My Personal Development Plan
Plans are always important when wanting to meet specific goals. My personal plan with developing as an employee with the organization I work for is below. I plan to pursue this plan and encourage them to assist me with reaching my highest potential
1) Formal Education Programs-Utilize their online academy as well as any tuition reimbursement program that my organization has to offer. This will allow me to obtain necessary skills needed to pursue a leadership role with the organization
2) Leadership Team Building Seminars –These seminars, although it’s conducted only once per year can help develop leadership as well as motivate and focus on the skills needed to become a great leader in the workforce. These leadership team building seminars can also be good for assessments as well as interpersonal relationships can be built.
3) Transfers, Promotions and Incentive Programs- This area of moving up and through the organization I am with will benefit as more job experiences, recognition, and income can be attained.
4) Performance Appraisals- Performance Appraisals are an important part of assessing individual productivity with the organization. Regular performance appraisals is also needed so as to initiate recognition and worth with the organization, which will lead transfers, promotions and any incentives that the company has to offer.
Here is the Development Plan for my organization
C:\Users\Aarons\Downloads\The Group Intake[1].xps
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Technology Talks
Technology is needed in any organization. Depending on an organizations budget, plans, and know how, will determine the types of technological tools that should be utilized. The aspect of technology in training is important as the use of it can benefit and affect many variables, especially the return on investment. There are numerous technology in the market, and because of that it is necessary to learn some of what is provided by each. I have chosen 5 technologies to sort through, each having a link to a website that offers the use and information of the technology tool.
Intranet Based Training
Intranet Based Training is an internal training system where the organization actually utilizes their own computer network. The training modules are intended for the staff of the organization only, and no one else can access it. This technological tool has helped various companies train and continues to assist larger companies that have a mission of training thousands of employees on a daily basis, all while keeping a record of each training course taken.
Virtual Worlds
The picture below is a glimpse of what you would get if you tapped into the virtual world of Second Life. "Second Life is a computer-based, simulated online virtual world that includes a three dimensional representation of the real world and a place to host learning programs or experiences. In Second Life, trainees use an avatar to interact with each other in classrooms, "webinars" (web-based seminars) simulations, or role-play exercises" (Noe, R. 2010). This type of technology has not been around long, its fairly new offering organizations unique and low cost training from afar. I am very sure that this will continue to boom for the next generation of learners.
The Learning Management System assists the management team with producing, conducting and controlling all aspects of an organization's training program. This is important as organizations now have to report to their stakeholders what has been going on within the organization. A perfect example of this would be an HR department and the need for the HR department to conduct, produce and control all of the organization's employees training courses, such as: sexual harassment, HIPAA, and new hire training. The LMS will give the HR manager the opportunity to track each employees progress in the course work assigned, track whether or not the employee took the course, track the scores of each course taken, and monitor for annual re-certifications. The need for this type of technology is great and if an organization can afford it, they should incorporate it into their office
Classroom instruction has changed in so many ways. It is no longer that sit on a chair in back of a small table and listen to a teacher talk in front of the class for about an hour. Now it is online via text and video. This is called webcasting. "Webcasting involves classroom instruction that is provided online through live broadcasts" (Noe, R. 2010). This technology is usually utilized in online college courses and the corporate market in sales. Webcasting will continue to develop and grow as technology grows, there will be more user-friendly software to make lives easier.
Intranet Based Training
Intranet Based Training is an internal training system where the organization actually utilizes their own computer network. The training modules are intended for the staff of the organization only, and no one else can access it. This technological tool has helped various companies train and continues to assist larger companies that have a mission of training thousands of employees on a daily basis, all while keeping a record of each training course taken.
Virtual Worlds
The picture below is a glimpse of what you would get if you tapped into the virtual world of Second Life. "Second Life is a computer-based, simulated online virtual world that includes a three dimensional representation of the real world and a place to host learning programs or experiences. In Second Life, trainees use an avatar to interact with each other in classrooms, "webinars" (web-based seminars) simulations, or role-play exercises" (Noe, R. 2010). This type of technology has not been around long, its fairly new offering organizations unique and low cost training from afar. I am very sure that this will continue to boom for the next generation of learners.
