E-mail
Electronic mail or e-mail is both an informal and formal method of communication. The message began with professional courtesy, which is important in business communication. Even though the message conveyed importance and urgency, the tone was respectful of the recipient’s schedule. This again, is a requirement of effective written communication. Jane’s e-mail stated a clear purpose and situation. It also included a possible solution or suggestion, which involves Mark sending the data in a separate email.
Phone
Voicemail is a very common means of communicating by telephone within the company and other businesses or clients. I believe that the phone conversation seemed a bit urgent in Jane’s tone. Furthermore, I believe that making phone calls can emphasize the importance of the issue in a different manner to other forms of communication, such as e-mails, text message, IMs, etc. The caller is able to use inflection in their voice and overall tone to convey additional meaning to the message. It is also used as a follow-up if there is no response to an e-mail. For instance, in my classes, I usually would email the instructor, and if I don’t get an immediate response, I’ll send another email. But if it is a particularly urgent issue, and I don’t receive an e-mail response, I would make a call.
Face-to-Face
Face-to-face communication involves addressing the message directly to another person. Jane’s face-to-face communication with Mark included the informal tone that Dr. Stolovitch suggested. Jane spoke to Mark in a friendly and polite manner. Her face did not suggest anxiety, even those she expressed urgency. Jane also demonstrated that effective communication is not exclusively in words, but in the spirit, attitude, tonality, body language and timing. One of the main advantages of face-to-face communication over telephone and e-mail communication is that the individuals have the ability to speak to each other in real time, whereas with the other methods, there may be delayed delivery of the message. Jane has kept the tone of all of her communications business-friendly and respectful. This is again important in effective business communication.
Conclusion
Dr. Stolovitch’s video combined with this exercise was very informative and useful, and I intend to apply this information to my communication in general. It helped to emphasize the importance of effective communication, whether it is e-mail, telephone, or face-to-face. Additionally, the exercise reinforced that it is vital to avoid ambiguity but to be specific, straightforward, and respectful.
References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). Communicating with Stakeholders [Video webcast]. Retrieved January 24, 2013 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2099917_1%26url%3D
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (n.d.). The Art of Effective Communication [Multimedia program]. Retrieved January 24, 2013 from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6145/03/mm/aoc/index.html
Our text states it is important and ” sharing the right messages with the right people in a timely manner” (Portny et al, 2008). In research I found an web article that stated the 5 C’s of effective communication. They are “1. Articulate Clearly, 2. Be Concise, 3. Be Consistent, 4. Be Credible and 5. Be Courteous” (Croce). Although these are a bit different from what we have learned in our text, I think they have value. Numbers 5 (Be Courteous) is valuable because it shows empathy for the other team members. Sometimes I think that we are so focused on what we need from the other team members, we forget to tell that person they are doing a good job and Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAs you stated in your post it is vital for us to avoid ambiguity but to be specific, straightforward, and respectful.
References
Croce, P. (n.d.). Eye on entrepreneur > 5 “c’s” of communication. Retrieved from http://www.patcroce.com/entrepreneur/comm.html
Portny, S., Mantel, S., Meredith, J., Shafer, S. and Sutton, M. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Hello David,
ReplyDeleteDr. Stolovitch stated that "90%" of communication is not in the words, but I found the voicemail to be the most effective form of communication that was used. The body language displayed by the deliverer, in my opinion, communicated a sort of giddyness that undermined the importance of the message. Do you agree?