COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY

Ineffective communication can cause untold hours of productivity delays due to simple misunderstandings or breakdown in communication. With the advancements in technology it has afforded our society with various means of communicating and conducting business. While this technology may be convenient it has exposed a growing need for individuals to be ever so mindful of how they are perceived whether it be communicating in writing, voicemail, or face-to-face.

In the multimedia program “The Art of Effective Communication” the subject has delivered a problem in three formats that all can yield different interpretations. Here is a synthesized overview of the activities from those various formats:

The first modality was of written text that was delivered via email. Here Jane’s approach comes across as not very well thought out and lacked organization. Jane needs to be direct, clear, and courteous, but she should not hesitate to be firm if necessary. By being as direct and concise as possible, it will appear that Jane value’s the readers’ time and efforts. Emails are usually brief and meant to be to the point of making a request, or recommendation of an action. It is important that Jane’s thoughts are arranged in a clear hierarchy that would allow readers to easily follow her thoughts and ultimately act upon her request.

The second modality was a voicemail that captured the urgency of Jane’s need to receive the necessary data. While her voice expressed urgency she still maintained a proper level of politeness and respect. It is important that Jane is able to articulate the importance of receiving the necessary data for it is an actionable direction that has subsequent affects over her meeting a prescribed deadline. The last thing Jane need is for the project to become stagnate and subsequently causing others to lose momentum.

The third modality involved a face-to-face request that in my opinion was the least effective of the three presented. Here Jane’s one at getting the necessary information. Here Jane’s tone, body language, and facial expression does not display a sense of urgency and therefore may not be acted upon. Jane’s approach is bit laid back and I do not think others would take her seriously in her attempt to move forward in completing her work.

From this exercise I walked away with a better understanding of how I must think about the various forms of communicating and recognize that they can be misinterpreted if not well thought out. In the video, “Communicating with Stakeholders” Dr. Harold Stolovitch (n.d.) indicates that the individuals approach in communicating is more important that the actual words being used. He further states that gestures, timing, body language and tonality all play a key role in communicating a message effectively. Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek (2011) explain, “Communication occurs when two or more individuals wish to share ideas” (p. 90). Communication can be a challenging and daunting task for many people, but with a conscious effort to put yourself on both sides you can quickly improve communication outcomes. When everyone can understand what is being said, it will make any environment just that more effective in completing tasks smoothly and cohesively.

Reference:

All Images retrieved from www.msn.com.

Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. E. (2011). Designing Effective Instruction. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Video Program: “Communicating with Stakeholders” with Dr. Harold Stolovitch.