University of Maryland, College Park

Pearl Diving Assignment 1

Ammar Narmouq

Communication for Project Managers: ENCE424

Dr. Shana Webster-Trotman

February 20th, 2021

Introduction 
           We all, as engineering and architecture majors tend to be too focused on the technical
aspect of our fields and ignore what makes us uncomfortable. Stepping out of our comfort zone
and facing what could potentially be the most awkward and uncomfortable situations such as:
speaking in public or presenting to an audience, are not necessarily our best skills yet. Being able
to communicate well is something that is highly needed in every industry regardless of your
technical background. Taking a class like Communication for Project Managers has been an eye-
opener for me and my fellow students so far. We are assigned readings from books like
Networking for College Students and Graduates, Crucial Conversations, A Pocket Guide to
Public Speaking, and Five Stars the Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great. All
these books are great resources to further enhance our communication abilities as future project
managers. Throughout this essay, I will highlight some of the concepts which I gained from
reading these books and how I have been working to apply them in my life. I will also talk about
what I have done to grow my network and increase my networking abilities. Finally, I will reflect
on three different assessments which helped me better understand my personality and why I
might agree or disagree with the results.

Concepts from Readings 

           The first particularly useful concept that I have gained from reading Crucial
Conversations is to refuse the Fool’s Choice. According to the book, crucial conversations are
“discussions between two or more people where (1) stakes are high, (2) opinions vary, and (3)
emotions run strong” (Patterson 2016, p.12). We as humans tend to lean towards avoiding
conversations when they turn crucial, or to say the least, we feel like we are in trouble. However,
the most effective leaders, teammates, siblings, and friends are the ones who have the key skill of
efficiently address emotionally and politically risky issues (Patterson 2016, p.23). One of the
concepts that stuck with me is refusing the Fool’s Choice. Fool’s Choice is defined as either/or
choices (Patterson 2016, p.21). It is when crucial conversations take place, we tend to believe
that we must choose between two bad choices rather than exploring more. I have used this
technique with one of my professors regarding my grade on one of my tests. After he published
our grades, I was almost certain that I did not make the mistakes that he referred to. I was faced
with two options, to stay silent and accept my grade as is or get in contact with the professor. I
finally decided to talk to him, but my emotions took the best out of me which led to an argument.
In the back of my head, I had the thought of staying silent and not press forward because my
entire grade in the class could potentially be at risk. After reading this chapter, I thought to
myself why not speak up again and get the points I deserve back. As a result, I sat down with the
professor and respectfully explained why I think I am right. I made sure the conversation stayed
civil and presented myself peacefully. After further consideration, he finally concluded that I was
right and gave me my points back.
 
           A second important topic covered by the reading Five Stars the Communication Secrets to
Get from Good to Great that stood out to me is the Growing Value of Changing Minds. This
simply indicates that ideas need persuaders, the people “who can win hearts and change minds”
to make them happen (Gallo, 2018, p.34). Deirdre McCloskey conducted a study to prove the
impact persuasion, or what she calls “sweet talk,” has on the growing share of America’s
national income. She concluded the study by saying “In free societies, sweet talk rules” (Gallo,
2018, p.36). According to her, words and ideas can make you noticeable in your field. However,
persuasion, on the other hand, will take you from where you are now to where you want to be
(Gallo, 2018, p.36). This concept caught my attention as it taught me the value of being able to
“sweet talk” and persuade others. This becomes extremely important not only professionally, but
also in our day-to-day life. I started to work on enhancing my persuading abilities while doing
group projects with my fellow students. For example, my group members and I are in the starting
phases of our capstone project. We are in the phase where we are collaborating and coming up
with ideas which we think will work well for the project. I started to step up and present my
ideas clearly and explaining the benefits which will come from going with my ideas.
 
