Effective Communication?

This blog post is better late than never...

Communication is when information is exchanged through words, signs, or symbols 

For week 3, within the program "The Art of Effective Communication," the message was the same, but could be interpreted differently because of the choice of medium.

Email:

An email is preplanned, making it a formal communication medium (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, 2008).  The sender can reread the words and select just the right words.  It is clear from the email that Jane needs Mark's information in order to finish her own work and meet her own deadline however there isn’t a sense of urgency, just a matter of fact message.  In my line of work, emails are sent so that there is a record of the communication.  This also brings a sense of accountability to the reader.  However, emails are easily looked over, especially if there is no specific information about need by date. 

Voicemail: 

Phone conversations and voicemail would be considered an informal communication since they happen when people want to share information (Portny et al., 2008).  Jane seems sympathetic to Mark's busy schedule but she adds emphasis to "really need an ETA" and "I really appreciate your help" indicating some concern about her approaching deadline.  However, as with an email, without a need by date, there doesn’t seem to be any urgency to her message.  I would interpret this to mean, send me the information when I get a chance. 

Face to Face:

The face-to-face seems very scripted.  In fact, Jane smiles more and that implies that there is no urgency to getting the information.  She appears friendly, calm, and at ease.  Her face does turn more serious and she uses her hands as she talks about missing her deadline.  This medium is also informal (like the phone medium above) but also seems the most casual.  I like to talk to someone face to face so that I can interact with the person for immediate feedback - to know the message was received, and, if face to face, I can read his/her body language or tone.

Application:

Even though the message in these three mediums are the same, people can and will interpret the meanings differently.  I’ve learned that if I use informal communication, I should send a follow-up email in addition as a formal response and to document the conversation.  Dr. Stolovitch (Laureate, n.d.) also stated ambiguity kills, meaning that it is important to keep the message clear and concise.  It is common to hear "keep it simple" to avoid confusion.  When communicating with a project team, it is important for the communication to be frequent and to include a clear message (updates, goals, action steps). 

If Jane is requesting the information via email, I think the email conveyed the message best.  However, if she desires a more prompt response, she needs to include more detailed information including need by date.  In this case, the phone or face-to-face communication seem like second attempts to get the information in a timely manner and thus would have more urgency in the tone of delivery. 

Resources:

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Communicating with stakeholders [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

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.   

Scope Creep

Scope Creep:  “The natural tendency of the client, as well as project team members, to try to improve the project’s output as the project progresses” (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafter, Sutton, 2008, p. 350).  In other words, as the duration of a project continues in the time line, the client (or team members) propose changes and/or improvements that change the project’s scope.  These alterations typically increase the size and/or budget of the project as well as require extended time lines, more or different personnel, and could ultimately impact the satisfaction of the client. 

Last summer, I co-wrote a new sixth grade chemistry science unit for my county.  I applied and was very excited about the opportunity to spend my summer working on curriculum (and get paid for it)!  The task involved writing a nine week unit that centered around a problem to create a project based learning opportunity.  The project manager was also adamant about avoiding kitchen chemistry stating that the lessons should be authentic!  “Be creative” he said, “the project can be anything you want!”  As a writing team, we struggled to find a project or real life situation that seamlessly fit the stated requirements, not to mention all the indicators and objectives.  We finally decided to have students create a bio-plastic beam and then test it for strength.  We researched plastics and building materials, tested prototypes and procedures for safety, drafted documents, and created half the unit’s lessons based on this idea.  Mid-way through the summer, we met for a face-to-face check-in meeting and the project manager told us it was a great idea!  He really liked the work we had completed and we had the go ahead to create the rest of the unit.  We were told that subject matter experts would be reviewing the completed lessons and that the feedback would be used to modify them if needed. 

In early August, at our next face-to-face meeting, we received the feedback from the SME about the first half.  The feedback was positive but we were told that the project would fit better in a different unit – so we needed to adopt another project for the chemistry unit (one that the project manager created and was not fully developed).  The new idea was based on pyrotechnics and special effects.  Basically, we now needed to revise the first half of the unit and finish the rest based on this new project idea.  We were very disappointed and tried to fight for our original project which stalled the work until we gained more feedback from the SME and other stakeholders.  By the time all the communications were completed, we had one week to finish all the work associated with the unit. 

