (sender) and a destination (or receiver) (Krauss, 2002). Communication is part of our daily interactions with people that we work with, our friends and our family. The purpose of communication is to get your message across to others clearly and unambiguously (mindtools.com). A message can be communicated in many ways and in this week’s assignment, we were given the task to interpret the same message delivered in three different ways: via email, voicemail and face-to-face.

My interpretation of the same exact message for each mode of communication is shown in this table:

Message sent via email	Message sent via voicemail	Message discussed face-to-face
Receiver would be upset to read the sender’s harsh message	sender's tone was considerate and understanding of receiver's schedule	My interpretation did not change from voicemail to face-to-face but it was better to see the sender's sincerity and understanding in person
Sender ‘s tone sounded irritated that there was no update on the missing report	sender nicely explains why she is asking about the missing reports	As the receiver, I would feel the need to apologize for not providing the status update on the missing report
Sender was inconsiderate of receiver’s busy schedule and only cared about how the missing report affects her	Receiver will feel the need to follow up on the task right away	As the receiver, I will follow up on this request right away

My interpretation of the same message was completely different from reading the email than from hearing a voicemail and having a face-to-face interaction. It just shows how much the tone of voice and body language can soften a “rough” message. Misunderstandings occur, not because of the message delivered, but because of how it is delivered. One thing I am reminded of in this week’s activity; always consider how you communicate with your stakeholders because you don’t want any confusion, wasted effort and missed opportunities (mindtools.com).

Here is a link to an article that summarizes what you need to know in choosing your method of communication with stakeholders in project management.

https://www.inc.com/jayson-demers/communication-in-2015-text-voice-video-or-in-person.html

I highlighted a few of what the article mentioned in this list:

·      Although text (or email) forces you to be concise, it carries no tone, so any tone of voice or body language is instantly lost

·      Text can be misinterpreted; it can be impersonal, and some messages require compassion and sympathy in their delivery

·      Voice calls are more personal; it carries tone much better than text messages or emails. It allows humor and sympathy without having to pay attention to your body language

·      In-person meetings allows everyone’s tone of voice, body language, facial expressions and personal charisma to work with during the conversation, helping everyone better understand each other’s perspectives.

No matter what your preference is in communicating with your team, your clients and other stakeholders in your project, understand that when you successfully communicate your message, you convey your thoughts and ideas effectively. But when you don’t, the thoughts and ideas you are trying to impart do not necessarily reflect your true meaning, causing a communication breakdown and creating roadblocks that stand in the way of your goals- both personally and professionally (mindtools.com).

References:

Krauss, R.M. (2002). The psychology of verbal communication. Retrieved from http://www.columbia.edu/~rmk7/HC/HC_Readings/IESBS.pdf

Mindtools Content Team (n.d.). Understanding communication skills. Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/CommunicationIntro.htm

DeMers, J. (2015). Communication in 2015: Text, Voice, Video or In-Person? Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/jayson-demers/communication-in-2015-text-voice-video-or-in-person.html

Learning from a Project

Planning is a huge task, whether it’s for home improvement, planning a wedding, a kid’s birthday party or for a 50^th wedding anniversary. It is not an easy task because there are a lot of things to do in order for an event or a project to be successful. That's the role of an organizer, coordinator or a project manager. Before today, if you had asked me if I’ve done project management before, I would have told you no.

You may be wondering, what exactly is project management? You are not alone, I asked that same question. In an article I read, it defines the word “project” first in that it is temporary; it has a defined beginning and end in time…it is not a routine operation, but a specific set of operations to accomplish a singular goal (pmi.org). Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements (pmi.org). It has always been done informally but began to emerge as a distinct profession in the mid-20^th century (pmi.org). The link to the article is found here:

https://www.pmi.org/about/learn-about-pmi/what-is-project-management

One of the projects I would consider as something in the category of project management was renovating our kitchen a few years ago. My husband and I bought a “fixer-upper” and since he is a handyman, we both liked the idea of creating something new from something old. From the time we bought the house, we had done minor updates such as adding a shower in the bathroom, changing bedroom doors and painting walls. But we wanted to renovate our old, dark, tiny kitchen so we talked and talked about it, indicating that eventually, this was something we wanted to do. One weekend, while I was away on a conference, my husband decided to surprise me by initiating the project and taking down walls, opening up the kitchen to the dining area. Wow, finally it was happening! The excitement kicked in and we both went to work. But the excitement turned into anxiousness and into frustration because months went by, and we were still not done with this project. This job was too big of a job to do for one, maybe two people, if the job was easy enough for me to do. So, without any additional help, without seriously thinking about budget and the project timeline, since we were both working full time, the renovation lasted about 8 months. Yes, that’s how long it took!

Our project was finally finished, and I am greatly satisfied with the results. However, looking back on that experience, there are a few things I would have liked incorporated before delving into our kitchen renovation:

• Thorough planning, which included the total cost involved, projected timeline and maybe hiring additional help, would have been helpful. I liked this article and its ending quote from Ben Franklin stating “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.

https://www.cio.com/article/2932987/project-management/planning-is-key-to-project-management-success.html

In project management, I think planning is one of the most crucial and important phases.  As Adrienne Watt stated that the planning phase is when the project plans are documented, the project deliverables and requirements are defined, and the project schedule is created (2014). It involves creating a set of plans to help guide your team through the implementation and closure phases of the project. This phase will help you manage time, cost, quality, changes, risk, and related issues (Watt, 2014).  There were a lot of headaches that we could have avoided, if we planned it well. 

So take on another project, and plan another event, just don't forget the words Project management!

References:

Project Management Institute (n.d.). What is project management? Retrieved from https://www.pmi.org/about/learn-about-pmi/what-is-project-management

Alexander, M (2015). Planning is key to project management success. Retrieved from https://www.cio.com/article/2932987/project-management/planning-is-key-to-project-management-success.html

Watt, A. (2014). Project Management. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter-8-overview-of-project-planning-project-management/