University of Maryland, College Park

Pearl Diving Assignment 1

Rida Habib

Communication for Project Managers: ENCE424

Dr. Shana Webster-Trotman

September 25, 2021

Introduction

As an Information Science major Project management minor student, I find

communication to be a very important subject. Majority of my schoolwork has involved group
work and without communication, working with a team would be impossible. We all use
communication skills every day whether it’s in school, work, with friends, etc. It’s important to
know how to speak to people effectively. In this essay I will discuss three concepts from class
I’ve learned and applied, what I’ve done so far to network in the course, what my DISC
personality is, what my preferred conflict management style is and lastly, what my JUNG
personality traits are.

Concepts from class and readings

One concept that I learned from class was Audience Analysis. Audience analysis is used
to investigate the audience’s attitudes, beliefs, and values toward a topic. You should also look at
the demographics of the group you’re speaking to. There are cultural differences you should take
into consideration such as nonverbal communication cues including eye contact, touch, gestures,
etc. (Week 4: Fall 2021 Lecture Slides). Understanding that you have a target audience that are
the individuals you’re most likely to influence in your direction is also important. I’ve been
applying this concept in everyday conversations and paying closer attention to how I speak to my
peers, friends, professors, etc. I pay attention to their reactions and how they feel about topics
and change my tone or position based on this. If they don’t have prior knowledge on a subject
then I’ll give them some background information. Knowing which demographic they are a part
of has helped me make the conversation more inviting and comfortable for them. These are all
important things to think about when speaking so that you are communicating effectively.
Another concept that I’ve found important is preparing for a speech with an outline, this
was from the book- “A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking”. This is an effective technique for
planning out a speech that I’ve applied after learning about it. I’ve always written notes before
preparing to speak but using a template really made a big difference. I felt a lot more organized,
the speech was flowing well, and I felt confident in what I was discussing. On page 97 of the
book, they show a sample working outline that includes these components: topic, general speech
purpose, specific purpose, thesis, introduction, body, and conclusion. Writing all of these parts
out helps you visualize how your speech will flow and what exactly you’ll discuss. This prevents
you from getting off topic or forgetting what your main points are. I used this outline for a class
where I had to give a speech about my future career by creating a google doc and including all of
this information. When I had to deliver my speech, I felt a lot more confident knowing that I
prepared this way and knew exactly what I would say when it was time to speak.
The last concept that I wanted to talk about is communicating with empathy and engaging
your audience. This is something we discussed in class as well. Communicating with empathy
means that you’re listening to connect with the other person, it helps us communicate in a way
that makes sense to our audience. You’re not dominating the conversation and making it about
yourself and you’re not listening to respond. You want the audience to feel something and there
are many ways to do this. You can start by using logos, pathos, and ethos or logic, emotion, and
personal character to create better conversations (Week 2: Fall 2021 Lecture slides). You can also
choose topics that matter to your audience so that they gain something from listening to you. You
should be passionate about the topic you’re discussing and make the discussion interesting. I’ve
been applying this to my conversations with my friends recently because I find myself always
jumping to speak, which isn’t considerate. I’ve started fully listening to what they like to talk
about and engaging them in conversations that are interesting or meaningful to them.When I’m
trying to convince them of something I use logos, when I’m discussing a serious topic sometimes
I’ll use pathos, and I’ll use ethos throughout my conversation as well.

