University of Maryland, College Park

Pearl Diving Assignment 1

Ayman Amdad

Communication for Project Managers: ENCE424

Dr. Shana Webster-Trotman

February 27, 2021

Introduction
As an engineering student, the majority of my schooling consists of technical instruction
in subjects like physics, calculus, or dynamics. Communication for Project Managers emphasizes
a very important but highly ignored subject in the engineering field, communication.
Communicating effectively as a project manager is paramount to the success of any engineering
endeavor. Students in Communication for Project Managers must complete required readings,
participate in class activities and, ultimately, employ the skills they learn in class in the real
world. This essay will highlight the changes in my thinking by discussing lessons learned in the
readings, class discussions, how I will practice proper business civility this week, and how I have
increased my networking potential since beginning the class and insights gleaned from
completing the DISC personality assessment, Conflict Management Styles test, and JUNG
Personality test.

Concepts from Readings

The first particularly interesting concept from the reading, ​Crucial Conversations, Tools
for Talking When Stakes Are High,​ is highlighted by the​ story of Kevin and the concept of the
“Fool’s Choice”. It made it very clear that when in a tough situation we feel at times that there
are only two options of “silence or violence”(Patterson, 2012) or other opposing directions of
thought, both that have major drawbacks. This mentality leads you to believe that there are no
other valid options. As I read more into this concept we start to see how all conversations are not
black or white, and have a deeper level of thought, bringing about a wide variety of options. It
may seem difficult to talk to someone of a higher position and oppose them, but it is about how
you go about it that can create a sense of respect and understanding while still focusing on the
goals at hand. Unlike the others that did not speak up, Kevin confronted his boss in a thoughtful
and empathetic manner that didn’t result in a complete disconnect. While reading this story it
made me think back to my own experience in my summer internship in 2019 with Manganaro
Midatlantic. The reason why I recall this experience is the fact that I felt that I had failed in
comparison to Kevin in many situations in that internship. If I had seen this example before, my
experience might have had a different outcome. I am still thankful for this reading as I am
moving to the workforce in the coming months and want to take this story and concept and
incorporate it into my future work ordeals.
Looking back at my time at Manganaro, a subcontracting firm where I was in a team of
three that made up the masonry operations sector. We focused on three large-scale projects and I
had a great experience, but there were some shortcomings, especially with my bosses and others
in the field that have had more experience than myself. At the beginning of my internship, I was
managing going to work from 8-5 and taking a coding class from 6-9. It was overwhelming at
times and the job was not easy, to say the least. I recall my boss telling me that we are
understaffed and have to work more than the other departments. I did not want to disappoint my
boss so for the next two weeks I took on every single task he gave me. I was getting more and
more work as the internship progressed so that meant coming in earlier and leaving later from
work. I would have to rush from work to get to my class on-time. It took a major toll on my body
as I was staring at computer screens for 12 or more hours a day, leaving me with massive
headaches, watery eyes, and a major level of anxiety. The anxiety came from the fact that I knew
I was taking on way too much than I could handle because I didn’t want to make my boss upset
or disappoint the rest of my team. My quality of work was also worse at work and in class. I was
making minor mistakes and getting punished when I had numerous tasks on my plate. It took
another intern telling me that I am getting burnt out, and her telling me to go talk to my boss that
I finally listened. Once talking to him about my situation with work and school and how I wanted
to prove that I could be a helping factor on the team, he completely understood my situation. He
even went out of his way to praise me and was amazed by how I was able to get this far with all I
had going on. I felt embarrassed but he, himself, told me that he was about to ask me if he was
giving me too much work as his own managers felt my workload was a lot for an intern. This one
statement made me realize that even though he is my boss, we are a team and if one is