Teleconferencing
Teleconferencing is probably the most utilized technology tool when trying to train or conduct a meeting within an organization with people who are in different offices or even in different states. This technology utilizes audio, visual, and text to bring life to the training class or company meeting. Teleconferencing will continue to be used in offices and as better ideas get incorporated the more enhanced this technological tool will be. A perfect example of how teleconferencing has evolved over the years and continues to is shown in the second picture to the right. This type of teleconferencing utilizes 3D imaging, which now makes the meeting or training seem alive.
LMS-Learning Management Systems Teleconferencing is probably the most utilized technology tool when trying to train or conduct a meeting within an organization with people who are in different offices or even in different states. This technology utilizes audio, visual, and text to bring life to the training class or company meeting. Teleconferencing will continue to be used in offices and as better ideas get incorporated the more enhanced this technological tool will be. A perfect example of how teleconferencing has evolved over the years and continues to is shown in the second picture to the right. This type of teleconferencing utilizes 3D imaging, which now makes the meeting or training seem alive.
The Learning Management System assists the management team with producing, conducting and controlling all aspects of an organization's training program. This is important as organizations now have to report to their stakeholders what has been going on within the organization. A perfect example of this would be an HR department and the need for the HR department to conduct, produce and control all of the organization's employees training courses, such as: sexual harassment, HIPAA, and new hire training. The LMS will give the HR manager the opportunity to track each employees progress in the course work assigned, track whether or not the employee took the course, track the scores of each course taken, and monitor for annual re-certifications. The need for this type of technology is great and if an organization can afford it, they should incorporate it into their office
Classroom instruction has changed in so many ways. It is no longer that sit on a chair in back of a small table and listen to a teacher talk in front of the class for about an hour. Now it is online via text and video. This is called webcasting. "Webcasting involves classroom instruction that is provided online through live broadcasts" (Noe, R. 2010). This technology is usually utilized in online college courses and the corporate market in sales. Webcasting will continue to develop and grow as technology grows, there will be more user-friendly software to make lives easier.
The technology field has so much to offer. The information and resources for all types of technology is out there for our taking. Training has proven that technology is a must and for an instructional designer, program manager, and especially trainer, technology will be needed in order to meet expected job performances.
References:
Noe, R., 2010. Employee Training and Development. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Planning for a Needs Assessment
According to Noe, the three main focuses of a needs assessment are, organizational analysis, person analysis, and task analysis and depending on the organization’s criteria for training would determine the order of each or the need for training from just one.
The organization I decided to scope to see what they do and what service they offer is ResCare Workforce Services. The stakeholders within this organization would be the State of Arizona, ResCare and its employees, the community such as employer relationships and the actual participants in the program.
After looking in the website of Rescare.com and looking over their mission statement and goals the bottom list shows their commitment to workforce services. Below are the points that Rescare Workfoce Services promises to their stakeholders
• ResCare Workforce Services is a leading provider of workforce development services to job-seekers, workers, employers and communities nationwide.
• ResCare Workforce Services is the largest single supplier of job-related education, counseling and employment assistance under federally funded programs such as the Workforce Investment Act and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs. We currently operate career centers and other projects in more than 20 states and the District of Columbia.
• Workforce development is our core business.
• Our management and financial systems demonstrate the highest standards of integrity. In 40 years of operation, our programs have never had a serious audit finding or disallowed cost.
• Our professional staff has hundreds of years of combined experience in workforce development and includes many of the top practitioners in the field.
• We are known for our innovative “signature products” which we will customize to meet specific local needs.
• We apply the principles of continuous improvement, customer satisfaction and total quality management to our own operations and to every project we undertake.
• We are committed to building successful partnerships—both formal and informal—with local groups in the communities we serve. These partnerships enable us to provide an enhanced range of services for our customers.
• As an outside, nationally experienced organization, ResCare Workforce Services often serves as a neutral broker among the various training and service delivery agencies in a local labor market. Free from local conflicts of interest, ResCare Workforce Services can bring a fresh, success-focused approach to a community’s workforce program operations. We actively support the professional development of the nation’s workforce development system.