           Finally, another influential topic that stood out to me from the reading A Pocket Guide to
Public Speaking is selecting a delivery method. Selecting the right delivery method on the right
occasion is key to an effective speech. Four different delivery methods can be used when
appropriate: speaking from a manuscript, speaking from memory, speaking impromptu, and
speaking extemporaneously (O’Hair, 2019, p.127-128). Before taking this class, speaking from
memory was my go-to delivery method for any speech. I always thought it was the best way to
deliver a speech disregarding the occasion. Nonetheless, there were always times where I would
forget and lose my train of thought. This used to lead to the awkward moments of freezing and
having no clue how to proceed with the speech. As a result, after learning the four different
methods, I plan on implementing the knowledge I gained to all my future presentations and
speeches. For example, as I am going through this semester, I will be doing many presentations
and speeches. I am currently preparing for my first capstone presentation and I will be taking
speaking extemporaneously as my delivery method. 
 
           As the semester progress, I have been working to grow my network and enhance my
networking abilities. Reading books like Networking for Every College Student and Graduate
helped engrave the importance of networking in real life. According to the reading, the majority
of skills looked for by employers lie between teamwork skills, critical thinking, and oral/written
communication (Faulkner, 2017, p.10). In addition to reading, in-class activities have been very
useful as well. I started to work on pushing myself out of my comfort zone and initiate speaking
up. At first, I found speaking up in front of strangers very uncomfortable, but as I started to do it
more often, it’s beginning to become a lot easier. Furthermore, when we break into smaller
groups, I purposefully introduce myself and speak up for my ideas rather than staying silent.
 
DISC Personality Assessment
 
         The DISC Personality Assessment is a way to help us understand our unique personalities.
After completing the assessment, I was able to see that my most dominant personality factor is
Dominance with 45%. Then follows is influence with a 29%. Finally, both steadiness and
compliance tied for my least dominant personality factor with 13% each. Diving into more detail
to what each dominant factor means, Dominance is related to the way people approach dealing
with problems. It best describes the willingness to claim themselves and take control of
situations. Next, we have influence. Influence is related to the way people deal with others. It
best describes the way they impart and relate to others. Finally, we have steadiness and
compliance. Steadiness is a way to describe people’s personalities. It best describes their level of
patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness. On the other hand, compliance is related to the way
people approach their activities, procedures, and responsibilities. It best describes how well they
tend to organize them. 
           Taking into account that according to this assessment, I have “a strong inner motivation to
influence people and circumstances.” I also “thrive in competitive situations and challenging
assignments.” I think I would have to agree with the results. I see myself as a very competitive
person especially coming out of an athletic environment and background. I have been doing
sports almost my entire life, therefore, I tend to always have that competitive edge where I thrive
to be the best I can be in everything I do in life. As mentioned above, my main dominant
personality factor is dominance. Dominance is how a person deals with problems. As a result, in
my opinion, I tend to deal with problems well as I try to control the situation and find solutions
that will help elevate the circumstances. Relating to my athletic background, I have done martial
arts for a little over ten years which is almost half of my entire life. In martial arts and sports in
general, athletes face many problems and obstacles whether they like it or not. The best athletes
are the ones who take those problems to their advantage and work on solving them to better
themselves. In addition to dominance, influence was my second most dominant personality
factor dictated by the assessment. I am originally from Jordan, and I have a lot of friends and
family there who I always try to visit every summer when appropriate. I always find myself
being a good influence to my friends by getting them to stay away from bad habits. I love
pushing people around me to better themselves regardless of the circumstances. A good example
of such action is when I talk to my friends about sports and how it is a lifestyle that can be lived
by anyone who has the determination to become better both mentally and physically. They tend
to listen and follow along by joining me in practice, changing their diet, and staying away from
bad habits. I think being aware of my dominant personality types will help me become an
excellent project manager, and improve the effectiveness of my communication skills. To be
more specific, working in the construction industry could become extremely competitive
especially when it comes down to the bidding process and gaining projects. As a result, having
the ability to thrive in competitive situations and work under the pressures of everyday work will
lead to success in this industry. Besides, being able to deal with problems quickly and adapting
to the circumstances will be key to progress smoothly on construction projects. Finally, in
construction, the majority of the work is directly related to your ability to deal with others.
Therefore, being able to communicate well and relate to others is an extremely important
personality trait to have on every team working in construction. 
 
