Communication Conundrum - Project Management Week 3

                   With the amount of access to technology and communication tools, sending a message or question via text or e-mail, is generally the preferred mode of communicating. As a millennial, I confess that I would much rather send a text message or e-mail than pick up the phone and call someone. Online dating, instant messaging, and social media all have allowed individuals to stay connected and interact with one another from the comfort of their own couch. However in the professional environment, these modern modes of communication can severely impact the success of a project.

Source: Apple Mail

            In the example modalities of the same message, each one was perceived a little differently by myself as the receiver. The first, a text-based e-mail came across as very pushy and desperate. The tone of the e-mail was very short and sentences were always in two parts (Laureate Education). The first part of the sentence was generally a pick-up, where the ending was more of a put-down, “I might miss my own deadline if I don’t get your report soon.” As the reader, it felt almost passive-aggressive as Jane asked the individual to let her know when I was going to be finished. By opening with her purpose for the e-mail and then empathizing for his busy schedule, her written communication may have been better perceived by Mark (Laureate Education).  If this had landed in my in-box after a day of meetings, I could not promise that my response would have been very tactful.

           

Source: www.vibriantradiantdetox.com

The second modality, a voicemail, was a little friendlier. By hearing the intonations in Jane’s voice, Mark could hear her flexibility and lack of anger. Her statements were out of compassion and empathy for Mark as she figured he was in meetings all day and knew of his busy schedule. Through her voice, Mark may have felt more at ease and that she was willing to accommodate and ask just for the data she needed rather than his entire report. However without seeing Jane’s body language as she speaks, Mark is still left filling in the blanks for Jane’s intentions and motivations (Laureate Education). For myself, leaving voicemails is probably the most painful experience. I am trying to focus on what I wanted to say in a calm and clear voice. Then immediately after I hang up I realize there was a point I forgot to include the voicemail and regret leaving one in the first place.

Source: goldengirls.livejournal.com

            Finally, the message was perceived by Mark through an in-person interaction with Jane. Jane was very friendly in her approach and seemed a lot more understanding of his busy schedule and events of his day. Jane’s body language was very relaxed and informal which I’m sure put Mark and ease when he saw her looking over his desk. Even after a long day, I’m sure that interaction with Jane would not have added any additional stress to Mark, but just put it in his ear that there was some urgency for the report. Jane even offered to ease the workload for Mark by just asking for the data in a separate e-mail rather than the full report. This interaction is similar to a group meeting where minutes are taken. The manager presents key information to the larger group and then a documented evidence of the content is distributed to the team for future reference (Portny et al., 2008).

            From this exercise, it really made me question the ways in which I communicate both personally and professionally. In my personal life, I have lost count to the amount of fights I have gotten into with friends and family because how I perceived the tone of their text messages. A number of situations come to mind where I should have picked up the phone and called, but instead I used text messaging or e-mail. In the professional setting, again it is so much easier to type and send an e-mail than speaking in person. Much of this could be due to limited time or physical space. After this experience with the multiple modalities of the same message, I will be much more aware of the content of messages that I sent in a text format.

At times, e-mails are easiest because it reaches the most amount of people in the shortest amount of time. If an e-mail has to be sent, I will be sure to make the content of it is direct and not about topics that could be perceived in the wrong manner. By clearly stating my purpose first, then proposing solutions and any specifications; the written communication would be much more effective (Laureate Education). I would never want to create the wrong impression or tone in an e-mail to a team member. If I did need to send it, it may say “come see me at some point today,” rather than explaining the content of the conversation. However, I could use technology to create a podcast video showing my face to go over information with a text document outlining the information presented. That way individuals could watch the presentation and interpret body language and tone it was intended by the sender, then later use the text document as a reference guide.

Source: memegenerator.net

In any type of relationship be it personal, professional, or team-based; communication is a key component to completing any project. Furthermore, effect communication is essential to a successful project. Having positive working relationships with stakeholders and knowledge of the organizational culture can influence the modality in which a project manager communicates.

Resources

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive 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.

Poor Painting Plan

Everything looks so much easier on TV. Celebrities can learn to be ballroom dancers in months, relationships blossom into true love in weeks, and home improvement projects only take a few days. I place full and total blame on this failed project on two individuals in Waco, Texas. Chip and Joanna Gaines are the charismatic and creative couple behind HGTV’s popular home renovation show, Fixer Upper. In an hour long segment, Chip helps clients find beautiful homes in need of a little renovation while Joanna uses her modern country style to design the homes of their dreams- also my dreams.

Chip and Joanna Gaines

            As my husband and I saved up enough money to move out of our two bedroom apartment and into the real world of home ownership, all I could picture were Chip and Joanna. In a matter of days, they had transformed these houses with a snap of their fingers. We settled on a house that checked off everything on our lists and left us a little extra room to grow our little family. One of the first tasks after we had moved in was transforming the space into our own. We both had big plans; replace the cabinets, new floors, upgrade the master closet, maybe even replace the bathroom. With our eyes wide and eager hearts, we trekked out to my new least favorite store, Home Depot. Aisles and aisles of home improvement possibilities. All was going smooth until we reached the register and our wallets were drier than the Sahara desert. Instead of the large scale projects we had planned, we decided to start small with fresh paint on the upstairs rooms. Previously a little boy’s room, we wanted to start with a change the brown walls to a navy blue for our office space.

Our first day in our new home!

            Armed with fresh paint, some rollers, and a brush; we were eager to start as soon as we got home. Furniture was pushed to the center of the room, a tarp was put down to protect the carpet and we started painting. Growing up, any painting in my house was always done by my aunt who was a perfectionist, so I was really excited to finally be able to paint all myself in my own house. Hours past and a few several arguments later about dripping paint, we had finished the room.

