University of Maryland, College Park

Pearl Diving Assignment 2

Carley Tobler

Communication for Project Managers: ENCE424

Dr. Shana Webster-Trotman

October 19, 2021

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Introduction

Communication is an important skill in all aspects of life. It doesn’t just pertain to giving
speeches or lectures. At the University of Maryland, the Clark Engineering school thus far has
provided extensive technical knowledge of mechanics, physics, and math. Communication is
often overlooked as an integral part of a future career in any field. In my experience, a person
could be the smartest in the class, but freezes during an interview, or fails to communicate
effectively with others. People do not have to be the most intelligent person to be able to
succeed. Leaders have a unique role where they assemble a team and gather intelligence from
each field to further projects. Effective leaders provide clarity of purpose, as well as motivate
and guide the organization to fulfill its mission. Leaders are needed in every career path.
Efficient leaders exhibit great communication skills as well as nonverbal cues. Everyday body
language can affect how others perceive your mood and emotions. Non-verbal communication
includes movements and gestures and is just as important as the words you are saying.

Email to team

Below is an email sent to my colleagues to address my team’s lackluster performance. As

the leader, I need to be clear and concise to make sure the message is received well. I want to
inspire their efforts, and not be harsh so that the team is discouraged from stepping up their
work. In the email I wanted to appeal to the purpose of the project and remind everyone that the
green roof is to help others which is an appeal to pathos. My appeal to logos, is suggestions of
how to improve their work as well as the clear detailed expectations from the boss. My appeal to
ethos is explaining how I will enhance my efforts and my belief in the team.

Hello Team:

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a great week so far and are healthy and safe after
that coronavirus scare in the office. There are a few items I would like to address with everyone
on the team. I want to let you all know that the deadline is approaching, and we are falling
behind on the calculations section of the project. I know all of you personally, and I believe that
we can accomplish the deadline if we really step up our efforts now. Our boss has informed me
that if we cannot meet the deadline, we may lose funding for our project. Our project, creating a
green roof for the office, is something we are all passionate about and can truly make a
difference in our community and for future generations. I also need to work harder on my efforts
for the project, so I will be staying late this week to find more resources to assist us on the
mission. A way for us to improve is to sort ourselves into pairs so that we can double check our
calculation answers and expedite the overall process.

Thank you for your efforts thus far, and we are very close to our goal. We just need to
pick up the effort and I have faith we can finish the calculations and meet our deadline. I know
that the green roof will make such a wonderful difference in the community and spark a green
revolution to make our community a better space for our children.

Regards,
Carley

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Technique in Group Activity

When thinking of one concept or technique I learned from an ENCE 424 group activity, I
immediately thought of the week of knowing yourself and understand others. This lecture week
stressed the importance of understanding other people’s personalities and how those shapes how
you speak with someone. For the group activity, we were each assigned one of the DISC
personalities (dominance, influence, steady and compliance) and were instructed to construct an
email to our boss describing that we were going to be late for our deadline by a few days. Our
group was assigned dominance. The dominance personality type describes someone that is very
direct, firm, results-oriented, strong willed, and fears being taken advantage of and appearing
weak. In our email, we wanted to be straightforward, and told the problem immediately in the
first line, and described our exact plan of action to resolve the issue and apologized. We wanted
to include an apology so that our boss would not feel that they were being taken advantage of in
any way.

An important skill to creating effective communication is to understand your audience

and who you are speaking to, and how they will respond to certain language. For example, I have
a roommate with a very direct personality. We have had some conflict in the past because we
communicate differently. The DISC personality test said I was mostly a steady and compliant
person. She is very straightforward and communicates through direct questions and comments
that to some, including myself, can come off as harsh. She made a few comments to me that I
was not sure how to handle or address last semester. In my household growing up, we are all
introverts and have a unique way of communicating. I tend to be more passive and prefer
addressing things over text so I can formulate my thoughts methodically, and to make sure I
include everything I am feeling. When those comments were made, I just came up with an
excuse and left the situation, and we never talked about it again. This left some unresolved
thoughts and feelings for me, especially as an overthinker. Knowing the information I know
now, about how different personalities work; I would have handled the situation differently.
Even though it is out of my comfort zone to approach someone about a problem, I think she
would have appreciated that more, and the problem would have been resolved faster.

