University of Maryland, College Park

Pearl Diving Assignment 1

Daniel Schuck
Communication for Project Managers: ENCE424
Dr. Shana Webster-Trotman
February 19, 2022
Introduction
Throughout my time so far at the University of Maryland as a Civil Engineering major,
my coursework has revolved heavily around hard sciences and math. I quickly became
comfortable solving technical and analytical problems in classes like fluid mechanics and
foundation design, and as a naive student, I thought this was adequate to be a successful engineer
in industry. However, an invaluable skill that is vastly overlooked in many STEM fields is the art
of communication. Although my technical background is beneficial in my career as an incoming
Project Engineer as ExxonMobil, my main duties involve communication between multiple
parties to ensure the successful execution and completion of large-scale projects. This essay will
emphasize my newfound appreciation for effective communication skills by diving into
classroom activities and readings, polishing life-long professional skills like networking, and
evaluating various assessments that highlight my personality and management styles.
Concepts from Readings and Classroom Activities
The first intriguing concept that I uncovered from the readings and classroom activities is
that leadership is the integral component of a successful team. In the book Five Stars: The
Communication Secrets to get from Good to Great, this concept is emphasized in the section
discussing Navy Seals’ experiences during Hell Week. During the crew boat racing, two teams
had significantly different outcomes in their standings; one team consistently outperformed its
competitors and finished first while the other struggled to attain team chemistry and came in last
in nearly ever race. When describing the noticeable differences between the two teams, the
winning team’s crewmembers “seemed highly motivated and performed well…compensat[ing]
for each other’s weaknesses, help[ing] each other, and [taking] pride in winning.” Conversely,
the losing team’s crewmembers “were angry…yelled at each other…[and] worked independently
with little concern for the greater good” (Gallo 48). When examining this situation on the
surface, you might jump to the conclusion that the crewmembers on the winning team may be
more skilled and experienced than those on the losing team; however, this is not the case.
Following the string of losses, the instructors decided to swap the boat-crew leaders of the
winning and losing team. Now, the leader who previously won consistently is in charge of the
losing team, while the leader who previously lost consistently is in charge of the winning team.
Surprisingly, in the next following races, the team who usually crossed the finish line last won in
each race. This emphasized to the Navy Seal instructors that “there are no bad teams, only bad
leaders…leadership is the single greatest factor in any team’s performance” (Gallo 49). The
important traits that the successful leader possessed were concise and persuasive language that
motivated and rallied his team.
Although I am not a Navy Seal, I am still able to apply the skills that the successful leader
implemented during his crew-boat race. The main skills that I am focusing on are using clear and
concise language when managing people and working in a team setting. It is vital that when you
are communicating to a large group of people, your message comes across clearly to avoid any
confusion. Concision and organized thoughts also exude confidence which is a vital trait to have
as a leader and communicator. After reading this portion of Five Stars: The Communication
Secrets to get from Good to Great, I realized the importance of strong leadership to achieve team
goals and now actively strive to improve the traits that the successful Navy Seal leader
performed.
The second interesting concept that I discovered in the readings was found in Crucial
Conversations and emphasizes the importance of choosing the right topic in difficult
conversations. In this reading, the author states how “when faced with complex problems like
this, we rarely stop and ponder which topic we should address” which results in either choosing
“easy over hard [or] recent over right” (Grenny 40). This means that instead of discussing a topic
that gets to the root of the issue, we tend to either focus on the most recent events or the easier
topic in hopes that it will eventually lead to the true and necessary crucial conversation. There
are a couple reasons why we act this way, and they all revolve around how we will be perceived.
For the instance where you choose the most recent topic over the right topic, you “don’t want to
be accused of dredging up ancient history,” and for the instance where you choose the easy topic
over the hard topic, it is because “we have a bias for choosing the topic we think we can win
with” (Grenny 40-41). Both situations are common, yet only temporarily solve the problem,
ultimately causing an imminent crucial conversation later in the future.
Grenny states that there are “three elements of choosing the right topic…unbundle, choose,
and simplify the issues involved” (43). To unbundle an issue means to identify three distinct
levels of it: content, pattern, and relationship. If the issue stems from a content problem, that
means that “the action itself or its immediate consequences are the issue” (Grenny 43). If an
issue becomes a recurring situation, the level of conversation that is problematic is pattern.
Finally, if the problem continues to the point where “trust, competence, or respect” is questioned,
it becomes a relationship issue (Grenny 44). The next step is to choose the right issue to discuss.
The most effective way to choose the correct topic is to think to yourself “What do I really
want?” and identify the highest priority topic to dissect (Grenny 48). Finally, the last component
of choosing the right topic is to simplify the problem to one succinct sentence. This is the most
challenging element to execute, but if done correctly, makes you appear confident in your stance.
When I am faced with a crucial conversation, in the past I tended to take the easy or most
recent route instead of the right one. After reading this section in Crucial Conversations, I now
actively walk through the steps Grenny outlined above to ensure that I pick the correct topic to
discuss in the conversation. I hope that with this new process, I can solve the issue at the root of
the problem quickly instead of avoiding the necessary difficult conversation.
The third concept I found interesting is from Networking for College Students and Graduates
and is called the Self Concept Theory. This theory states that “many of the success and failures
people have and will experience in their career and lives are closely tied to the ways in which
they have been accustomed to accept the view of themselves and their relationship with other
people” (Faulkner and Nierenberg 20). Initially after reading this definition, I immediately
associated Self Concept Theory with self-confidence. Whether this applies to relationships in
personal and professional settings or daily activities that come difficult, self-confidence is a vital
thing to have, especially for communicators and leaders. Faulkner and Nierenberg state that
“individuals experience anxiety because of a loss of self-esteem, and anything that negatively
impacts self-concept is a risk of depleting self-esteem.” They also state however that Self
Concept theory is “in your control” due to the dynamic behavior of it (Faulkner and Nierenberg
21).
After reading this excerpt from Networking for College Students and Graduates, I realized
that I need to have self-confidence to boost my self-esteem when it comes to public speaking. I
experience performance anxiety during public speaking, but if I prepare and successfully deliver
a speech, I can use Self Concept Theory to my advantage and have more confidence in my public
speaking abilities in the future.