Conflict Management Styles Assessment
 
           Shifting gears from the DISC personality assessment, conflict management styles
assessment helps us determine what is our most preferred management style to resolve conflicts.
The styles include collaborating, competing, avoiding, accommodating, and compromising.
Those different management styles have their pros and cons which makes it important to use the
appropriate style at the right moment. After taking the assessment, I was able to note that my
most preferred style lies between three different styles, collaborating, competing, and
accommodating. As I obtained the same score of nine for each of the three different management
styles. However, I will be focusing on the collaborating style of conflict management. Some of
the conflicts that I have encountered various times between my siblings and me are as simple as
deciding where to eat. Everyone has their favorite type of food that they would love to have, but
having four other siblings causes some conflict when making the decision. Having the ability to
maintain a collaborating state of mind helps to have a more effective way of communicating
everyone's point of view to help conclude the conflict. Collaborating means compromise; having
the ability to do so at times will reduce conflict and lead everyone to find a happy medium in
which everyone feels valued and satisfied. 
           Another example that I have encountered professionally, or to say the least been part of, is
a conflict that arose between my project manager and an architect. The moral of the story is that
both my project manager and the architect on the project would not back down from their stance.
They were both arguing over who is right and refused to compromise and come down to a
medium that would satisfy both sides. After the argument got out of hand, the project executive
approached the conflict in a collaborating management style. He was the mutual side that helped
settle the problem and move on. My key takeaways from what happened during that instance
include the necessity of having the ability to come down to a mutual agreement even though you
may not agree with the other person. I was amazed how people having the same end goal can get
so opposed to each other. What I witnessed during that time taught me a very valuable lesson
which I still carry on till today. A valuable lesson that I think is extremely important in an
industry where conflicts can easily arise. It taught me that even though you might not agree with
someone, you will have to compromise to keep the work flowing. Had the project executive not
intervened and helped settle the issue, project delays could have happened which can be costly.
To be successful, resolving conflicts becomes very essential. Reading books like "Crucial
Conversations" has been an eye-opener for me. Focusing my brain on the end goal and asking
myself “what do I want here?” is one of the techniques which I will be applying to further my
ability to solve conflicts (Patterson 2016, p.23). Taking both examples mentioned earlier, if we
all focus our brains on what we want while staying away from distractions that steer us away
from our final goal, we will solve conflicts a lot quicker. To be more specific, both my project
manager and the architect have the final goal of completing the project in time while delivering
quality work. Had they refocused their brains when they got into the conflict and compromised
to help keep the work flowing, the project executive interference would not have been
necessary. 
 
Jung Personality Assessment 
 
           Having an understanding of your personality type is important in many aspects of life,
especially when it comes down to communicating with others both personally and
professionally. Jung Personality assessment helps describe how you relate to others, call the
shots and take control of your life. According to this assessment, my personality is best described
as “Introvert-iNtuitive-Thinker-Judger.” I completely agree with this assessment’s report due to
multiple different reasons. First, being an introvert reflects on how I tend to draw my energy
from my thoughts. This is especially true when it comes to studying for a test or coming up with
solutions to different problems. I tend to spend some time alone and not rely on other people’s
help for the most part. Second, being intuitive describes how I tend to focus on the future while
paying attention to information that is both visionary and authentic. I often find myself thinking
about the future. I always have the vision of what I want to be doing five to ten years down the
line. To put this in perspective, as I am getting close to graduate, I have the plan on continuing
my master’s degree in business within the next five years. I then plan on opening up my
construction firm. Finally, I believe that being a thinker and a judger are both very relevant to me
in my daily life. When it comes to making decisions, I strongly believe that I should use my
brain rather than my heart because brains tend to lead you to more logical reasoning. I also like
to live a lifestyle that is both organized and planned out. This tracks back to my athletic
background considering the level of control and organization you need to maintain to stay on
track. I think both the results from this assessment and the DISC assessment are quite similar.
Diving into a little more detail, the results from the DISC assessment indicated that my most
dominant personality factors are Dominance and Influence. According to Jung’s report, I am a
natural leader who sees obstacles as challenges that I like to conquer. I focus on my main goal
and work towards achieving it regardless of what types of problems I may face. Taking into
consideration that dominance is related to how a person deals with problems, all these traits
described by Jung’s assessment fit accordingly.
 