Networking

Some methods I’ve used to increase my networking abilities and grow my network
include reaching out to people in class, starting more conversations online, and brainstorming
talking points. During the first couple sessions I joined a group chat with the people that sit at the
same table as me in class. We ask each other about assignment details, ideas, due dates, etc. I’ve
found it to be very helpful because instead of going directly to the professor, if we have a
question we talk to each other and use our connections. I’ve also started to strike up
conversations online with classmates through YellowDig, although it’s graded and required, it's
been nice to have people to talk to that are in similar positions as I am. For example, a lot of us
are looking for internships and jobs so I like that we have an online platform to discuss what the
process is like and how we manage to communicate with recruiters. The last method I’ve applied
is creating talking points. I have some for striking up conversation about class readings,
assignments, or just for making small talk. I use these talking points online and in class when I
see people. It’s more casual when it’s done in class versus at a job fair in front of a recruiter. I’ve
used the networking techniques outside of this class as well. I’ve realized from reading
“Networking for College Students” that applying online to jobs isn’t very effective in getting an
interview but knowing some people that work at a company is very beneficial. I decided I
wanted to meet new people that work at companies I would like to work at. I did this by reaching
out to people I know well and seeing if they know anyone that works at these places. I’m a part
of a professional technology fraternity so all I had to do was ask one of the brothers if they knew
someone that worked at Microsoft. I found out one of my brothers’ siblings worked at Microsoft
as a project manager so I could contact him for advice. I got their phone number and started
messaging them about their work and what it's been like for them. Networking is a skill that will
help you get very far in your career and that’s what I’ve realized from reading the book
“Networking for College Students”. You can’t prove your skills to someone you’ve never met or
been in contact with.

DISC Personality Assessment

I agree with my results partially, I don’t think influence should be my second most
dominant personality factor because I think compliance and steadiness should come before it. I
find myself caring more about being persistent and thinking through things (steadiness
characteristics) than trying to persuade or affect people. I also think I care more about routine,
procedures, and organization than influencing others. I was a little shocked by the dominant
personality factor being the first factor as well although it does make some sense. I like to have
control of situations and know how things work out. I also deal with problems in a systematic
way most of the time. I wasn’t surprised by any result other than the order of those two factors. I
liked that my personality type says that I handle pressure well, I strive for excellence and expect
others to do the same because I think that’s true. I like being stressed sometimes because it
motivates me to work harder and I think everyone should set goals to work towards. Self
awareness of my personality type could help me become a more effective communicator because
if I feel that I’m being too dominant and not allowing others to contribute to a project then I can
change my actions. I can try to assert myself less, encourage others to participate, and get
different perspectives on a situation. I could try to make the environment more welcoming. I
think influence is a personality type factor that would work to my advantage because it could
help me be more personable with team members and stakeholders. I would perform audience
analysis and look at the demographic, interests, preferences, etc. of the group I’m speaking to
(Week 4: Fall 2021 Lecture Slides). Steadiness would also allow me to be a good communicator
and project manager because I would think ideas/projects through before initiating them. I would
be patient with my audience if they don’t have background knowledge on a topic. Lastly, I think
being self-aware of how I apply compliance is important because you should be organized as a
project manager. If I have to present a project charter or presentation then my speech should also
be organized. There are procedures and steps to follow as you communicate with a team so
compliance is the most important personality factor in my opinion.

