University of Maryland, College Park

Pearl Diving Assignment 1

Carley Tobler

Communication for Project Managers: ENCE424

Dr. Shana Webster-Trotman

September 20, 2021

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Introduction

As a student studying civil engineering, most of my classes focus on technical application

of equations and concepts in various subjects such as physics and statics. Communication is
often overlooked as a valuable skill that must be utilized in all fields and majors. When it comes
to applying for a job, attending an interview or career fair, working in your field and all aspects
of life, communication is critical. Excellent communication skills assist in confrontation or
uncomfortable situations, or simply, setting yourself apart from your colleagues. Communication
for project managers is a class intended to enhance these skills through practice and preparation.
This class has a few required readings to assist in student progress. This assignment has allowed
me to reflect on the texts I have read and how it has affected my personal growth and application
of skills.

Five Stars

A particularly interesting concept from the readings is why great communicators are
irreplaceable. The reading, Five Stars, The Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great,
highlights the importance of applicants that can communicate effectively. The author wrote,
“Company leaders across the board say it is difficult to find applicants who can communicate
clearly and precisely, inspiring and engaging coworkers and customers” (Carmine 2018). Social
and emotional competence are critical to a company’s success. For example, landing on the
moon. The passage described how Charlie Mars inspired a generation about reaching the moon.
Neil Armstrong may have had the first steps on the moon, but the communication and inspiration
driven by Mars carried this idea into reality.

Another relevant topic covered by the Five Stars readings is the importance of ideas. The
reading emphasized that nations weren’t built brick by brick but through many ideas. John F.
Kennedy once said, “A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on” (Carmine
2018). When reading this quote, I immediately thought of books, the spoken word, and all types
of media. Ideas are shared throughout generations and words move people like nothing else.
Some ideas altered the world as we know it, including feminism, human rights, heliocentrism,
free market economics, gravity, and so on. As an aspiring engineer, innovating is especially
important and inspiring to me. There are always new ways to be discovered to elevate our
society. Going into the future I want to help innovate our infrastructure to be more sustainable
for future generations.

Crucial Conversations

Communication goes beyond giving speeches or presentations in the workplace. Crucial

Conversations is the reading that focuses on conversations outside of the classroom and in daily
life. The authors polled companies to find fantastic communicators. A standout among those
polled was Kevin. The authors observed his behavior of him not backing down to a possibly
disastrous preference from the CEO. It was inspiring that he was not fearful to voice his opinion
and stand up to the CEO and let him know that his logic was flawed. It was very admirable and

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bold of him. The classic saying plays in my mind: it is not what you say it is how you say it.
There is a way to address people and be very respectful and still get your point across to them. It
is a very difficult skill, and that is why most people, including myself, tend to avoid the
confrontation altogether.

Speaking my mind in a difficult setting is something that I plan on working toward. There
have been many occasions where it is difficult to go in a different direction than most and bring
attention to an error. For example, I have been in class where I have a question or want to help
the professor on a math error, but I am always afraid I am wrong or will offend someone. The
author talked to how we typically handle crucial conversations by: “we avoid them, we can face
them and handle them poorly, and we can handle them well” (Patterson 2012). I normally avoid
them altogether, but it often leaves unfinished thoughts and conclusions. I have had conflict with
my roommate before, and it went unresolved. We had an argument where accusations were
made, and neither one of us spoke of it again. Sometimes this argument pops into my mind and I
am still bothered by it, but I am mostly bothered at myself for not approaching her to resolve the
conflict.

Networking

Since beginning the class for Communication for Project Managers, my perspective on
networking has changed drastically. I used to view networking as very intimidating and
overwhelming, especially since I consider myself more of a shy person. An opportunity to
receive a job can begin with knowing just one person. I was able to get an opportunity to work
for this contracting company for the summer because of people I knew that were in the company.
An important lesson to remember is that your interview begins when you leave the house. While
speeding to the interview, you could cut someone off or say something rude while driving, and
that could be the person you are interviewing with for your dream job. Some advice I received
was the importance of kindness to those around you. While working for this company, the
recruiters talked to the interns and said that many times they will ask the secretary at the front
desk how the person treated them. Being rude, impatient, or nasty to others will come around and
will inhibit you from pursuing your goals. It is important to remember that you have one
opportunity to make a great first impression, so always be kind.