Conclusion
      
           To conclude, all the readings, personality assessments, and in-class activities have helped
me understand the importance of enhancing our communication skills. They emphasized the role
it plays in our lives professionally and personally. Finally, they also brought to my attention
several topics and concepts which have been extremely helpful to further strengthen my
communication skills. As the semester progresses, I hope to gain further knowledge and
someday become a great project manager. 
 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.

Patterson, Kerry. 2016. Crucial Conversations. [United States]: IDreamBooks Inc.

 ASSESSMENTS

- DISC Assessment
 - Conflict Management Style Assessment

Conflict Management Styles Assessment

Please CIRCLE ONE response that best describes you. Be honest, this survey is designed to help you
learn about your conflict management style. There are no right or wrong answers!

Name: Ammar Narmouq Date 2/18/2021

Rarely Sometimes Often Always

1. I discuss issues with others to try to find solutions that meet everyone’s
needs. 1 2 3 4

2. I try to negotiate and use a give-and-take approach to problem situations. 1 2 3 4

3. I try to meet the expectations of others. 1 2 3 4

4. I would argue my case and insist on the advantages of my point of view. 1 2 3 4

5. When there is a disagreement, I gather as much information as I can and

keep the lines of communication open. 1 2 3 4

6. When I find myself in an argument, I usually say very little and try to leave
as soon as possible. 1 2 3 4

7. I try to see conflicts from both sides. What do I need? What does the other
person need? What are the issues involved? 1 2 3 4

8. I prefer to compromise when solving problems and just move on. 1 2 3 4

9. I find conflicts exhilarating; I enjoy the battle of wits that usually follows. 1 2 3 4

10. Being in a disagreement with other people makes me feel uncomfortable

and anxious. 1 2 3 4

11. I try to meet the wishes of my friends and family. 1 2 3 4

12. I can figure out what needs to be done and I am usually right. 1 2 3 4

13. To break deadlocks, I would meet people halfway. 1 2 3 4

14. I may not get what I want but it’s a small price to pay for keeping the
peace. 1 2 3 4

15. I avoid hard feelings by keeping my disagreements with others to myself. 1 2 3 4

Source: Reginald (Reg) Adkins, Ph.D., Elemental Truths.

http://elementaltruths.blogspot.com/2006/11/conflict management-quiz.html

Scoring the Conflict Management Styles Assessment

As stated, the 15 statements correspond to the five conflict management styles. To find your
most preferred style, total the points for each style. The style with the highest score indicates
your most commonly used strategy. The one with the lowest score indicates your least
preferred strategy. However, all styles have pros and cons, so it’s important that you can use
the most appropriate style for each conflict situation.

Style Corresponding Statements: Total: 37

Collaborating (questions 1, 5, 7): 9 _______

Competing: (questions 4, 9, 12): 9 _______

Avoiding: (questions 6, 10, 15): 4 _______

Accommodating: (questions 3, 11, 14): 9 _______

Compromising: (questions 2, 8, 13) 6 _______

My preferred conflict management style is: Tied between collaborating,

competing, and accommodating
The conflict management style I would like to work on is: Compromising

How can I practice this conflict management style?

I think some ways I can practice this conflict management style is by welling to
accept a little less than what I intended to earn especially for quick solutions and
trying to move forward in a situation.

- Jung Personality Assessment