ID Insights

After a project manager creates a communication plan, they must understand which communication modalities work best in a given situation. In the example, a team member expresses the need for another team member’s report portion of the project. The report is needed to complete the next phase of the project, extending the deadline on the report can impact the overall deadline of subsequent sections of the project. The team member presents the request in three different modalities, e-mail, voicemail, and face-to-face interaction (Walden University, LLC, n.d.a). The message was delivered using the exact verbiage to remain consistent, yet highlight the interpretational differences in the communication tools used. 

When the communication is delivered by e-mail, the message is essentially black and white. E-mail is a more formal communication that documents the communication. When communication is delivered with the purpose of the communication stated up front, viewers are able to set a “mental vocal tone” in which the written communication is read (Walden University, LLC, n.d.b). The e-mail provided the team member with documentation, that showed they had reached out to the other teammate, and even provided them with an alternative solution to ensure deadlines were met. Communication that is used via phone or face-to-face are informal approach to delivering a message. The message using only audio was clearly delivered in a positive friendly tone. This approach can still deliver the exact message however the friendly tone does not express the same urgency as did the formal written e-mail. When communication is delivered in a face-to-face approach both auditory and visual cues impact the interpretation of the message. The friendly tone provided a positive spin on the message, however, the facial expressions could be interpreted as concerned which can also create a lack of urgency as it presents conflicting cues. 

Communicating with stakeholders is essential to any project, however, communication methodologies should be individualized and adapted to each stakeholder’s preference. A face-to-face approach is typically an all-inclusive approach. This form allows for personal interaction and interpretation of the importance through body language, tone, timing, and timely feedback from the recipient (Russo, 2023). Situations arise when a face-to-face approach is not geographically possible and other modalities such as e-mail and phone calls can be used based on the context of the message. Depending on the importance of the message project managers may lean to written forms of communication to provide documentation. 

No matter which approach is used a project manager must keep in mind different people may interpret the same message in different ways, and interpretation is always subjective based on the other teammate’s experiences and biases. 

References:

Walden University, LLC. (Executive Producer). (n.d.a). The art of effective communication [Multimedia Program]. Retrieved from https://waldenu.instructure.com

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

Vince Russo (2023, July 6) Vince Russo on LinkedIn: #communication #language #business [Post]. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vincerusso1_communication-language-business-activity-7082790635430125568-hJg1