Transcript elc347_day4 - Tony Gauvin`s Web Site

ELC 347
DAY 3
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Agenda
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Questions
Assignment # 1 not Corrected yet
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I have started but they really need more of my attention for better
feedback
Homework was in two extremes
We will discuss in class
Resubmit before Friday evening for more credit
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Avg between two
Assignment #2 Due
Discussion on Communication
Start of Group Project
Exam #1 will be on September 29 (next Class)
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15 M/C (4 points each)
4 essays (10 points each)
Open book, 60 min
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Communication Objectives
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Meeting project Communication needs
Uncovering reasons for infectiveness
Matching communications styles and
media
Gaining access for communications
Ensuring efficiency and confirming
“appreciation”
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Indicators of Communications
Problems
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Why don’t they listen
She won’t report on
paper
Nobody understands
Sales won’t talk to
engineering
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I can’t ever get him
on the phone
Do I have to ask for
everything
What about e-mail
He talks “around” the
issue
She always says the
wrong things
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Tony’s management advice
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People assume that good
communicators are more intelligent
than mediocre communicators even
though there is no basis for that
assumption.
If you want people to think you are
smart, learn to be an effective
communicator
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Meeting Project
Communication needs
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Formal project communications
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Meetings
Status Reports
Change orders
Conference calls
Project scope (map or graphic)
Control reports
Test results
Problem detection and notification
Problem solving
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Project Teams
Communications Problems
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Project members come from diverse
departments
Project teams are made up of highly
specialized people
Project team may not understand
tasks interdependencies
Project members may be reluctant to
communicate
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Matching Communication
Styles
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To determine how people communicate best let
them communicate to you in their preferred style
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People tend to send messages in the manner they take in
information best
Some avoid certain media altogether even when doing so
may create a problem for them
There are Six basic communication types
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Readers
Listeners
exchangers
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Movers
Manipulators
Viewers
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Readers
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Prefer print, send messages and ask for responses in writing
Read and study ideas
Advantages
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Disadvantages
Ability to explain complex ideas
and keep it available for referral
Documents provide a record of
communication
Things in print seem to have
enhanced credibility
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Without nonverbal clues,
possibility exists for
misunderstanding
Requires greater attention to word
choice, grammar and punctuation
An error in print could be taken as
fact and be legally binding
For people who don’t prefer print,
follow-up may be required to
ensure communication
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Listeners
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Telephone and face to face talks and lectures
Remember what they hear rather than what they read
Advantages
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Disadvantages
Quick Feedback and
responses during real-time
communication
Sender can adapt message
if he/she perceives it is not
being received correctly
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Rsik of error, of “not
hearing you right”
Forgetting important facts
Most people are not
efficient listeners,
influenced by bias
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Exchangers
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Require and exchange or dialogue
Think when they talk
Require feed back and validation
Advantages
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Disadvantages
Both the parties to the
communication are actively
involved
Feedback is automatic
Often many relevant issues
emerge during exchange
Conversation may drift offtarget
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Process constantly
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Must have some kind of
exchange
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Conversatios often aren’t
documented
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
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Movers
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Need to move to think and process clearly
May have been hyperactive children
Highly unlikely that they will send time filling out endless
forms or write up reports
Disadvantages
Advantages
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Think well on their feet
Process quickly and
generate ideas rapidly
Easy to communicate to if
you join them in a walk or
physical activity referral
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May not sit still at meetings,
may distract others
Will not process information
if required to sit
May pace and fidget during
presentations
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Manipulators
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Prefer Hands-on approaches
Highly mechanical “thinkerers”
Concrete and not abstract thinkers
Advantages
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Disadvantages
Generally easily
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If they cannot be physically
comprehends an idea if
involved in a procedure in
allowed to “play” with it
some ways , they cannot
retain the ideas involved on
When presented with
that procedures
abstract concepts, an
activity or object to
reinforce concept will
ensure communication® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Viewers
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Love drawings, videos, diagrams flowcharts and models
Printed words mean little
Charts and diagrams work
Advantages
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Disadvantages
Pictures can substitute for
words or can enhance
meaning for viewers
Might feel like your ideas
“make more sense” if they
are represented graphically
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Difficult to accomplish
goals with words with
viewers
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Understanding the communication
process
Sender’s Idea
Receiver's Idea
Communication
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Elements of a message
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Purpose
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Body Language
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Non verbal
75% to 90% of what we send and receive
Proxemics
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Motivation for the communication
Physical distance between communicators
Personal space
Inflections
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The sound of the voice
“it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it”
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Elements affecting the
message received
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Listening
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Bias
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Prior attitudes or experience
Appearance of the sender (including age and gender)
Connotations
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The brain operates at speeds greater than most people
speak or read
Distractions are likely
Words with “loaded” meanings
Kid, boss, new guy
Appreciation
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Agreement is not always possible
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Reasons for ineffective
communications
Chasms, Barriers Noise
Sender’s Idea
Receiver's Idea
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Communication
Uderstanding Gaps
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Chasm
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Distance between communicators
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Barriers
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Physical
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Working environments versus off-sites
Perceptual
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Physical
Media
Disability, race cultural
Noise
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Physical noise and interruptions
Mental noise and distraction
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Gaining access for communications
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Accessibility
Need to
communicate
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Need to control
Electronic Access Alternatives
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E-mail
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Voice mail
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Ubiquitous
Asynchronous
Asynchronous
Not universally accepted (yet)
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Personal time accessibility
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Different people have differing
restrictions about personal time
Conduct and inventory before hand
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
Some helpful hints
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Ensure “appreciation”
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Buy-in to project outcomes
Build a common experience
Improve you communications skills
Adopt a constructive attitude
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Reasonable, problem-solving approaches
Concern for mutual agreement
Respectful posture
Constant pursuit of understanding
Acceptance of responsibility for success of communication
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
High efficient, interactive
communications
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Model excellent communication patterns
Affirm superior communications skill in team
members
Value clear, open communications (good or bad
news)
Persist in encouraging skill improvement through
training or coaching
Remove as many communication barriers as
possible
Provide person-to-person, electronic, and other
formalized platforms to encourage frequent and
candid communication
Provide ample opportunities for informal idea
Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004
exchange to foster®cooperation.
Group Project
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Your are a team formed to create a new web site for UMFK
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Must maintain all content
Must have methodology for keeping current
Plan must include infrastructure (webserver(s) and networks)
Deliverables
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Project Plan (Microsoft Project and Word) (60%)
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project goal
work breakdown structure
organization chart
Gantt Chart and CPM Network, highlighting the critical path's
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Assume pay rates for all individuals+-
Progress updates to me every other week! (15%)
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Can be team member or outsourced
budget
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Contingences for critical path failures
all significant milestones,
individuals assigned for each activity.
Written
Week 6, 8 and 10 (Oct 6, Oct 20, Nov 3)
Formal report and presentation on Week 12 (Nov 17) (25%)
30 minutes of each week can be used for group meetings
Today you should set up organization and start “carving” out taskings and responsibilities
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Should have organization chart established
Set up communications channels
® Tony Gauvin, UMFK, 2004