In a recent conversation, I was able to utilize my skills learned from the group activity. I
had an interview with a recruiter, who clearly was an “influence” personality from the DISC
personality test. I talked to her about her weekend, and she instantly smiled and explained
everything she did on Saturday and Sunday. In many interviews, it can be very dry and direct
talking about why you want the job, and other basic questions. Taking an interest in her, made
her excited to talk with me, and made me stick out from the other applicants. In Networking for
College Students and Graduates, a chapter was discussed about networking for introverts. The
text said, “They know how to use their introverted nature to their advantage. They are often good
listeners. They notice details and remember important facts...” (Faulkner 2017). I utilized this
advice when speaking with the recruiter and I asked her about her son, which she mentioned last
time we spoke. She seemed very impressed and was inclined to recommend me to her boss and I
got the job!

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Boss Scenario

Conflict and crucial conversations arise in everyday life. For example, your boss called
you an “idiot” in front of the entire team. This is a situation that should be handled carefully and
swiftly. You do not want to appear as weak or a joke to your colleagues on your team, but you
also do not want to upset your boss and have yourself fired. This comment from your boss can be
considered verbal abuse which in most cases is not illegal but you must find a way to talked to in
a professional matter in the future. In Crucial conversations, it described that “as people being to
feel unsafe, they start down one of two unhealthy paths: silence or violence” (Patterson 2013).
Clearly your boss chose violence in an attacking manner. The next chapter describes that you
need to make it safe to talk about anything, and this can be done in a two-step response: contrast
to fix misunderstanding. Your response consists of two statements the “you don’t” and the “you
do”. For example, “the last thing I would want you to do is feel that I don’t value you in our
relationship” followed by, “I think that you are a wonderful partner and are very special to me”.
Another way to alleviate some tension is to have a joke to follow the harsh comment made by
someone. It is important to focus on the content rather than the conditions. The boss could feel
attacked or frustrated with what is occurring with you and your team. Here is how I would
respond.

“Well only an idiot would consider that as an option!” yelled my boss.

“I know I don’t quite have a PHD, but I want to assure you that the team and I will work
on our project, and you will be pleased in the end. I know you are frustrated with our
results so far, and we will work to create more favorable results. We have the same goal,
and I understand the importance of the project and I want to work to create the best
product possible. Please remember just like you, I am trying my best to make our project
wonderful. I think we are all tired and upset, and we should take five, and remember
about our shared goal.”

Storytelling

Storytelling is a tool in speech to help strengthen connections between people. This

technique brings language alive and allows listeners to truly picture what the speaker is
describing. Storytelling has a unique effect, where it activates the same parts of the brain for both
the speaker and the listener. Statistically, storytelling is 65% of daily conversations (Webster-
Trotman 2021). To become an effective leader, you must apply Aristotle’s principles of logos,
pathos and ethos, as well as taking both the audience frame of mind and context into
consideration. Especially with engineering, the focus is normally on data, facts, and statistics, but
what also needs to be utilized is the bridge from the data to the emotional engagement sector that
helps our brains to make decisions. Written below is my story.

“One of the most exciting moments in my academic career was when I found out I was
accepted in the University of Maryland. I have always dreamed of attending a large
university and attending huge sport events and studying the subject of engineering.
Although, I wasn’t admitted to the Clark School of Engineering immediately, I knew my
first step was to achieve the grades needed to transfer from Letters and Sciences to a civil

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 engineering major. I was excited to start my college journey, but my first semester was
my worst academic semester to date. It wasn’t because I was partying, or goofing off, but
I was in a very difficult relationship with my then-boyfriend. My mental health was at an
all time low, and I felt alone in my relationship, and alone in my classes. I struggled to
reach out to anyone for help with tutoring, or help getting out of a bad situation.

When I saw my final grades for my first semester, a change was needed in my life. I
refocused my energy to myself and was able to talk with my family and friends openly.
The next semester I connected with my advisor and found great tutoring resources and
formed study groups to help get the grades needed to apply to engineering program. I
ended up gaining great grades and got accepted into the Clark Engineering school.”

