University of Maryland, College Park

Pearl Diving Assignment 4

Kyle Shalit
ENCE 424 Communication for Project Managers
Dr. Shana Webster Trotman
November 16, 2019
Introduction:
As the semester continues, we have more time to reflect on some what we have learned
from the class and readings. Through the in-class activities and out of class opportunities, I have
greatly improved my communication skills. Constantly being in situations where I need to speak
has greatly helped. As a participant of this class, I have learned from a variety of different
sources. Some of these sources are quotes from great orators, required readings, and in class
activities. I will expand on some of the things I have learned from these sources throughout this
essay by reflecting o a quote, explaining how I have applied concepts from the readings, and
lastly reflecting on the Big Dig Debate. Simply sitting through class will not be enough to get
better at communicating. We need to constantly be reflecting and applying skills to become the
best communicators we can be.

Quote from Class:

“The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
- George Bernard Shaw
This quote is incredibly important for not just project managers, but also all
communicators. There are so many errors that result from poor communication. This quote is
basically saying that often times, both parties believe that they have properly communicated, but
often one side has not received the message correctly or misinterpreted that message. This can
lead to an argument on the spot or a bigger issue in the future. This is significant to the class
because we are constantly working with others and need to ensure the proper message is being
sent and received. The ability to complete assignments and activities can be hurt if people only
have the illusion of communication.
In project management, communication is key. The project manager is constantly in
communication with many different people and must ensure the message is properly reviewed
for the project to go well. For example, if I were to direct someone to go buy something for the
job, but do not specify the exact product number that needs to be bought, that person could return
with a variation that is not compatible for the project. This kind of error can be incredibly costly
depending on the application. Therefore, it key that the message is clear and properly received.
Project management is often a collaborative job. People are constantly talking and
communicating with others to complete the bigger goal. In order to share responsibility properly,
good and proper communication must occur.

Two or Three Concepts from class/readings and how are you applying them:
Throughout the semester I have had many opportunities to apply the concepts I have
learned in class. I have been very active in the job search and have had a handful of opportunities
to apply many of the skills discussed in Essentials of Business Etiquette. In chapter 17, the book
discusses some useful tips when it comes to sending thank you notes. While I did not send a
note, I sent a couple follow up, thank you emails after interviews. I read the small section where
the author explained a situation where one of four candidates was not considered because they
were the only one who did not send a thank you email (Patcher). After hearing that I did not want
to miss another chance. I talked to my mom, who works in hiring for her company, and she
helped me craft a short, but effective thank you note.
I sent this note to any contact I got during the interview process. The next I sent the
email, and while I did not get many responses directly, I did have one person acknowledge it
while he called me to inform me of an offer. Another point that they addressed was to avoid
errors in your writing. I have reviewed my professional emails closely and ensured that I did not
make these mistakes. Recently I saw my roommate very worried after sending an email that had
two periods at the end of a sentence. While this is a very small error, sometimes small things like
that can hurt in the long run.
Another small concept that stood out to me was having good voicemail etiquette. I have
noticed that many people my age rarely check voicemail. The author mirrors that same feelings
about this generation. Often, I will call someone back before listening to their voicemail. The
chapter explains that often, especially in business settings, it is integral to listen to the messages
of coworkers, other professionals, and especially your bosses before calling them back (Patcher).
I have worked on constantly checking my voicemail regardless of who it is. My dad will leave
one a majority of the time, so he gave me plenty of opportunities to make sure I am staying on
top of my voicemail.
A smaller issue that I have noticed with a lot of people that is not mentioned in the book
is having a full voicemail inbox. After a certain number of voicemails, one can not receive
anymore. I have heard professionals speak about how they will completely disregard a candidate
if they cannot leave a voicemail. This is a silly way to lose consideration for a job. Again, my
dad helps me here by telling me that my voicemail is full when it hits that point. More recently, I
have been trying to stay on top of it myself. I will periodically delete old voicemails. Another
consideration is to have a professional voicemail, not something goofy or a prank voicemail.
People who want to hire you will not appreciate this. While this is not a problem for me, I have
seen others who have an issue with their voicemail. I recently called one my younger fraternity
members and noticed he had a voicemail that must have been from middle school. The next time
I saw him I explained why he should change it for future success.

Reflect on Big Dig Debate

The Big Dig debate was an exciting, fun activity that I thoroughly enjoyed. As an
engineer, I do not get to participate in debates like this too often. The last time I have participated
in a debate was back in eight grade, which I lost, but believed I could have won if I was the one
doing the debating, rather than just the research. Even though this event occurred eight years ago,
I still have a sour taste in my mouth and did not want to lose another debate this time. I decided
to take a position where the debate would be most in control. I volunteered for the role of debater
for the side that argued that the Big Dig was an engineering success.
 While I was not the team leader, I did feel that I was taking some leadership
responsibilities. After the entire exercise was over, I was identified by one of the observers as an
unofficial leader. Our appointed team leader did a decent job of keeping everyone focused and
doing something beneficial to the team, but I started directing some people as the group really
started to get going. We began to start to formulate our argument and I noticed that I needed
more information on certain topics. I asked specific people who were not doing anything at the
moment to do a little more research on those specific topics. I worked with everyone to compile
the information that I would be sharing with the class. At the end I noticed that my co-presenter
was less confident with his material and moreover, we didn’t have a plan to split up the work.
First, we split up the speaking based on who felt more comfortable with certain topics, and
organized the flow of the content accordingly. I helped him with some key pointers to make sure
he didn’t miss. He ultimately presented better than I had expected, he just needed to get going
and then he felt comfortable.
Overall, I was pleased with my team’s performance. Those who were assigned
researchers did a good job of getting information in the beginning. Those in other roles such as
timekeeper or videographer started by doing very little. The group soon noticed that we needed
more people researching in order to achieve our goal of a good presentation. A couple members
of the group spoke up and those in the other roles started contributing a little more to the content
of the presentation. We worked well together and bounced any ideas of each other. We talked as
a group on what the final three points we would make are and made a final decision as a group.
The final result of our group’s effort was a winning performance, which made me more pleased
with the work we had completed together.

Conclusion:
To get better at communication, we need to constantly be challenging ourselves. One way we did
this is through reflection. Looking back at concepts and activities has taught me to think more
deeply about what we are learning and how we can improve ourselves. Reflecting on the big dig
debate made me think about what went right, and what could have been better. Our ability to
work in groups will constantly improve if we look back and see what went right and what went
wrong. Looking back is what makes us better at what we do. Lastly, stepping out and actually
applying some of the things we learn has been incredibly beneficial. Seeing the rewards of
following concepts is incredibly stratifying and fulfilling. This class is extremely applicable and
has made me a better communicator.
 Work Cited

Pachter, Barbara. The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat, and Tweet Your Way
to Success. McGraw-Hill Education, 2013.