Networking for College students and graduates taught me important lessons that I will
carry through more networking and office activities. One important note was, “trust and
reciprocity are traits and talents people bring with them to the job and cannot be taught”
(Faulkner 2017). These were the two significant traits that managers look for in colleagues.
People put a lot of weight to their contacts’ networks. If their contact knows and thinks highly of
someone, that candidate already has heads start. Trustworthiness can be displayed through eye
contact and many nonverbal cues which is something that I learned. Many times, I am very
nervous and tend to dodge eye contact, unknowingly coming off as untrustworthy. Since learning
this, I intend to make great eye contact and nod along to make sure the speaker knows I am
attentive and actively listening.

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 The book also highlighted a five-step process for networking that I found very helpful.
Step one described meeting people, which included considering examples to break the ice by
having a few lines ready when you meet someone. The second step was “listen and learn” which
depicted listening to others, because many people enjoy talking about themselves. The key is to
find an outstanding quality or trait that really inspires the person, allowing them to talk
passionately while you listen. Since I consider myself a little shy, I often use this step to ease my
stress, because I prefer listening, rather than talking about myself. Step three was making
connections, which is straightforward. It considers that when you meet someone, they will often
introduce you to other people. For example, when living in the dorms and you run into a
hallmate, they will tend to introduce you to their roommate(s), which will result in knowing
more people. Step four was follow-up, which included keep your word and do so within a
reasonable timeframe. I attended a career fair last semester, and mistake I made was that I did
not reach out after the fair to thank everyone for their time. I know now that this step is crucial.
Finally, the last step is to stay in touch. I utilized this step with my mentor at the contracting
company. After a year or so, I checked in with her and remembered events going on in her life,
like her becoming a mother. I asked about her son, and a simple catch-up turned into another
internship for the summer. I will continue to do this to keep on great terms with each employer
and friend of mine.

I am currently putting in effort to work on my networking skills is by simply, starting

conversations. Many times, you encounter random people whether it is in the elevator, in class,
or at a grocery store. My goal is to start a conversation with someone brand new two or three
times this week. Once a day seems very intimidating, so I decided on a few times a week to
make the transition smooth. Also, I am starting more conversations with my advisor to job search
for next semester. As a senior, it is daunting beginning to look for positions. She has provided
my many resources to begin, including career fairs and workshops.

DISC Personality Assessment

Communication influences all aspects of our day-to-day life, including professionally and
personally. The DISC Personality test told me I was a mostly steady person (37%), and had my
other traits as listed: compliance (30%), influence (25%) with only dominance (9%). Many of the
questions asked about the strength of my personality. I tend to think of myself as very easy going
when it comes to group settings. This can be both a weakness and a strength. It can be a great
thing as far as getting along with people and being cordial, but it can be a flaw in the sense that I
have trouble going against the group. For example, I had a group project sophomore year, and I
had a few ideas I presented, but the one selected I worried about its implications. That idea
seemed like it could fail easily and leave our group with a less than adequate result. I wanted to
go along with the group, so I agreed and kept my opinions to myself. The group project resulted
how I imagined, leaving me to think, “I should have spoken and maybe this wouldn’t have
happened”. I tend to be more on the shy side, but I really want to learn to speak my mind more
and offer my perspective in group projects.

I often struggle when it comes to being dominant in a group setting. It can be difficult to
come forward as a leader. I considered myself a great player in volleyball, but I would never get

Tobler 4
the rank of captain because I had trouble establishing myself in a leadership role. As someone
who tends to stay on the quiet side, it can be complicated to break out of that shell and emerge as
a leader. My largest insecurity is coming across as unintelligent. I often worry that I will come
across in a non-favorable way and have people question my skills. I think I can work to
overcome this by practicing in small ways. For example, I can lead a conversation in a friend
group.