Networking
Prior to taking this course, I heard networking was a crucial skill to have in the professional
world but was never sure of how to start. To me, networking seemed daunting; what could I
possibly bring to the table with someone that would make them want to network with me? This
mindset is a large reason why many people and I are tentative to branch out of their inner circles
and network. However, after reading Networking for College Students and Graduates, and
participating in classroom activities, I am now more confident in my networking abilities and
actively apply this newfound knowledge in my professional life.
The most shocking fact that I read in Networking for College Students and Graduates comes
from Cornell University researchers, stating that “85 percent of the newly created jobs in
America are never posted anywhere and 75 percent of the jobs for replacement jobs are never
posted anywhere” (Faulkner and Nierenberg 28). This means that if an individual is not
leveraging their network in the job search, they are limiting their potential career possibilities by
approximately 75%. Although this statistic may be frustrating to hear initially, it can be seen as a
huge advantage. A successful networker would see this statistic as an opportunity to excel above
their competition. After all, 85 percent of job openings are only available to those who use their
networks, making the demand for those jobs higher with less applicants. This is why after
reading this section of Networking for College Students and Graduates, I decided to expand my
network by using tools such as LinkedIn to connect with new colleagues as well as reach out to
previous ones.
LinkedIn is one of the powerful networking tools that individuals can use to expand their
network while also staying up to date on their current ones. So far during this semester, I have
connected with multiple classmates from Communication for Project Managers and students in
my senior Capstone class. With these new connections, I have seen my classmates’
accomplishments in school but also in the professional world which has allowed me to “break
the ice” and ignite conversations about individual experiences that I would never have heard
about if I did not ask. Each one of my connections has unique skills and experiences in different
industries ranging from project management and engineering design to business to technology.
In the future, there is a possibility that our industries and goals cross paths, making this initial
establishment of the relationship essential.
 LinkedIn is also an effective way to stay updated on current relationships and networks. Last
semester after I formally accepted my incoming position as a Project Engineer at ExxonMobil,
one of my contacts that I worked with at a previous firm reached out to me on LinkedIn. He said
he was surprised to see me leave the company we both worked at but was excited about the
possibility of collaboration between us. Although I have not begun working at ExxonMobil yet,
there is a possibility that we will utilize each other’s resources in the future. If I did not establish
this relationship and then stay connected with this individual through LinkedIn, this opportunity
would have been lost. I know that I still have a long way to go before I master the skills of
networking, but by starting the process now, I am setting myself up for a successful professional
life.
Attributes of an Effective Communicator
Every effective communicator shares attributes that set them apart from mediocrity. The five
attributes that I believe are the most important for personal development as a communicator are
empathy, confidence, patience, concision, and sincerity.
Beginning with my weakest attribute is empathy, with a self-score of a six out of ten.
Empathy is the “ability to understand and share feelings of another” according to the Oxford
dictionary. This attribute is essential in communication because it creates a connection with the
audience, increasing their interest in what you have to say. To improve my empathy, I will focus
on listening and reading body language while communicating, put myself in the audience’s
situation to see how I would react if I were them, and admit and identify my preconceived biases
before communicating.
For confidence, I give myself a score of an eight out of ten. Confidence is an essential
attribute for a communicator to possess because it helps with the speaker’s ethos and building
credibility. An audience is much more likely to be persuaded by a speaker who seems confident
in their message, rather than a speaker who is timid and unsure. To improve my confidence, I
will research my topic of conversation before I speak so I am well-educated on the topic itself, I
will practice my presentation multiple times, and I will use positive self-talk prior to a speech to
boost my self-esteem.
Patience is an attribute that I pride myself on having a strong understanding of, which is
why I give myself a nine out of ten. Every communicator and leader should possess patience
because it creates a safe environment for learning for the audience. When giving an informative