overwhelmed there should be complete transparency. I felt that instead of keeping quiet if I
spoke up as Kevin had done, none of these issues would have occurred, and we would be on
track and meet our goals as a team. Kevin made me realize that it is not bad to stand up for
yourself as long as it is within a means of understanding and when you go about it in a manner
that the boss or higher up can understand and resonate with that also focuses on a mutual goal.
Another topic that really drew my attention and made me note some key information was
from “A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking” about the “4 Methods of Delivery”. As I have talked
about at the beginning of class presenting has been what I see as an Achilles heel for me. I feel as
though academically and conversationally I am very fluid and I excel in those areas, but in public
speaking, I am behind. I feel it comes about from me being so self-conscious about my looks and
voice that it grows as it gets closer to presenting. I will tie this into my final presentation for the
head of the department for my past summer internship with MCDOT. It seemed like a big ordeal
as we were presenting to heads in the field as well as our own bosses, and it represented our
impression upon them. Throughout the week leading up to that day, I focused heavily on
speaking from a manuscript. My thought process was that if I draw a blank I can latch onto my
script and get to everything I wanted to say out. Oddly enough in the past, I feel it wasn’t always
as effective. I would be reading off of a note sheet and as a script even forgetting one word can
throw you for a loop. At the time it was the only way I knew other than winging it which I will
never do because I always need to prepare for my weak points. Seeing the fact that the
manuscript method is not the best for me that’s when my attention drew to the 4th method of
delivery, speaking extemporaneously (O’Hair, 2019). I liked the fact that it’s not a script we’re
looking down at something you're trying to find where you left off at what looks like a maze of
words when you are presenting. I felt that it also fights the urge of being lost completely if you
lose your place in a script. When reading through the description I was able to almost picture
myself doing this, and so I am looking forward to attempting it for my next presentation. I
believe that with a manuscript the whole point is to not have a topic missed, but if I have notes
just focusing on the critical portions that I can have a quick glance and jog my memory would
allow for a more fluid presentation. Of course, this is not without practicing my speech
beforehand so as to know the general premise/structure of what I have to say. My fear with this
manner is the potential to read the topic and blanking on the supporting details, but I believe with
enough practice it will allow me to achieve a better presentation. I also think it will mitigate the
sense of forgetting a line of the script which can throw you for the rest of the time as you can’t
recall word for word. With the 4th method, you are still getting the point across, and even though
it’s not exactly how you practiced it doesn’t mean that the audience will notice even if you do
alter it. This is a big point I want to emphasize on myself and I think this method of delivery is
the way I can see improvement.
 Another important and interesting topic discussed in the readings is the resting face
concept from our in-class session. I know it ​doesn’t seem like a significant topic I learned, but
the resting face concept is extremely important now with zoom where a lot of our body language
cannot be received so easily other than what the person on the other side sees through the
camera. I always noticed how Professor Trotman would always have a smile on her face
throughout the entire lecture. It always made us feel welcome and not afraid to speak up. During
class after we talked about resting face, I looked at my own zoom camera and started to laugh. It
was almost like a picture from the 1800s with no smile, dead eyes, and what seemed to be an
unresponsive human. This topic drew me in because clearly, I have this issue, so I found it
amazing that a simple 2 min video and self-realization can go so far. We learned about the
technique of scrunching your face and then imitating a roar. This is supposed to help activate the
muscles in the face and be able to smile easily and not have a resting face. I saw clearly through
examples of the professor as well as the video how much it matters to smile, be attentive, and
responsive in a zoom setting be that in class or interview. I have been trying to do this technique
before zoom meetings for all my classes, interviews, and even group projects. I don’t want to be
seen as unresponsive and unattentive anymore!