Looking back on the project, communication throughout wasn’t clear between us (the writers) and the project manager.  As a project manager, I would have checked-in more frequently with the writers to ensure progress and provide feedback.  The writers could have made revisions in real time instead of going back weeks later to fix lesson structures and activities.  The writing was done via google docs which has features to aid online communication – unfortunately, we didn’t use all the features to their full capabilities.  It was frustrating to know that we did several weeks worth of work all while the project manager knew that it would have to be redone/revised to fit a new project.  I understand that the PM wanted to have the conversation with us in person, but by doing so, it delayed our project and in the end, parts were left incomplete due to no additional time given past the deadline.  As a project manager, “scope creep is inevitable with projects” (Portny et al, 2008, p. 348), but being flexible and ready for them helps lessen the impact.  In my case, more communication would have helped to keep all stakeholders on the same page of the project.

References:

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.

Lessons “Post-mortem” from a Missed Flight Connection

A few years ago, I led a domestic mission trip with my church to Minnesota to work alongside some partner organizations in Minneapolis.  I was the leader (project manager) in charge of training the team of high school students, preparing the additional chaperones/leaders, and communicating with all stakeholders (students, parents, church leaders, and partner organization).  The week long trip happened in July and the team was selected in February.  Between February and July, there were seven training meetings to discuss team roles, expectations, and build team unity. 

“Project managers must see that everything gets done satisfactorily” (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, and Kramer, 2008, p.10).  As the trip leader, all decisions went through me and my inbox was consistently full and needing attention.  Since I was working with high school students, it was very important for me to communicate not only with them but with their parents to keep them all informed.  I also learned the importance of delegating tasks and ensuring full understanding is present.  For example, when we landed in Atlanta (for a layover), I asked another leader to check the flight status.  He doesn't fly often and looked at the preprinted ticket.  An hour later, we missed our connection flight and had to wait a few extra hours at the airport until we could find another flight to Minneapolis.  I had made the assumption that he knew to check the airline flight status board – as  leader, I should have clarified and checked for understanding.  Clear communication is key!  However, when students reflected about the trip, the airport time was one of the highlights by the students and most frequently told stories.

Something I would like to improve upon in the future would be estimating costs.  The rough estimate was based on the information available at the time based on prior flight cost, partner costs for events/outreach, transportation, and meals.  However, once the trip got closer, it was clear that our costs were under budget.  This isn't a problem expect for the fact that students were fundraising in order to participate.  Since the cost was over-estimated, the teens struggled to gain enough financial support.  Project managers “should be sure to review the plans and resolve any questions and issues” (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, and Kramer, 2008, p.125) about the budget.  In my role, I should have changed (or advocated to change) the price requirements so that the communicated cost was closer to the actual cost of the trip.

As I reflect on the overall trip – it was great and the students were challenged not only in their faith but also in their perspective of the United States.  This trip was a catalyst for many students to begin volunteering in their local community afterwards. 

Reference:

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.  

EDUC-6145-3: Project Management in Ed & Training

"Project management is the process of guiding a project from its beginning through its performance to its closure" (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, and Kramer, 2008, p. 3).  This seems easy enough but there are so many variables that can affect a project manager's job.  Let's not forget that the project manager is responsible for EVERY component of the project and that every part is completed satisfactory.  This week, in our resources, the project manager was compared to an orchestra director (Laureate, n.d.).  The director oversees all practices and is responsible for the success of the orchestra's performance and audience members' satisfaction.  Similarly, the project manager needs to manage the personnel, finances, and ensure the clients are happy in the end.  Easier said than done.  

 

And, with that introduction, let the learning begin...

References:

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Project management and instructional design [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

McDonnell, C. (2013, Sept 6). Friday funny: The magical project manager. [Web log comment}. Retrieved from http://www.manageprojectsonsharepoint.com/blog/2013/09/06/friday-funny-magical-project-manager/ 

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.   

Welcome!

Hi there!

Like most of you reading my blog, last July I began my journey to become an instructional designer.  I currently teach sixth grade science in Maryland, just northwest of DC.  I absolutely love my job and hope to one day design educational curriculum.  

To be honest, I'm not much of a blogger.  But, I'm looking forward to the next part of the journey in this class and learning with all of you.