            The next morning we came into the room to see the fruits of our labor and were sadly disappointed. Although we both liked the color, there were bubbles in the paint, bumps on the wall, dripping paint down onto the white trim and jagged lines against the ceiling. Trying to stay optimistic I suggested we move onto the next room and use it as a learning experience for how to be more careful.

Stock image of painter

            While we completed the task of painting the room, it was not done in any methodical or thought out manner. To my dismay, my mother-in-law came up the following day and was disgusted in how we had painted the office. She then led us in a 3 hour session on how to properly paint a room. Starting with scraping and sanding the walls, patching any holes, and taping off all of the baseboards and ceilings. As much as I don’t want to admit it, the second room we painted with her guidance looks incredible. Yet the office next door continued to be a reminder of our poor decision making. Even as I type this entry the marks and splotches on the wall catch my eye and I am reminded of our failed project.

            The enthusiasm for the project was present. Both my husband and I were enthusiastic and energized to start making over our new home. Where we lacked was an understanding of the process. By not involving a subject matter expert, we went into the situation blind and ill-informed. In order to avoid this frustration, we should have watched a tutorial on best practices for painting or consulted the knowledge of my mother-in-law or aunt, whose experience would have been valuable. The task analysis for our project was completely missing with only our end goal in mind. Thinking about the project in a logical and sequential manner may have led to better success in our painting project. Rather than following the steps of project management, we jumped right to performing the task (Portny et al., 2008). Instead, we should have conceived the idea to determine if the benefits were worth the costs considering our inexperience, then establish a plan and delegate responsibilities and expectations for

            In addition to their perfect life in a perfect house with their perfect children, Chip and Joanna have the experience and knowledge to be able to complete home renovations in a timely and efficient manner. As we work on painting a room correctly, every project is another opportunity to learn something new and expand our homeowner repertoire. Since the office disaster, we have started approaching projects in a more methodical and practical manner. I blame a serious case of scope creep as we complete projects around our house (Laureate Education). Every time I think I’m just taking out the garbage, I end up landscaping the front yard. Our enthusiasm keeps us going, but the process helps ensure excellence at the conclusion of the project.

Resources

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Project management concerns: ‘Scope creep’ [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.

Evolution of Distance Learning

            The definition of distance learning is constantly evolving as a result of emerging technologies and pedagogical practices. However the purpose of distance learning remains the same, to engage a wider population of learners in order to gain equitable access to learning that was previously impossible or impractical. Originally, distance education was offered primarily through the United States Postal Service. Beginning in 1873, advocates for women’s education allowed for women to complete degree programs through the mail. This was at a time when women were constricted to their homes serving as housewives (Laureate Education). A couple decades later in 1892, the University of Chicago began to offer courses through the mail (Laureate Education).Both of these pioneers in distance learning sought to reach a learner that was either excluded or unable to attend a traditional brick and mortar university.

            In earlier methods of distance learning, the resources were sent to the learner with the assignments and then the professor would evaluate them upon their return. As a result of the lack of communication tools, there was minimal interaction between the learner and the teacher. Later with the invention of the radio, lectures were able to be broadcasted to allow learners further interaction with the teacher (Laureate Education). The biggest revelations in distance education came with the invention of the internet. Learners could now access content and resources from anywhere with internet access. The internet is one of the biggest factors in the increased popularity in distance learning (Laureate Education).

            With the internet, distance learning has evolved into a formal education system where learning groups are separated by geography and sometimes time (Laureate Education). Resources are used to link the teacher and the student, as well as constant communication to apply the content with their colleagues. Along with the internet, another major motivating factor for the rising popularity of distance education is rooted in economics (Moller, Foshay & Huett, 2008). Through online trainings, corporate businesses can cut costs of classroom training and delivery, and trainings are easier to scale and apply to a larger audience when done virtually (Moller, Foshay & Huett, 2008). In higher education, universities have expanded their online course load in order attract more enrollment. With courses offered completely online or in a hybrid style as Duke University first did in 1996 (Laureate Education), non-traditional students are enrolling in degree programs to expand career opportunities (Moller, Foshay & Huett, 2008).

            From my own experience as a student, I always considered myself to be a very visual learner who learned best from someone presenting the content in front of me, rather than reading a textbook myself. For my undergraduate career, the traditional classroom setting worked perfectly for me and I saw a lot of success. However, for my master’s program, traveling to a university to take classes on a weekly basis along with balancing the demands of my career and home life made it very difficult. I recently transferred to a completely online program and it has changed the way I view myself as a learner. The online program allows me to construct my own understanding based on the materials presented and see it from the scope of my own experiences, rather than from that of the professor at the front of the room.

            I believe distance education is going to sky rocket in popularity in the coming decade. As more universities gain experience and accreditation with the online process, more students will be attracted to the flexibility that online degrees offer to students. In addition, I am beginning to see the implications of distance learning in my elementary classroom. As there is a large push for small group and customized instruction, many teachers and trying out the “flipped classroom.” In this classroom, students have access to an online learning management system where teachers can distribute content for students to interact with and assess. By building student independence, teachers have more opportunities to work with smaller groups of students on either reteach or extension activities. Furthermore, distance learning in the K-12 setting also allows for students who are hospitalized, traveling, or have difficulty being in a classroom with their peers, an opportunity to still learn and be held accountable for their education (Huett et al., 2008). With this new perspective on “distance” being across the room, my definition of distance learning has evolved as well. I believe that distance learning is the interaction of the learner with rich, engaging, and authentic content where the facilitator can assess and provide feedback based on the learner’s level of demonstrated understanding through technology tools.

Resources

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Coleman, C. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5), 636 7.

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Distance education: The next generation [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education “Distance Learning Timeline Continuum” Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 1: Training and development). TechTrends, 52(3), 7075.