Communicating Effectively

           Our professor assigned us the task of watching a media presentation in which a message was delivered through three separate and distinct modalities.  After watching each presented modality, my interpretation of the message changed.  This illustrates the importance of effective communication with members of a project team.  Not only is it important to communicate confidently and consistently, it is important to relay the message in multiple formats and in many ways.  The way we communicate can change the interpretation of the message.

In his reflections on effective leadership, Greer points out that Ralph Waldo Emerson said “God will not have his work be made manifest by cowards” (2010, p.61) and “A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the luster of the firmament of bards and sages... Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string” (2010, p.50).  In so many ways, people who trust themselves communicate effectively because there is power and strength behind their words.  They do not back down when there is a communication breach.  Rather, they see it as just that, a breakdown in communication.  Strong communicators bring peace rather than strife to a project because they do not blame others; they simply communicate the message over and over in many different ways until the message is heard (Simonson, et.al., 2012).  They inspire others to get the work done.  Strong communicators lead effectively (Portny, et.al., 2008).

Reflection: My interpretation of the message as delivered in each of the different modalities
Email	Jane needs an immediate response from Mark regarding the status of important data.
Voicemail	Jane appreciates Mark’s help, but she is stuck on her project until she receives Mark’s data.  Jane needs to know the status of the data.  It seems like an urgent request.  Jane seems annoyed with Mark.
Face to Face	Jane needs an immediate response regarding the data Mark is working on since she is at a standstill and may miss her deadline. She communicates the urgency effectively by approaching him face to face.  Obviously, she cannot work on her project or she would be working rather than standing at his desk speaking to him.

References

Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.

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.