Networking

Since starting Communication for Project Managers, my perspective on networking has

changed. I used to view networking as a manipulative task where someone tries to benefit from
another. That is not the case my perspective has drastically changed due to class and the readings
we have had. ​In class, I feel that being able to gain exposure to group collaborative assignments
really helps the communication aspect forcing yourself to talk to people you usually don't. In
some classes there is teamwork, but definitely not as prominent as in ENCE 424. This allows me
to continuously practice my communication skills with speaking, being an active listener, and
good first impressions. The readings do help as well, especially the book “Networking for Every
College Student and Graduate”. I completely agreed with the position the book took on how
students perceive themselves. I resonated with the idea that we do not have a lot of experience in
the workforce and thus not as many connections “ I am just a student, and students don’t have
many opportunities to meet people who count or who are important” (Faulkner, 2017). I was
thinking back and I kept telling myself I can count the number of people I know working in my
field with one hand, to me that was not that much. Reading along and seeing the five-step
process. It is well detailed as it gives the 5 topics and then puts it into finer detail for you to
execute. Each step is so crucial that I saved a screenshot of it and actually read over them before
reaching out to people that could help me or I could help them. These five steps really focused
on keeping a strong connection with others and growing your connections and I can say that they
actually work. I saw Step 2: Listen and Learn occur about two weeks ago. I was in physical
therapy and my physical therapist and I were talking about our career paths. I shared with him
my field and a potential place of work, and as a UMD graduate himself and more experienced I
wanted to listen to his advice and thoughts. He surprisingly brought up how his brother-in-law
works for Gilbane, and that he could reach out to him and connect us. I was shocked for a
moment thinking what were the odds that this situation could have happened. The book and that
situation really opened my eyes to the fact that any person that comes into your life can help you
build your connections, and to be on good terms with them to the best of your ability. I feel as
though I am very good at Step 3: Make Connections as I always try to link my friends with
people I know that have experience in their field. For example, my friend whose a freshman
named Zarin was struggling in the premed track and sought guidance and I already knew a
Senior in the same path named Simran who definitely could help so I introduced them to each
other. To this day she still gets MCAT advice from her and thanks me for connecting them. On
another note, I still have to improve on my skills of keeping in touch. I have had many internship
experiences, but have had the struggle to reach back out to my former bosses. I always have this
feeling that they are too busy and since I am not assisting them anymore they wouldn't want to
talk to me. Again the readings and class have made me realize that it is all in my head. Everyone
including my bosses has always been there for me and whenever I reach out to people from over
5 years ago they are more than happy to help me out as best they can. I will definitely try to send
emails and I was thinking of starting a chain of communication about my job search and any
advice they have.

DISC Personality Assessment

Communication influences many aspects of life, both professionally and personally. The
DISC Personality Assessment conveys my personality factors. ​From the DISC personality results
I have reviewed I agree with the percentage breakdown of Dominance (33%), Steadiness(33%),
Influence(28%), and Compliance(7%). I do see Dominance and Steadiness as being my
predominant personality factors. They are two things that I pride myself on and have even told
others in the past that these traits are a part of my personality. Especially in my friend circle, I
see the dominance trait come through time and time again. I am the one who tends to make all
the decisions and plans for the group. I have gotten used to being the person that people trust and
follow. I believe it also comes due to my steadiness, always being supportive and calm in hectic
situations where numerous people are counting on you to figure out a solution which has always
been my strong suit. This has made me the person that is seen as the one that brings the friend
group together and proceeds with any planning. I feel that being calm also allows more people to
confide in me and I feel that my simple rules of always listening to everything another person
has to say really helps. Compliance is definitely not one of my strong personality factors because
I don't take it much into consideration. I feel like the decisions I make with enough effort and
drive can be accomplished so as to not need to obsess over every detail and worry about
following the rules. One thing that really stood out was the statement of being “self-sufficient”
which I must disagree with. I wholeheartedly believe that growth occurs with the support of your
close ones and the knowledge gained from others and their own life experiences which they
share. I am definitely not a self-sufficient person and would say that I like to have a support
system and a team. I think it was really helpful to take this test and learn a little bit more about
myself other than from my own internal dialogue. More than that it allowed me to see what I
need to build on such as the factors of Influence and compliance. I don’t want my factors of
Dominance to overpower any of these factors, so as to work on these in my work field trying to
engage more with each individual worker getting to know more about them, and be more
receptive to them. This will allow for a strong team mentality progression. Also, I definitely need
to work on understanding other people's perspectives and thoughts on a plan of action and take
into consideration their work experience. This will open my eyes to seeing that my way is not the
only way to go about something. Helping me to become more efficient, and have a stronger team
mentality.
Conflict Management Styles
My conflict style tends to be accommodating from the test results and I can completely
agree on that. Honestly, this hasn’t always been the case. I lost a dear friend of mine to suicide
and we had a big falling out before then. It always is on my consciousness when dealing with
other relationships in my life. I tend to be someone who puts his own feelings and desires aside
for others. It tends to help for the immediate resolution of issues so the situation can be nullified.
Over time though the issue is still prevalent and at times I wait too long to say how I feel and
then it creates a disconnect as what was thought to be us on the same page is definitely not. One
example would be with my friends needing a ride to a party, so I spent hours picking them up,
and never complained until after the party when I didn't receive any appreciation. This test makes
me think that maybe I should incorporate parts of the competing style so as to focus on my own
goals and wishes while also considering other people’s desires, to bring about more of a balance.
The conflict styles I need to apply more are competing and avoiding. There were definitely
situations where I could have used the avoidance technique. We talked about this in a class
where certain heated situations it’s better to put onto the back burner than to keep fueling the fire
and get back to it later on. I remember this one time at my internship I and my Forman were just
yelling back and forth on whose fault a miscount was, where we could’ve calmed down,
explained it to our boss, and got it resolved later on. I recall the method that helps to refuse the
fool choice from Crucial Conversions work on me first, Us second, Focus on what you really
want, Refuse the Fool's Choice. This was a great way of breaking down how to go about a
conflict situation and staying goal-oriented, focusing on principal ideals of understanding the
only person that you can change or improve is yourself. Then understanding the fact that even
when things get heated you have to keep your goal in mind and make sure to get that through
within the conversation and not put it aside. The last thing to take into consideration is thinking
about not putting yourself into a corner in the conversation where you seem to only have two
ways of going about the issue. I can apply these concepts to my past experience with the Forman;
it definitely opened my eyes to how I could’ve gone about it. I look back and think about the fact
that I could’ve done things a lot better myself. After the day ends maybe go over with the
Forman on numbers before sending in the reports. Even accepting the fact that both of us didn’t
catch it and that includes me and stating that to him. We also should’ve oriented the topic of
discussion from the miscount to how we can go about resolving it by talking to our supervisors
together. At the time it really did feel like I had to fight for myself and my voice so I chose that
path but I felt that it was that or not speaking up at all and being walked over as the new intern.
At the end of the day, it should’ve been about the job and fighting was getting us nowhere I
definitely should’ve reiterated the fact that we both didn’t catch the mistake, and now since we
are part of the same team we have to find a solution together. This is also the idea of having a
shared pool of thought where both our voices can be heard in the solution being about a stronger
and more supported solution that was made with unity.