The highlighted areas show how they are committed to training and development within the 20 states that they offer services to. The questions to ask when doing an organizational analysis with Rescare based on these factors above would be:
-what persons or groups would benefit from a training program? (all affected by the program)
-How might the training content affect our employees’ relationship with the customers? (addressed to ResCare and its employees)
-What features of the training program may interfere with the work environment, which may cause issues to occur? (addressed to the State of Arizona as well as to policy that needs to be adhered to)
-What are the needs of the business (addressed to all affected by the program, State of Arizona, customers, ResCare and it’s employees)
Some of the documents or records that may be needed to be seen to conduct a needs assessment are the State policy and procedures, which has to be adhered to; the organization’s budget; old training materials; surveys conducted; samples of client cases; training timeline; and list of names of who would be in need of training
ResCare already conducts questionnaires weekly on each client to see how services are delivered and to get information as to what needs improvement based on the questionnaires. Online technology,(webinar training courses) are used to conduct training with ease to employees across the many states. The other technique that should be used and I am sure it is, is utilizing the weekly reports to measure improvement.
Resources:
Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee Training and Development (5th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin.
ResCare, Inc. (2012). Workforce Services. Retrieved on 5/10/12 from website: http://www.rescare.com/workforce-services.php
According to Noe, the three main focuses of a needs assessment are, organizational analysis, person analysis, and task analysis and depending on the organization’s criteria for training would determine the order of each or the need for training from just one.
The organization I decided to scope to see what they do and what service they offer is ResCare Workforce Services. The stakeholders within this organization would be the State of Arizona, ResCare and its employees, the community such as employer relationships and the actual participants in the program.
After looking in the website of Rescare.com and looking over their mission statement and goals the bottom list shows their commitment to workforce services. Below are the points that Rescare Workfoce Services promises to their stakeholders
• ResCare Workforce Services is a leading provider of workforce development services to job-seekers, workers, employers and communities nationwide.
• ResCare Workforce Services is the largest single supplier of job-related education, counseling and employment assistance under federally funded programs such as the Workforce Investment Act and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs. We currently operate career centers and other projects in more than 20 states and the District of Columbia.
• Workforce development is our core business.
• Our management and financial systems demonstrate the highest standards of integrity. In 40 years of operation, our programs have never had a serious audit finding or disallowed cost.
• Our professional staff has hundreds of years of combined experience in workforce development and includes many of the top practitioners in the field.
• We are known for our innovative “signature products” which we will customize to meet specific local needs.
• We apply the principles of continuous improvement, customer satisfaction and total quality management to our own operations and to every project we undertake.
• We are committed to building successful partnerships—both formal and informal—with local groups in the communities we serve. These partnerships enable us to provide an enhanced range of services for our customers.
• As an outside, nationally experienced organization, ResCare Workforce Services often serves as a neutral broker among the various training and service delivery agencies in a local labor market. Free from local conflicts of interest, ResCare Workforce Services can bring a fresh, success-focused approach to a community’s workforce program operations. We actively support the professional development of the nation’s workforce development system.
The highlighted areas show how they are committed to training and development within the 20 states that they offer services to. The questions to ask when doing an organizational analysis with Rescare based on these factors above would be:
-what persons or groups would benefit from a training program? (all affected by the program)
-How might the training content affect our employees’ relationship with the customers? (addressed to ResCare and its employees)
-What features of the training program may interfere with the work environment, which may cause issues to occur? (addressed to the State of Arizona as well as to policy that needs to be adhered to)
-What are the needs of the business (addressed to all affected by the program, State of Arizona, customers, ResCare and it’s employees)
Some of the documents or records that may be needed to be seen to conduct a needs assessment are the State policy and procedures, which has to be adhered to; the organization’s budget; old training materials; surveys conducted; samples of client cases; training timeline; and list of names of who would be in need of training
ResCare already conducts questionnaires weekly on each client to see how services are delivered and to get information as to what needs improvement based on the questionnaires. Online technology,(webinar training courses) are used to conduct training with ease to employees across the many states. The other technique that should be used and I am sure it is, is utilizing the weekly reports to measure improvement.
