University of Maryland, College Park

Pearl Diving Assignment #1

Alexander Pitts

Communication for Project Managers: ENCE424

Dr. Shana Webster-Trotman

February 19, 2022

Introduction
ENCE424, Communication for Project Managers, has been a very unique class
experience for me so far. I have taken communication courses in the past like COMM107, but
ENCE424 has a completely different feel. Perhaps it is because it is an upper-level elective, but
ENCE424 feels as if it is teaching me communication habits that will help guide me through life
rather than just simply how to public speak. There are tips and tricks that I have learned
throughout the readings and class so far that I know I will continue to think about every time I
speak with someone for the rest of my life. These tricks are more than just practice, they are
guiding principles that are changing the way I view communication on every level.

Concepts and Techniques From Class/Readings

One of the habits that have stuck with me the most is the confidence pose. When we first
learned this pose in our third class, I was interested to see how it would work on the first couple
of people that I saw try it. While I was curious, I was immediately struck by how it changed my
perception of the speaker almost instantly. It somehow made me more interested in what they
were saying and had me trusting what they were saying more than I typically would be. The
confidence pose just gives off an aura of assurance from the speaker that captivates the audience
more than simply having your arms by your side does. Additionally, I have begun to notice when
people use the confidence pose in other situations and the impact that it still has on me. Seeing
speakers on TED Talks use the confidence pose also further enforces its importance to me
because they are some of the smartest, most effective public speakers when it comes to pitching
an idea or product. I believe that the confidence pose has the real ability to make you appear
more confident and trustworthy.
Another concept that I found particularly interesting was the triple constraint. While I
was aware of the importance of Scope, Time, Cost, and Quality, I had never heard the term
“triple constraint” before. The triple constraint is an aspect of the class that clearly relates to
project managers and since I intended to pursing project management after graduation it is
something I must familiarize myself with. I think it is clear why these three values are important
on every project because they are the three key components to effectively executing any project
and if one portion of the “triangle” fails then the quality suffers. I believe that time is the most
straightforward of the three principles because when projects are planned there is a clear
timetable layout for various aspects of the project that will eventually lead to completion. Cost is
the second most clear in my mind because each task has a designated cost and while unexpected
costs do arise, they are typically planned for in some capacity. Lastly, I think the scope is the
toughest to put a clear definition on. The scope consists of such a large part of the project
planning that much of it exists in extensive documents that not many people would understand
unless you were familiar with the construction management field. Extensive blueprints and
standards must be followed to meet the scope of a project and they always vary for each project
and location. In turn, I think that scope is the most important aspect of the triple constraint to
understand so that you can effectively complete the other two aspects and reach a high-quality
end goal.
The last class concept takeaway I have is the use of nonverbal communication. It is a
simple concept that is taught in nearly all communication classes but its importance cannot be
understated. In fact, nonverbal communication is much more important than verbal
communication in many cases as it gives your audience visual cues to your intentions when
delivering a speech or comment. Visual cues are an important part of communication because the
majority of people tend to be visual learners over auditory learners, so incorporating nonverbal
communication helps get your point across more clearly. The key components to nonverbal
communication are appearance, facial expressions, body language, eye contact, gestures, and
movement. Of these components I find body language and appearance to be the most important
because it only takes a couple of seconds to judge someone and having a good first impression is
critical to getting your point across to someone. Body language also leads back to my first point I
made about the importance of the confidence pose which is powerful body language that
captivates your listener. All three of these class examples have become something that I practice
in day-to-day life and even in intimate conversations and I’ve already begun to notice a
difference in my confidence levels when communicating.

Increasing Networking Abilities

Networking is a very important part of life because it can help you find your next job, get
sound advice on something you are unsure of, and help you build a strong future. The more
connections you have to people of all backgrounds help you develop a better image of yourself
going forward and can ultimately be a huge factor in your career development. Something that I
find important in networking is your ability to promote yourself in the best way possible. Having
a diverse resume opens more doors for you to network and can help you find connections where
you originally thought weren’t possible. Something that I have done recently to enhance my
resume is taking and passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. I know that this does not
directly relate to the class, but I still believe it is a large factor for civil engineers and project
managers as it helps me market myself better to possible connections. Additionally, I have been
working on updating my LinkedIn and connecting with my professor and many of my
classmates. I have found this very rewarding as I have been taking classes with many people in
this class for years but have never connected with them on LinkedIn. It is also nice to see what
career paths my classmates are pursuing because they all have similar backgrounds to me but are
going in various directions after graduation and could potentially be very useful connections in
my post-graduate life.

