We have all sent or
received an email that was misinterpreted. Regardless of whether we are the
sender or the receiver, the experience is crummy. We feel defensive,
misunderstood, unappreciated, angry, sad … the list of adjectives could go on
and on. In good scenarios, we recognize
that there is a communication break down, pick up the phone, and the issue is
happily resolved five minutes later. Too often, we reply in an increasingly
cold way ensuring that the sender also feels the alienation we experienced.
While it is more than
possible to misinterpret what someone says in person, the odds are higher with
email communication. “Face-to-face interaction … is
information-rich. We interpret what people say to us not only from their tone
and facial expressions, but also from their body language and pacing, as well
as their synchronization with what we do and say” (Goleman, 2007).
side by side …
This communication demo illustrates how a brief email, a voice mail, and an in person
conversation can use the same words but create very different experiences. The
email is not offensive, but it seems cold and allows room for interpreted blame
– which leads to room for defensiveness. If I had received this email, I would
have felt like I needed to explain why
I had not gotten my piece completed on time. The voicemail is slightly warmer;
however, I still felt slightly defensive. While the in person interaction does
still have the urgency of needing the completed work, the body language, her
smile and relaxed tone feels more like a reminder. I’d be more likely to
respond pleasantly and collaboratively.
what can be done …
When working on a
project, these steps will help increase the positive communication:
-
Create an
audience list to ensure everyone who needs information receives it. Clear
communication will help keep everyone informed and avoid hurt feelings (Portny,
et al, 2008).
-
Meet with
key players at the start of a project to talk about communications. In the
meeting, clarify the benefits of strong communications and identify any
potentially problematic issues - words, analogies, approaches, etc. (Laureate,
2012).
-
We are less
likely to misinterpret email communications from people we know and have
communicated with in person (Goleman, 2007). Develop initial face-to-face
relationships and nurture those throughout the project.
-
When
informal conversations occur, follow up with a formal written summary (Portny,
et al, 2008). I have found this helps tie the feeling of the in person communication
to the more formal email communication method, buying me an emotional buffer
and increasing the chance that subsequent email communications will read as
less cold and stiff and decrease the chance for misunderstanding.
-
Finally, you
may need to tailor your communications to meet different needs of project team
members, stakeholders, or key players. As the project manager, it is your job
to communicate with them, not their job to conform to your preference
(Laureate, 2012).
I fear workplace
miscommunication is not going away any time soon, but we can take steps to
minimize the occurrence and mitigate the damage. An acknowledgement of the
derailment usually goes a long way toward getting communication back on track!
References
Goleman, D. (2007, October 7) E-Mail is easy to
write (and to misread) The New York
Times. Retreived from http://www.nytimes.com/
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2012). Practitioner voices:
strategies for working with stakeholders [Video webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_551248_1%26url%3D
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2012). Project management concerns:
Communication strategies and
organizational [Video webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_551248_1%26url%3D
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.
