Email can be an effective tool for reaching coworkers in a timely manner. An email can be sent to persons in other states and continents and has the ability to travel in an instant. While Email is a wonderful tool for reaching people, it can also be a detriment when not clearly written or has too much or too few information involved. Voice message and personal face-to-face communication can sometimes be a better option in order to get your point across.
Learning the best way to communicate with your co-worker will ultimately save time and possibly avoid blunders that send projects off balance.
For this assignment we were asked to evaluate three modes of communication in email, voice message and face-to-face meeting. The message was the same as was the sentiment behind the email. The following questions are based from my interpretations of those modalities.
How did your interpretation of the message change from one modality to the next?
Initially, I believe that the email message was too vague, had too many wordy sentences and was repetitive in the use of the word report. When analyzing the voice mail message again, the conversation was too long, had too many details that lost the receiver in the length of the message. The face-to-face communication was appropriate as the message form was geared more toward regular face-to-face conversation. Michael Hyatt on his site recommends to “keep messages brief and to the point.” Make your most important point first, then provide detail if necessary. Make it clear at the beginning of the message why you are writing” (Hyatt, para. 2).
What factors influenced how you perceived the message?
In the email, the message sounded vague, rambling and had too many details that needed to be bulleted. In the voice mail, the message tone did get across and sounded a little more rambling and important information was covered under the rambling. Finally, in the face-to-face; the recipient is given a conversational tone and the message is best suited for that modality.
Which form of communication best conveyed the true meaning and intent of the message?
I believe that the conversational tone of the message was best suited for the face-to-face interaction. Sometimes it is not possible to converse with one another face to face, when this happens it is best to use email or voice mail with minimal bulleted agenda so the recipient does not get lost in all the details and is able to decipher the importance of the message.
What are the implications of what you learned from this exercise for communicating effectively with members of a project team?
I have seen how important effective communication is with coworkers and stakeholders while working in a business setting. It is the single most important thing to think about when first addressing the concerns of the group or tackling the project from any angle because without communication people tend to invent problems, perceive information, or take an approach that is completely opposite from your own and might derail the project goals. I have learned how getting your point across in the most effective manner is most important and finding the best delivery of that communication is essential to successful project completion.
Resources:
Hyatt, M. (2007) Email etiquette 101: Michael Hyatt intentional leadership. Retrieved from: http://michaelhyatt.com/e-mail-etiquette-101.html
Lori,
ReplyDeletePerhaps the greatest single stumbling block to real communication is the one-sided nature of speaking. Most of us think of "communicating" as a one-way process. Two monologues do not make a dialogue, however. Exchange between you and your targeted prospect is the key to effective communication. So, listening is an active pursuit for selling your ideas.
What makes people listen? The three basic factors are:
1. Self-interest;
2. Who's speaking; and
3. How they say it.
Understanding the basic principles of how we communicate and why we listen - what works, what doesn't, and why - starts you on the road to a realistic appraisal of what you want to say and how you plan to say it... Communication is the art of successfully sharing meaningful information with people by means of an interchange of experience (Mackenzie, 1997).
~ Cassandra~
References:
MACKENZIE, B. (1997) Communication Skills [WWW] Available from: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/commun.htm [Accessed 23/9/2011]
Lori,
ReplyDeleteThe benefit to speaking face-to-face with someone goes beyond hearing the tone and inflection in their voice. The speaker also has an active role in observing the other person, and adjusting their words, tone, volume, and choice of words to best convey the message with the intent they desire to have received.
The use of video phone calls has expanded the immediacy of an email with the benefits of seeing body language and facial features, which both provide cues to the intent of the communication.
I had the chance to use a video phone service this summer in a new job I was performing; It was interesting to see how the image of the person made the phone call feel more personal. As our workplaces become more global, and as our work demands is to communicate with others involved in the projects regardless of their physical proximity, new technologies will enhance our ability to convey what is intended in a timely manner.
Carol Biegun-Gooding