Key Attributes of an Effective Communicator

Five of the attribute that I chose from our list of attributes of an effective communicator
are confidence, body language, ability to listen, patience, and knowledge.
Confidence - I would rate myself a 6/10 in confidence and see a lot of room for improvement for
myself. Confidence is integral to the effective portrayal of your intentions in communication and
I intend to improve this skill by positive self-talk, practicing in the mirror, and getting
comfortable in the confidence pose.
Body Language - I would rate myself an 8/10 in body language. Body language is important in
showing your attentiveness and passion about topics in communication and I intend to improve
by always using good posture, using my hands more while I talk, and intently studying others'
body language.
Ability to Listen - I would rate myself a 5/10 in my ability to listen. Listening has been one of
my biggest weaknesses as I do not have great hearing and often get lost in my thoughts but I
intend to improve by staying present in conversations, using my internal mind talk to digest what
the speaker is saying, and writing notes when possible.
Patience - I would rate myself 7/10 in patience. I believe patience and listening go hand in hand
and I intend to improve my patience by taking deep relaxing breaths to refocus, using my resting
face to portray interest, and focusing on staying in the moment rather than letting my mind drift
to the future tasks.
Knowledgeable - I would rate myself 8/10 in knowledge. I think I have a well-rounded
knowledge but hope to improve by reading more about current events, asking more questions,
and reading more books.

Disc Personality Assessment

 While completing the Disc Personality Assessment, I had trouble immediately answering
many of the sections and had to think deeply about it for a little bit. It was a unique experience
because many of the statements were similar throughout and I found it tough agreeing with one
statement more than another. I tend to think of myself as a very balanced person in all aspects of
life so when I got my results I was very interested in what they had to say. When reading about
my results, I tended to agree with everything it was saying. I understood why it had dominance
as the most prevalent trait because I tend to take lead on tackling problems as they arise and
typically help with problems that are not even my own. I also agree with influence and steadiness
coming second and third because as someone who has had internship experience I have learned
the importance of acting confident with decisions and convincing others of decisions as well. In
fact, steadiness has been something I have been working on a lot recently in all aspects of my
life. I think that my generation has been overly stimulated in many aspects of life which have
resulted in many mental health issues. To accommodate this, I have been meditating every day
which has helped calm my mind and bring me to the present. It has helped me remain steady in
many situations and day-to-day life because I am able to stay calmer in high-stress situations. I
think that this is a section that would’ve been the lowest percentage if I had taken this test a
couple of months ago so its prevalence is reassuring to me. Lastly, compliance being my lowest
percentage also makes a great deal of sense to me. While I am a very organized and steadfast
person, I am not quick to blindly believe and respect people. For me, respect has to be earned
and if I do not fully trust someone I will question their intentions or actions. Additionally, I am
always questioning basic knowledge and challenging myself to think of ways that everything
could be improved. Overall, I feel good about my scores accurately representing me as a person.
I think that awareness of these results has helped reassure me of some of the things I was
already thinking about myself. I think that having a more concrete definition of my personality
brings me confidence which has been one of the biggest things I have struggled with when
communicating. While I am typically a self-assured person, communication can sometimes cause
stress and anxiety because I feel as if I am not as confident in myself as I should be. However, I
also understand that as a dominant personality type I need to be accepting of other people's ideas
and incorporate them with mine to ultimately reach a better solution. I think that this awareness
will lead me to be a better communicator and project manager because they give me a better
understanding of myself and what I need to work on to get the best out of myself and others.
Since I am a dominant personality type having this knowledge will allow me to focus more of
my energy on my weaknesses and ways that I can strengthen them. I found this test very
insightful and something that I will be mindful of but not overanalyze. I think that a better
understanding of myself will help guide me to becoming the best communicator and project
manager that I can be.
Conflict Management Styles Assessment