To tell a successful story, there are a few elements needed. In Five Stars, the three-act
storytelling structure is utilized. The structure was created by field whom of which “analyzed
hundreds of successful Hollywood movies and noted that they all follow a dramatic structure,
one that our friend Aristotle first identified” (Gallo 2018). The art of storytelling is constant, and
it includes a set-up, confrontation, and resolution. In my story, I was sure to introduce my story
and establish the setting, and then I mentioned my difficulties, and ended with the problem being
resolved. In the textbook, it also listed seven elements that every story needs which included: (1)
It’s a story, (2) It’s intriguing, (3) It’s authentic, (4) It includes details, (5) It reveals a surprise,
(6) It introduces empathetic characters, and (7) It has conflict and tension. It seems intimidating
to include all these elements, but just a few words can incorporate each point. With my story, I
spoke from my personal experience, and included details that I am comfortable sharing. This is
also a story I would tell an employer to show how I persevered through my challenges to become
now a senior engineering major.

Personality Assessment

Personality tests are very useful when understanding individuals’ responses and show
individual strengths. When individuals have a more developed knowledge of their personality,
they can discover where their talents lie and possible suitable career paths. The Truity
Personality Test measures scores on five major dimensions including: Openness,
Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. My test revealed that I scored
73% for both Openness and Agreeableness, following a 71% in Conscientiousness, and 37.5% in
both Extraversion and Neuroticism. High scores of Openness means that the individual is
creative, intellectual, and adventurous. I would agree with this, as I am very creative. From a
young age, I was introduced to drawing, painting, as well as finger knitting and other crafts. I
love going to art museums and enjoy painting as my favorite hobby. Although I am pursuing
engineering, I find it important to be in touch with my creative side which is something my aunt
has always taught me. She would see me sketching as a young girl and encourage me to continue
to pursue art.

My other most prominent trait was Agreeableness, which was not very surprising. I love
to compromise and try my best to avoid conflict in most scenarios. When conflict does arise, I
usually am quick to forgive and cooperate with others. For example, in college I had a falling out
with a friend and roommate, but we ran into each other and were able to repair everything. We

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both apologized for our part, and we were quick to forgive each other. According to this
assessment, people are highly rated for agreeableness are empathetic and trusting. I believe to
have these traits, which helps me to resolve conflict and understand others.

Regarding Neuroticism, I was surprised my percentage was low. I tend to think of myself
as an anxious person, especially in social situations which contributes to the extraversion low
percentage. I experience a lot of social and test anxiety. These types of anxieties can be very
common, which could mean that my percentage is just normal with the rest of the population.
Neuroticism describes a person’s tendency to experience negative emotions and can be thought
of as an alarm system. I normally lead a very calm life, and tend to be steady, according to the
DISC personality test.

Compared to the other personality tests, the Truity agreed with most of the other tests.
The most descriptive test was the Jung personality test where the results showed that I was an
ISTJ. This personality type leads a planned and orderly lifestyle which is exactly how I would
describe my life. All the personality tests showed that I am mostly introverted, and that the DISC
test and the Truity test showed my compliance/agreeable traits to be most prominent. My least
prominent trait across all exams is directness/dominance. Generally, I think of myself as an
organized introvert who loves art. I grew up with parents and a brother that were all very
introverted which shaped me into how I am today. I learned over the years to enjoy alone time
and recharge by partaking in art and other hobbies. Overall, all the test results were very similar,
and nothing was very surprising. It is important to take multiple personality tests to better
understand your forms of communication and general strengths and weaknesses.

Conclusion

In life, we all experience conflicts and moments that challenge our communication skills.
This could be a crucial conversation in a romantic relationship, a discussion with your boss about
a raise, or communicating with a roommate to resolve a problem. An effective communicator
understands the person they are talking with and can cater their language in a matter to that
person’s preferences. Conflict is not a competition and should be treated as a discussion with a
solution to suit the needs of both parties. Poor communication can lead to the end of friendships
and can turn a small issue into a large one. Everyday we communicate with others and are
challenged with how to respond. I have made many mistakes in handling disagreements, which
resulted in poor consequences. With these pearl diving assignments, I have been able to reflect
on my past communication errors and learn how to approach conflict in a correct manner.
Leaders are equipped with knowledge from mistakes, and successful conversations to make a
better discussion in the future.

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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.

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,

and Tweet Your Way to Success. McGraw-Hill Education, 2013. Print

Patterson, Kerry, Grenny, Joseph, McMillan, Ron, and Switzler, Al. Crucial Converstion: Tools

for Talking When Stakes Are High. McGraw-Hill Education, 2012. Print

Webster-Trotman, S (2021). ENCE 424-Week 7 (Fall 2021) Storytelling Part 2.

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