Resources:
Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee Training and Development (5th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin.
ResCare, Inc. (2012). Workforce Services. Retrieved on 5/10/12 from website: http://www.rescare.com/workforce-services.php
Friday, May 4, 2012
Training and Development
Training and Development "Elevator Speech"
Imagine a 500 piece puzzle and how interlocking each piece forms that perfect picture. If one of these pieces were missing the puzzle would be incomplete. This is exactly how training and development is for any organization. You might ask, what is training and development exactly? Training is the ability to organize information so as to improve performance and support staff with obtaining the skills and knowledge needed to produce exceptional work. Training is an important role in assisting people reach their full capacity of learning. One main factor that contributes to the increase need of training and development is change. Change as we all know is inevitable, and when change affects an organization, the more training is needed to adapt and move forward through the change.
Training and development has evolved and continues to as organizations grow. If your organization wants to become part of that growth, retain employees, build relationships, and see a return on investment then training and development needs to be incorporated into your organization's culture. By doing this, you too will be able to interlock each piece and form your own perfect picture.
Imagine a 500 piece puzzle and how interlocking each piece forms that perfect picture. If one of these pieces were missing the puzzle would be incomplete. This is exactly how training and development is for any organization. You might ask, what is training and development exactly? Training is the ability to organize information so as to improve performance and support staff with obtaining the skills and knowledge needed to produce exceptional work. Training is an important role in assisting people reach their full capacity of learning. One main factor that contributes to the increase need of training and development is change. Change as we all know is inevitable, and when change affects an organization, the more training is needed to adapt and move forward through the change.
Training and development has evolved and continues to as organizations grow. If your organization wants to become part of that growth, retain employees, build relationships, and see a return on investment then training and development needs to be incorporated into your organization's culture. By doing this, you too will be able to interlock each piece and form your own perfect picture.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Analyzing Scope Creep
My organization is contracted by the state, (our stakeholder), to handle a very large population of welfare cases. Both of these components in it-self brings on many different issues. There is always a new standard operational procedure (SOP) that is incorporated or changed, which could bring chaos to the workflow at any given time. Once a new SOP is established and is just working for the participant, a revised one comes into play. This causes all sorts of problems with consistency and structure.
About a few months ago, the organization stated that because our stakeholder increased rate percentages we had to do several projects to bring up our numbers. You see the sad thing about this situation with my organization or any organization, especially one that has to make a profit, is the numbers are sometimes more important than the time one puts into helping a person. This cannot be controlled as that is how the organization gets paid. If the numbers are not up the organization does not get paid and the worker does not get a good grade on the quarterly progress report.
Anyway, the stakeholder, during a corporate meeting told my organization that instead of reaching 30% for one type of funding participant and 60% for the other type of funding participant, the totals will now be 45% and 75%. It sounded as if the stakeholder was trying to get us to fail, as we (all staff) had a hard time even reaching the original percentages of 30 and 60. A lot of the low percentages in our unit were not in our control. If the participants failed the program we failed. We each had too many cases and not enough time on our hands. Mistakes were easy to make as each 8 hour day was rushed so as to cram the vast amount of work in and still try to make our numbers. Talk about a juggling act.
A project was created to try and lesson the mistakes that we as case managers made with the idea that we would put our attention on the participants, helping them every step of the way so that they are continuously monitored and pushed to meet expectations. When a person has 100 cases, this task is not that easy, especially when you have mandatory training, corporate meetings, new projects on top of other projects already introduced. Operation Sweep was a project in which we took our cases and combed through them for any errors or potential problems. We had 1 month to do it all while conducting are normal flow of work and new participant’s that came in. We tried to keep on schedule, however new SOPs and state mandatory compliance training came up all within the same month. The scope of our project moved out a couple of weeks but we did what we had to do. We corrected many of the cases that were going to go for review before the state and we are continuing to use the rubric to guide us on upcoming cases so that mistakes are to a minimal. Suresh states, “scope creep” is always a change or growth of project scope. Instead of preventing the changes, we should work as a team to effectively manage the changes by not affecting the project timelines and budget (Suresh, B., 2005). The question now is, does doing this stressful project that was behind schedule and cost overtime for employees bring up our numbers? We can only wait and see.