speech, the goal is to teach the audience something new, which requires patience of the expert to
successfully teach the students. To improve my patience, I will put myself in the audience’s
shoes to understand how someone with limited experience in that topic would react, slow down
when explaining new concepts or instructions, and listen to others when communicating to make
sure my message is coming across clearly.
Concision is an attribute that I can approve upon, with a self-score of a seven out of ten.
Being concise means to eliminate unnecessary content from writing or speaking that does not
add to the purpose. In communication, concision is important because it reduces redundancy and
limits confusion that an audience might have. To be more concise, I will identify what my goal
of speaking is before I communicate, think how the audience would take my message and see if
there is any redundancy or ambiguity, and get to the point without adding fillers.
Finally, for sincerity, I give myself an eight out of ten. Sincerity is important in
communication because just like confidence, it helps your ethos and builds credibility. An
audience can spot insincerity immediately which discredits the speaker’s message. To come
across as sincere, I will talk about my passions, think about how what I say would affect my
situation, and not patronize the audience when I am the center of conversation. By focusing on
improving these five attributes, I hope that I can become a more effective communicator in
private and public settings.
DISC Assessment
After completing the DISC Assessment, my personality report states that my most
dominant personality factor is dominance, with a percentage of 43%, followed by influence,
steadiness, and compliance, with percentages of 39%, 13%, and 5%, respectively. According to
the report, I “have a strong inner motivation to influence people and circumstances. [I] thrive in
competitive situations and challenging assignments” and “the stresses and pressures of everyday
work and life are unlikely to reduce [my] effectiveness and enthusiasm” (Disc Personality Test).
I agree with the results because I have always been problem-oriented when dealing with
situations. I tend to objectively look at the problem facts and information to identify the best way
of addressing the issue. The reason for this method of solving problems correlates heavily to my
background in engineering, where I am trained to identify components of situations and
formulate a solution. A surprising insight I noticed with the results came when I saw the 13% for
steadiness; I immediately realized that my temperament is not always the most patient,
persistent, or thoughtful, which is something I can improve upon. Another insight I noticed is
that my most dominant personality factor of Dominance only leads the next factor of Influence
by 4%. This reveals to me that although I deal with problems by asserting myself and controlling
the situation, I still communicate with others simultaneously.
By being self-aware of my personality styles, I know how to cater my communication
styles to compliment my personality. For example, knowing that my Compliance factor is merely
5%, I will avoid the organizational aspects of project management and let someone else take on
that responsibility. Likewise, knowing that my Dominance factor is 43%, I will gladly take a
leadership position and dive into the problem head-first in an effort to assess and take control of
the situation. This self-awareness also allows me to improve on the factors of personality that I
lack; like stated previously in the Attributes of an Effective Communicator section, every
successful leader should have attributes of patience and empathy which fall into the Steadiness
category. Overall, the DISC assessment illuminated my personality traits which will allow me to
cater my communication tactics to optimize its effectiveness.
Conflict Management Styles Assessment
The conflict management styles assessment determined that my preferred conflict
management style is Competing. To summarize the traits of a Competing management style, I
“value goals over relationships” and would rather “achieve [my] goals even at the cost of the
relationship involved” (Free Resources). I think that this management style would hinder
effective communication rather than help because it refuses to compromise in team settings. The
“my way or the highway” mentality is not effective when collaborating with others and causes
tensions among team members.
A specific situation that illustrates this conflict management style was when I was in a
heated debate over the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccination. The members of the debate
comprised of close friends and their significant others. I was arguing that the Covid-19
vaccination is effective and should be mandated at all universities in the United States. After all,
the college student demographic is the main super-spreader of the virus. My main opponent in
this debate believed that the vaccine should not be mandated for young people because the data
shows that Covid-19 has a very low fatality rate for healthy, young adults. In this debate,
