Communication is a complex topic. Depending on the method through which a
message is conveyed, the way that the audience interprets a message can change.
Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, and Kramer (2008) state that
effective communication involves sharing the right messages with the right
people in a timely manner. In the multimedia presentation “The Art of Effective
Communication, learners can see how the same message can come across in
different ways, depending on the format in which it is delivered. As Dr. Stolovich discusses, 93% of
communication is not in the words.
Factors that can have an impact on communication include spirit and
attitude, tonality and body language, timing, the personality of the recipient
(Laureate Education, Inc., n.d.).
First, the message was conveyed through text in an
email. When observing the text, the
observer has difficulty understanding the tone that the person is trying to
convey. There are no visual or auditory
cues for the observer to pick up on the sense of urgency that there may
possibly be. Dr. Stolovich also says
that in written communication, set purpose at the beginning (Laureate
Education, Inc., n.d.). In the email,
this occurs because in the first sentence, Jane asks Mark what the ETA is on
the missing report. In the voicemail
message, Jane seemed rather monotone. As
a result, just like with the email, there does not seem to be a sense of
urgency with the missing report that is needed.
With the voicemail, there is more of a personal connection because of
the voice but communication still seems to be lacking. Through the three examples, the face to face communication
seemed to be the best way for Jane to convey her intended message. Between her tone and body language, there is
a sense of urgency created that she really needs the reports that are missing
from Mark. In addition, going out of her
way to go and talk to Mark directly helps demonstrate that the missing reports
are crucial for her to proceed with her own work.
While the request is direct and it is stated that
missing reports are needed, it is vague in all three situations as to what
exactly the reports are that are needed.
More than one project could be taking place at the same time so it would
be important to clarify exactly what the report is that is missing rather than
Mark trying to guess. In addition, Jane
leaves it up to Mark as to whether he provides her with the missing reports or
raw data. This has the potential to lead
to additional ambiguity. After observing
all three contexts of communication, it is important to be direct when
communicating. An individual must be
specific with their audience about what they may need or want their audience to
know. By being vague, room for
interpretation is left open which could potentially create additional work or
create an unsatisfactory product with missing pieces.
Resources:
Laureate
Education, Inc. (n.d.). Communicating With Stakeholders. Video presentation.
Laureate
Education, Inc. (n.d.). The Art of Effective Communication. Multimedia
presentation.
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.