Resource:
Suresh, B., 2005. Scope Creep Management. Retrieved on December 8, 2011 from http://www.projectperfect.com.au/info_scope_creep_mgmt.php
About a few months ago, the organization stated that because our stakeholder increased rate percentages we had to do several projects to bring up our numbers. You see the sad thing about this situation with my organization or any organization, especially one that has to make a profit, is the numbers are sometimes more important than the time one puts into helping a person. This cannot be controlled as that is how the organization gets paid. If the numbers are not up the organization does not get paid and the worker does not get a good grade on the quarterly progress report.
Anyway, the stakeholder, during a corporate meeting told my organization that instead of reaching 30% for one type of funding participant and 60% for the other type of funding participant, the totals will now be 45% and 75%. It sounded as if the stakeholder was trying to get us to fail, as we (all staff) had a hard time even reaching the original percentages of 30 and 60. A lot of the low percentages in our unit were not in our control. If the participants failed the program we failed. We each had too many cases and not enough time on our hands. Mistakes were easy to make as each 8 hour day was rushed so as to cram the vast amount of work in and still try to make our numbers. Talk about a juggling act.
A project was created to try and lesson the mistakes that we as case managers made with the idea that we would put our attention on the participants, helping them every step of the way so that they are continuously monitored and pushed to meet expectations. When a person has 100 cases, this task is not that easy, especially when you have mandatory training, corporate meetings, new projects on top of other projects already introduced. Operation Sweep was a project in which we took our cases and combed through them for any errors or potential problems. We had 1 month to do it all while conducting are normal flow of work and new participant’s that came in. We tried to keep on schedule, however new SOPs and state mandatory compliance training came up all within the same month. The scope of our project moved out a couple of weeks but we did what we had to do. We corrected many of the cases that were going to go for review before the state and we are continuing to use the rubric to guide us on upcoming cases so that mistakes are to a minimal. Suresh states, “scope creep” is always a change or growth of project scope. Instead of preventing the changes, we should work as a team to effectively manage the changes by not affecting the project timelines and budget (Suresh, B., 2005). The question now is, does doing this stressful project that was behind schedule and cost overtime for employees bring up our numbers? We can only wait and see.
Resource:
Suresh, B., 2005. Scope Creep Management. Retrieved on December 8, 2011 from http://www.projectperfect.com.au/info_scope_creep_mgmt.php
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sources for Estimating Costs
http://www.iso-ne.com/rules_proceds/isone_plan/pp4_0_attachment_d.pdf
http://search.quickbooksonline.com/start/ppc_login.jsp?ID=M8188&sc=BNR-000-MSN-estimating%20project%20costs&ad_id=308257222&keyword=estimating%20project%20costs&match_type=b&TARGET=http://search.quickbooksonline.com&cid=ppc_bing_Estimates_estimate-project-cost
http://search.quickbooksonline.com/start/ppc_login.jsp?ID=M8188&sc=BNR-000-MSN-estimating%20project%20costs&ad_id=308257222&keyword=estimating%20project%20costs&match_type=b&TARGET=http://search.quickbooksonline.com&cid=ppc_bing_Estimates_estimate-project-cost
Monday, November 21, 2011
The modalities of Effective Communication
We have at one point in our professional life experienced the three modalities that was explained in this exercise. We have encountered emails as well as voice mails and face to face speaking. To pick between the three different modes really depend on what situation you are in at the time. For example, a person would not want to utilize email or voicemail if they want issues dealt with right away, especially if the person you need to speak to is in the same office with you. You would stand up and walk over to his or her desk to relay the message vs. emailing it or leaving it on his or her voicemail.
The assignment this week was to visualize examples of the text below in the form of an email, voicemail, and face to face. Then to analyze how the three modalities conveyed effective communication by answering the questions below.