Conflict Management Styles Assessment

My preferred conflict management styles were accommodating and compromising. I

think they both help in effective communication because they both relate to inclusiveness,
mutuality, and adaptability. I think it’s important to think about your audience and team when
working on a project as mentioned earlier. You sometimes will have to pay attention to others
needs and accommodate them but that’s an important trait for a project manager. If stakeholders
can not complete something by a deadline then the project manager may have to accommodate
them and move something back in order for the project to be successful. Compromising is a
really important thing to do to avoid conflict, resolve matters quickly, get things done. Without
listening to all parties you won’t be able to move past a problem. A team consists of multiple
people that have to work together and this can’t be done without compromise. Being inclusive,
having mutual respect and understanding, and being able to adapt to new or unexpected
situations are all important for effective communication and project management.
Specific situations where I’ve had to accommodate and compromise are from a lot of
school group projects. I had a project where one of my teammates had a family matter at the
beginning of the semester but wasn’t able to drop the class. He had to remain on our team for the
group project but wasn’t able to attend meetings on certain days or be as active in our group chat.
I knew that although it wasn’t the most ideal situation, if we wanted to do well in the class we
would have to work with him. We decided that we’d work with his schedule and accommodate
him since he was in a difficult situation. We met when he was available and let him complete his
work when he was able to. This allowed us to avoid conflict, be productive, and do well on the
project even under the circumstances. A situation where I encountered compromise was when I
had to pick a topic for a programming project in one of my classes with my teammates. Some of
us cared more about the level of complexity of the topic and some cared more about how
interesting the topic was. I cared more about how interesting the topic was because if I liked the
subject then I would be more motivated to work on the project but I had to compromise. We
brainstormed some ideas and found one that all of us found relatively easy and interesting. I
realized that I may not get the exact topic I want but at least everyone in the group would feel
comfortable with the decision. One technique that they discussed in chapter 3 of “crucial
conversations” about addressing conflict was asking yourself what you want out of the situation.
Oftentimes when tensions arise and we find ourselves getting carried away with emotion we lose
sight of what we really want. Most of the time we don’t want to fight so it’s important to
remember that winning the argument isn’t the goal of the conversation. You want to discuss a
topic and find a resolution with the other person/people involved. You want to consider their
arguments and figure out a solution that works for everyone. This relates well with the
management style- compromise. You don’t want to pick the “fool's choice” (the
unhealthy/destructive choice) as they mention in the book. A technique that was mentioned in
Chapter 17 of “A pocket guide to Communication” is using your voice in different ways to signal
confidence and control. You can do this by speaking at a good volume, using intonation,
speaking at a good speed, uses pauses, etc. This technique pairs well with the competing conflict
management style. Obviously using volume during a speech is different than when dealing with
a conflict but in order to have an effective argument or get your point across you must be
confident. This is done using volume, pitch, speaking rates, etc.

Jung Personality Assessment

I agree with my results: ISTJ from this assessment because I think that characteristics
make sense based on how I answered the questions and how I act in my daily life. First, I do
think I’m introverted because I draw energy from spending time alone and recharging instead of
from people. I like being around people but I don’t need to be around people all of the time.
Second, I use sensors instead of intuition because I like relying on facts rather than looking at a
hidden meaning behind something. Third, I’m a thinker rather than a feeler because I make more
decisions using logic and reasoning than emotions and feelings. I am an emotional person but I
don’t let my emotions cloud my judgement. Lastly, although I am spontaneous sometimes, I
prefer my lifestyle to be predictable, organized, and orderly. I like being in control of situations
and having a plan rather than going with the flow of things. I don’t like open-ended things. All of
my characteristics fit who I am as a person but I wouldn’t have been surprised if I was ESFJ
because in certain situations I could fit this type.
One surprising result from this assessment was that I am an introvert because most of the
time I’m around people even when I don’t have to be. I force myself to be more outgoing and put
myself in different social situations. I also used to be more extroverted and would feel more
energetic when I was around friends but during the pandemic I started enjoying being alone and
partaking in activities I enjoy. I was also a little surprised that I am a thinker rather than a feeler
because I do find myself sometimes making decisions on what I feel like is right but I guess most
of the time I go based on logic and reasoning.
My JUNG personality is different from my DISC assessment results because my DISC
assessment really showed that I like to lead and be in charge but my JUNG personality results
show that I’m an introvert that likes to spend time alone. I think what this means is that when I
do have to be a part of a group then I like asserting myself but I’m also okay with being by
myself most of the time. I think being an introvert is closer to how I am than being dominant. I
do like to be in control of situations and know how they play out but I don’t like asserting myself
on others. I value working together and collaborating when I have to work with others, otherwise
I like to do things independently.

Conclusion
 In conclusion, communication is a very useful skill for everyone but especially for project
managers. There are many techniques that can be used to improve one’s speech and the way they
communicate with others, that I hope to continue to explore in this class.

Proof of Assessments:
 Works Cited

Faulkner, M. L., L., F. D. M., & Nierenberg, A. (2017). Networking for college students (and

recent graduates): Nonstop business networking that will change your life. Pearson
Learning Solutions.

Gallo, C. (2018). Five stars: The Communication secrets to get from good to great. St. Martin's

Griffin.

Grenny, J., Patterson, K., McMillan, R., Switzler, A., & Gregory, E. (2011). Crucial

conversations. McGraw Hill.

O'Hair, D., Rubenstein, H., & Stewart, R. A. (2016). A pocket guide to public speaking.

Bedford/St. Martins.