Conflict Management Assessment

Communication is extremely important when it comes to resolving conflict. The Conflict

Management test told me I was an Accommodating style. The text depicted this style as a teddy
bear, and that this style typically value relationships over their own goals, and if there was an
option, that teddy bears would sacrifice their goals to keep the relationship. I was not surprised
with that result. I value my family and friend relationships and find that these relationships have
a large priority in my life. I think of myself as shy, so I have a few very strong and close bonds,
rather than many acquaintance-type of friendships. I believe I am accommodating but I also can
be very stubborn. Normally I get stuck thinking I am correct and that there is nothing that can
change my mind, but I end up giving in and repairing things to keep the relationship.

Something I need to personally work on is compromise. I like to believe I am usually

always correct in an argument. This will cause me to never reach out until the other party does
first. I lost one of my best friends because of my stubbornness. I didn’t communicate my
concerns with him, and gave us space instead, and he later found out of my concerns. He sent
some rude texts, but I know it was out of hurt so I responded and said I needed space. Months
went by and none of us communicated. I ran into him about four months later and I approached
him and gave him a hug. We repaired everything within a matter of minutes, which was amazing
to accomplish, but it could have been resolved earlier if I let go of my pride.

Yung Personality Assessment

The Yung personality report describes how you prefer to process information, make
decisions and relate to people. The Yung test told me I am and ISTJ, which stands for Introvert-
Sensor-Thinker-Judger. Introverts tend to be more reserved, and I think that is very similar to
myself. When I need to recharge, I usually read in my room, paint, or take a nap alone.
Especially during quarantine, I have learned how valuable it is to be able to entertain yourself
and enjoy time at home. For the sensor portion, the Yung test said that these types of people rely
on facts and handle practical matters well. I would agree that this is very much like me. I grew
up in a household with both my parents as engineers, and my brother a computer scientist. I
usually think through decisions with logic and measurable details. I tend to listen to my head
more than my heart. It is said that “judgers” prefer an organized lifestyle and that is spot on for
me. I cannot complete assignments if my room is not clean. I live by the saying, “clean room,
clean mind”.

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 Compared to the rest of the tests, Yung’s test aligned with the other results. Generally, I
think of myself as an introvert that usually avoids conflict. In the conflict management
assessment, it talked to how I am accommodating to others to preserve my relationships. In the
DISC personality test, I was revealed as mostly compliant. Lastly, Yung I was described as an
introspective introvert that is very reserved. None of the tests really surprised me about myself.
What was interesting about the Yung personality assessment is that it described how I work in a
group. I was surprised in how accurate it was. It described that I work best on a team with
established rules and procedures, and I often use dependable common sense in tackling work and
assigning different tasks. In my lab group it has been difficult to work on the paper since there is
not a scheduled meeting time, and often find myself not paying enough attention to the report.

Conclusion
I have a few different goals moving into the future. I really want to practice speaking up
in social situations and try not to worry about my delivery. I will only get better on my
communication skills through practice. I must tell myself that it is okay to mess up and fail,
because without that I will never learn. Another skill I want to work on is becoming more of a
leader. When it comes to sports and group projects, I often fall into fading into the background. I
will practice this by speaking up and suggesting ideas to enhance our goal.

Communication is an extremely important skill and is often overlooked. In engineering,

there is a heavy emphasis on evaluating problems and developing technical skills. As a senior, I
am often looking for jobs and find that what will set you apart from the crowd is your “soft” or
people skills. There are many qualified students that will apply for a job, but those candidates
that network, and communicate effectively are going to get the position. During my time at a
contracting company, the main recruiter mentioned that they often ask the front desk secretary
how they were treated by the candidates. She said that their impression has a possibility to make
or break their choice. Specifically for engineers, communication skills are crucial especially
when presenting concepts and designs. Good communication skills can help to lead a group,
deliver an idea accurately and can lead to many bonds. Poor communication, however, can lead
to many misunderstandings. We must continue to develop our skills and practice to lead to
favorable results in all aspects of life.

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 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.

Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, and Ron McMillan. Crucial Conversations. McGraw-Hill

Education, 2012. Print.

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

Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2019. Print.

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the most appropriate style for each con輔ct situation.

StγIe Corresponding Statements: Total:

Co=aborating (questions l,与, 7):

Competing: 〈questions 4, 9, 12):

Avoiding: (questions 6, 10. 15):

Accommodating: (questions13,/11, 14):

きCompromising: (questions 2, 8, 13)

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How can i practice this conflict management style?

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