“Hi Mark,
I know you have been busy and possibly in that all day meeting today, but I really need an ETA on the missing report. Because your report contains data I need to finish my report, I might miss my own deadline if I don’t get your report soon. Please let me know when you think you can get your report sent over to me, or even if you can send the data I need in a separate email.
I really appreciate your help.
Jane”
How did your interpretation of the message change from one modality to the next?
I really could not see a drastic change between the different modalities. The email, the way it was written, portrayed a person that was asking for help. It was written in a tone that was inviting and not hostile at all. The words that made this obvious was please and appreciate. Look at the verbiage again below. Highlighted are the phrases that also showed this person was in deed asking the person in a nice way to get it done.
“Hi Mark,
I know you have been busy and possibly in that all day meeting today, but I really need an ETA on the missing report. Because your report contains data I need to finish my report, I might miss my own deadline if I don’t get your report soon. Please let me know when you think you can get your report sent over to me, or even if you can send the data I need in a separate email.
I really appreciate your help.
Jane”
What factors influenced how you perceived the message?
These phrases really show that this person is trying to not rock the boat with asking for the needed report. The question though, is not how he or she is getting the request met but how effective the communication is through email, voicemail and face to face. If I had to find a change from one modality to the next, I would have to say that the email did not give much expression except through words vs. the voicemail. The voicemail had a tone that also was not threatening nor did it sound like the report was of much importance. In a nice way it stated, I know you are busy; I need the report; can you please send it to me. However, listening to the voicemail gave the message a personal touch. The other modality of face to face was more personal, in that, the person is now standing over the cubicle asking kindly again for the report. All modalities reflected the same output of kindness and gentle request. They were not demanding and definitely not overpowering. The differences lay in the method used to portray a message.
Which form of communication best conveyed the true meaning and intent of the message?
I feel the best form of communication used was the face to face. Both the email and voicemail was inviting and showed that there was concern, however it had a “when you get it to me is when you get it to me” attitude. This is what I felt when reading and listening to it. The face to face was also non-threatening, however with the person’s facial expressions and tone of voice it allowed me to visualize that she really needed this report and she was over my desk requesting. How can anyone avoid this type of model?
What are the implications of what you learned from this exercise for communicating effectively with members of a project team?
Communicating effectively is very important when trying to get what you need done. All resources over the past few weeks have spoken about communication. The video, Communicating with Stakeholders, Dr. Stolovich brings up several points about communicating and the importance of. He says, “communication is clear, concise, and focused; it helps everyone stay on target.” He says that effective communication is influenced by:
He also states that when you have an important communication you probably want to deliver it live, be careful of ambiguity, and document well even after a live meeting.
Marty Blalock, from Wisconsin Business Alumni wrote “Why Good Communication is Good Business” The
Tips for Communication
• Whether writing or speaking, consider your objectives. What do you want your listeners or readers to remember or do? To achieve an objective, you need to be able to articulate it.
• Consider your audience. How receptive will it be? If you anticipate positive reception of your message, you can be more direct.
• Consider your credibility in relation to your audience. Also, consider the organizational environment. Is it thick or flat, centralized or decentralized? Each will have communication implications.
• How can you motivate others? Benefits are always your best bet. And if you can establish common ground, especially at the opening of a message, you can often make your audience
more receptive.
• Think carefully about channel choice, about the advantages and disadvantages of your choice, and the preferred channels of your audience.
• If you want to have a permanent record or need to convey complex information, use a channel that involves writing. If your message is sensitive, email may not be the best choice; the immediacy of face-to-face communication can be preferable, especially when you would prefer not to have a written record.
.
References:
Blalock, M., December 2005. Why Good Communication is Good Business. Retrieved on November 21, 2011 from: http://www.bus.wisc.edu/update/winter05/business_communication.asp
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). The art of effective communication [Video]. Available from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6145/03/mm/aoc/index.html.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Communicating with stakeholders. [Video]. Available from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com.
The assignment this week was to visualize examples of the text below in the form of an email, voicemail, and face to face. Then to analyze how the three modalities conveyed effective communication by answering the questions below.
