Communicating Effectively With Stakeholders

How did your interpretation of the message change from one modality to the next?

• Email- The email message was clear, concise, convenient and polite in its tone. For a busy person on the run, this email message can also be checked virtually anywhere, from cell phones to laptops.
• Voicemail- The message must not be of that much importance if a voicemail is left on the phone. It may not be checked immediately if the person is out of the office for an extended amount if time or just too busy to check their phone messages that particular day.
• Face-to-Face- While email can be a convenient form of communication, especially in the business sector, certain discussions need to be handled in person. If a situation is too in-depth to discuss any other way, I wouldn’t send an email or leave a voicemail, I would arrange for a face to face meeting.

What factors influenced how you perceived the message?

The most important factors that I perceived from the message were that the intended message was short with a clear point, and the tone of voice, tone of the written message, and the body language was positive.

Which form of communication best conveyed the true meaning and intent of the message?

I communicate 99% of the time via email at work, so I would reply to this form of communication more than the two other modalities. As stated before, this particular email message was clear, concise, and polite in its tone. All of the information that was needed for Mark to accomplish the task, that was asked of by Jane, was right there in the email massage.

What are the implications of what you learned from this exercise for communicating effectively with members of a project team?

There are several forms of communication and all forms can be used effectively to get a message delivered. You need choose the correct form of communication at the right time and with a recipient who responds positively to the one you use. In other words if you choose email to send an intended message, the tone could be misunderstood by the recipient and a breakdown in communication occurs. Some individuals communicate better face to face, so sending an email can be ineffective.

Through communication people exchange and share information with one another, and influence one another's attidudes, behaviors, and understandings (Portny, 2008).


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.