tensions were rising, and it quickly became a crucial conversation. I refused to be open-minded
to any points my opposition made because I truly believed that my stance was the only correct
one; with this mentality, I was accepting to possibly hurt my relationship with my friends and
their significant others because I valued my goals over the relationship.
By the end of the debate, the conflict was not resolved, and tensions were still high. If I
instead took a Collaborating conflict management style approach to this situation, and valued
both my relationships and goals, the outcome would have been much different. Both parties
would have been satisfied with a compromised agreement to the debate and the relationship
would have remained unscathed. The technique that I would have used to address and resolve the
conflict comes from Crucial Conversations and that is to choose the right topic and identify the
root of the problem. If both parties saw the debate as a chance to learn from one another rather
than an opportunity to argue and win, we could have found a common ground. Overall, the
conflict management styles assessment revealed a flaw in my approach to situations and now that
I am aware of this, I will actively try to change my approach to a more Collaborative one.
Yung Personality Assessment
After completing the JUNG personality assessment, the report states that my personality
type is ESTJ: Extravert-Sensor-Thinker-Judger. The report describes Extraverts as “outgoing,
energetic, and action-oriented” which I believe accurately describes my personality. Although I
appreciate alone time occasionally, I find myself collaborating with others when solving
problems and in everyday situations. Next, the report describes Sensors as individuals who “live
in the present” and “rely on facts, handle practical matters well and like things to be concrete and
measurable.” This accurately describes my personality and correlates to an engineer’s personality
by handling situations in a practical matter, relying on concrete facts. The report then describes
Thinkers as individuals who use logic and “think with their heads rather than their hearts.”
Again, I think this is an accurate description of my personality and that of an engineer. Finally,
Judgers are described as those who “prefer a lifestyle that is decisive, planned and orderly. They
like a life that is organized and controlled” (Jung Personality Test). Initially, I thought this
personality type was incorrect. I always thought of myself as a spontaneous individual who could
enjoy life without needing a controlled and organized plan. However, I realized that I
meticulously plan my future, while still living in the present.
The most surprising insight that came from the Jung personality assessment is the Judger
personality trait. Like previously stated, I always thought of myself as a spontaneous person
without the need for rigid order in my life. When I think about how I plan for my future though, I
realize that I do prefer a decisive, planned, and orderly lifestyle. For example, I have already
actively planned for retirement by contributing to a Roth IRA and intend to contribute to my
401(k) once I start working full-time.
My Jung personality is like my DISC personality in the fact that both highlight my desire
for control in situations. My leading factor in the DISC assessment is Dominance and I am a
Judger in the Jung assessment, both of which prefer an organized and controlled approach to
situations. There are not any glaring differences between the two assessments, which causes me
to believe that both accurately represent my personality type. Overall, the Jung personality test
outlines my personality traits and explains my possible roles on a team, allowing me to know my
niche in a situation when communicating.
Conclusion
As an incoming Project Engineer, the techniques addressed in this paper are vital for me
to learn to be a successful communicator in the industry. As I continue my semester in
Communication for Project Managers, I will apply these concepts and techniques to my
repertoire of communication skills. Through classroom activities and readings, networking
practice, and personality and management style assessments, I have obtained a strong
foundational understanding of the art of communication, and hopefully I will acquire more
communication skills later in this course.
 Works Cited

“Disc Personality Test: Take This Free Disc Profile Assessment at 123test.Com.” 123test,
https://www.123test.com/disc-personality-test/.

Faulkner, Michael Lawrence, and Andrea R. Nierenberg. Networking for College Students and
Graduates: Nonstop Business Networking That Will Change Your Life. Nierenberg Group,
2022.

“Free Resources.” Free Assessments | The Blake Group, http://www.blake-group.com/free-

assessments.

Gallo, Carmine. Five Stars: The Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great. St. Martin's
Press, 2018.

Grenny, Joseph. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High. McGraw Hill,
2022.

“Jung Personality Test - Take This Free Jung Personality Test Online at 123test.Com.” 123test,
https://www.123test.com/jung-personality-test/.