JUNG Personality Test

 I can say that out of all the tests I felt that the JUNG test was the most accurate and as I
kept reading on was able to have supports for a lot of the claims. I agreed with what they had to
say about how I am goal-oriented and can be quiet but when needed very social and uplifting. I
do care for others and make it important to me to listen to them and want to do my best to help
them. This definitely does allow me to be the one people confide in which I actually enjoy. One
thing that I disagree with that was also in the DISC assessment was the impression of me being
very independent, introverted, and self-sufficient. I want to understand what makes it perceive
that I am like that because I can say as I have said before I don’t like to be alone and am always
looking for support from others. Even in a friend group I always hold a pack mentality where we
protect one another. Maybe it’s the interpretation of goal setting and moving toward it because I
do tend to set personal goals without telling anyone to see if I can push myself and see what I can
achieve on my own.

Conclusion
In conclusion, it’s really interesting how the concepts from this class can be applied to so
many facets of our life. Communication is important in any relationship. Relationships occur
within all worlds of our lives be that personal or work. It’s a class that I find intriguing in
building life skills that will in turn lead to successes in integral situations in life. By looking at
past situations and seeing how I could’ve done things differently opened my eyes to the impact
that these concepts have. A lot of learning and building on oneself needs a solid foundation
through knowing urself and I think these tests helped to clarify and help to delve into personal
information about yourself such as how you deal with conflicts, your personality, and personality
factors. It affirmed some thoughts of myself while also making me contemplate using other
techniques. For example, I have a very accommodating approach to situations, but I feel that I
need to become more competing, so as to be able to get my own desires across and not only
focusing on others.
 Works Cited

Faulkner, Michael, and Andrea Nierenberg. ​Networking for College Students and Graduates​.

Pearson Learning Solutions, 2017. Print.

Gallo, Carmine. ​Five Stars the Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great.​ St. Martin’s

Press, 2018. Print.

O’Hair, Dan, and Hannah Rubenstein and Rob Stewart. ​A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking.​

Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2019. Print.

Pachter, Barbara, and Denise Cowie. ​The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat,

​ cGraw-Hill Education, 2013. Print

and Tweet Your Way to Success. M

Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2012). ​Crucial conversations: Tools for

talking when stakes are high​. New York: McGraw-Hill.