“Hi Mark,
I know you have been busy and possibly in that all day meeting today, but I really need an ETA on the missing report. Because your report contains data I need to finish my report, I might miss my own deadline if I don’t get your report soon. Please let me know when you think you can get your report sent over to me, or even if you can send the data I need in a separate email.
I really appreciate your help.
Jane”
How did your interpretation of the message change from one modality to the next?
I really could not see a drastic change between the different modalities. The email, the way it was written, portrayed a person that was asking for help. It was written in a tone that was inviting and not hostile at all. The words that made this obvious was please and appreciate. Look at the verbiage again below. Highlighted are the phrases that also showed this person was in deed asking the person in a nice way to get it done.
“Hi Mark,
I know you have been busy and possibly in that all day meeting today, but I really need an ETA on the missing report. Because your report contains data I need to finish my report, I might miss my own deadline if I don’t get your report soon. Please let me know when you think you can get your report sent over to me, or even if you can send the data I need in a separate email.
I really appreciate your help.
Jane”
What factors influenced how you perceived the message?
These phrases really show that this person is trying to not rock the boat with asking for the needed report. The question though, is not how he or she is getting the request met but how effective the communication is through email, voicemail and face to face. If I had to find a change from one modality to the next, I would have to say that the email did not give much expression except through words vs. the voicemail. The voicemail had a tone that also was not threatening nor did it sound like the report was of much importance. In a nice way it stated, I know you are busy; I need the report; can you please send it to me. However, listening to the voicemail gave the message a personal touch. The other modality of face to face was more personal, in that, the person is now standing over the cubicle asking kindly again for the report. All modalities reflected the same output of kindness and gentle request. They were not demanding and definitely not overpowering. The differences lay in the method used to portray a message.
Which form of communication best conveyed the true meaning and intent of the message?
I feel the best form of communication used was the face to face. Both the email and voicemail was inviting and showed that there was concern, however it had a “when you get it to me is when you get it to me” attitude. This is what I felt when reading and listening to it. The face to face was also non-threatening, however with the person’s facial expressions and tone of voice it allowed me to visualize that she really needed this report and she was over my desk requesting. How can anyone avoid this type of model?
What are the implications of what you learned from this exercise for communicating effectively with members of a project team?
Communicating effectively is very important when trying to get what you need done. All resources over the past few weeks have spoken about communication. The video, Communicating with Stakeholders, Dr. Stolovich brings up several points about communicating and the importance of. He says, “communication is clear, concise, and focused; it helps everyone stay on target.” He says that effective communication is influenced by:
Spirit and attitude
Tonality and body language
Timing
Personality of the recipient
He also states that when you have an important communication you probably want to deliver it live, be careful of ambiguity, and document well even after a live meeting.
Marty Blalock, from Wisconsin Business Alumni wrote “Why Good Communication is Good Business” The
Tips for Communication
• Whether writing or speaking, consider your objectives. What do you want your listeners or readers to remember or do? To achieve an objective, you need to be able to articulate it.
• Consider your audience. How receptive will it be? If you anticipate positive reception of your message, you can be more direct.
• Consider your credibility in relation to your audience. Also, consider the organizational environment. Is it thick or flat, centralized or decentralized? Each will have communication implications.
• How can you motivate others? Benefits are always your best bet. And if you can establish common ground, especially at the opening of a message, you can often make your audience
more receptive.
• Think carefully about channel choice, about the advantages and disadvantages of your choice, and the preferred channels of your audience.
• If you want to have a permanent record or need to convey complex information, use a channel that involves writing. If your message is sensitive, email may not be the best choice; the immediacy of face-to-face communication can be preferable, especially when you would prefer not to have a written record.
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References:
Blalock, M., December 2005. Why Good Communication is Good Business. Retrieved on November 21, 2011 from: http://www.bus.wisc.edu/update/winter05/business_communication.asp
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). The art of effective communication [Video]. Available from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6145/03/mm/aoc/index.html.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Communicating with stakeholders. [Video]. Available from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com.
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