After taking the conflict management assessment provided I was assigned a

collaborating/accommodating management style. I found this pretty in line with what I thought
of my management styles previously. I am a very personable person in nature and care about all
my relationships with everyone so it would take something very provoking to have me sever a
friendship to achieve a goal. I thoroughly enjoy working with people because I think that a
combination of ideas is how you eventually reach the best possible outcome for all parties. I find
the especially prevalent when dealing with people from different technical backgrounds in
project management. For example, reaching compromises between general contractors and
subcontractors is a key component in successfully completing a project. Each subcontracting
may do things a little differently so it is important to work with them so that they are effectively
meeting your needs while also in their comfort zone so they can work efficiently. I specifically
encountered this over the summer during my internship with Whiting-Turner. I was working on a
lower school library as a project manager and had to work with the subcontractor to read over
design documents to make sure the building was constructed the correct way. However, we
commonly ran into conflict with our perception of what order things needed to be completed so
we had to discuss a plan that worked with both of our ideas. In my example, we were debating
the order in which we should pour the foundation walls of the building. The sub-contractor
wanted to go around the perimeter directly but I pointed out that it would be more effective to
jump between sections to ensure that the concrete would be set properly. They saw my side but
had previous experience doing it the other way; however, we were eventually able to reach a
conclusion that met both of our needs. We decided to pour sections, jump to a different section
and then return to the first poured section afterward instead of continuing to jump around. This
was a solution that incorporated both of our ideas and ended up being very effective. Finding this
solution with the subcontractor showed my collaborating management style with them as I
wanted to maintain a good relationship with them while also incorporating their ideas which I
did not fully agree with.
The methods that I used to achieve this mutual agreement were using variable methods of
presentation, confidence, and being a listener. Confidence was a big part of reaching this
conclusion because as a young engineer, I was not immediately trusted by the experienced
subcontractor who had done a lot of this work. I had to prove to him that I was competent and
understood all the aspects of the project. To build my confidence, I used multiple methods of
delivery to show him exactly how I was thinking and why I thought it would be more effective. I
drew up color-coded design drawings to show exactly how I anticipated pouring the concrete
walls and how moving the framework between what I had chosen would be effective. I also spent
extensive time in the field with the subcontractor showing him exactly what I was planning and
how moving the equipment would work. From spending time talking with him and clearly
showing him my thought process of why we should jump around the perimeter pouring the walls
he gained trust in me. Nonetheless, he still had his own ideas which he explained to me once I
showed that I was competent and understood the concrete pouring process. Being a listener in
this situation was critical because it was both a time for me to learn more about pouring concrete
from an expert while also hearing his concerns and desires. During this listening process, I took
notes and asked many questions which showed my commitment to him and his ideas. In the long
run, I thought that this helped him trust me more because he knew I was intently listening and
considering everything he was saying. This sparked new ideas in my head which eventually led
to me looking into other methods besides just my own. I gathered information from my superiors
and others and returned with the newly proposed idea that accommodated both of our goals and
methods. Ultimately, this ended up being the method that we used and I think that part of the
reason the subcontractor accepted it was because of the diligence I showed to listen to him and
present my thought process. In addition to finding an effective solution, we also built a great
foundation for our relationship by talking and working together to reach a common goal. It was
an experience that I thoroughly enjoyed learning from and something that I received high praise
from my superiors for.

Jung’s Personality Assessment

While taking the Jung’s Personality Test, I found many of the questions were similar to
that of the DISC Personality Model. I preferred taking Jung’s test because I found it easier to
choose between two options rather than choosing one good and one bad from four potential
options. In the Jung test, my scores result in an INFJ (introvert, intuitive, feeler, judger)
personality type which I think aligns with my views accurately. I was a little surprised by being
identified as an introvert by the Jung test because I think of myself as pretty outgoing. However,
the Jung test did define that introverts can be outgoing but just prefer to think deeply and hang
with people they know better which I do identify with. Intuitive also seemed to fit me well as I
am always looking for new solutions to problems and analyzing everything in day-to-day life. I
tend to think that there is always room for improvement with everything and am quick to point
out flawed designs and how they could be improved. I actually find it quite interesting thinking
about how things could be done differently and how it would affect society to have such changes.
I also love hearing about new inventions as it always sparks my creativity and deepens my
perception of the world. Being defined as a “feeler” was something that surprised me a little bit
but understood. Typically I am reserved about my emotions and what I am going through but
recently due to meditation and other calming methods I have been much more open to talking
about my emotions. This has been an enlightening experience that I have enjoyed so it is nice to
see it reflected in my Jungs results because it has been something I have been trying and
enjoying. Becoming more of a feeler has deepened a lot of connections with people and makes it
easier to talk with friends about more intimate topics rather than just surface conversations.
Nonetheless, I think that if I had taken this test a couple of months ago I would have gotten
vastly different in this aspect but am content with the description now. Lastly, being defined as a
“judger” immediately caught me off guard as I am usually very open to different people and
view everyone equally. However, Jungs again had a less typical definition for judger as they
describe it as “preferring a lifestyle that is decisive, planned, and orderly” which I very much
agree with. I like to keep everything in my life as organized as possible and have an in-depth
routine that I follow nearly every day. My routine consists of getting up, meditating, working
out, then going to class and completing all of my other work. Differing from this schedule throws
me out of whack and results in me not being as effective as I ordinarily am. Overall, I enjoyed
taking Jung’s Personality Test and it is reassuring seeing results that I would expect. I think
seeing these results will continue to give me confidence in future interactions and push me to be
more outgoing and step out of my comfort zones.
The Jung Personality Test felt more natural to take compared to the DISC Personality
Assessment. I think this was mainly due to the question style. I found it particularly difficult to
pick one good and one bad from a group of four that I often timed agreed with all the statements.
However, as I reflect on the experience, pushing myself out of my comfort zone when taking the
test might’ve helped me better identify my personality. Nonetheless, my scores from both tests
seemed to align pretty well with each other as well as what I would expect. The Dominance
aspect of the DISC test did not show up as much in the Jung Personality test which I found a
little interesting. The dominance factor from the DISC test resembled how I would deal with
problems and take over a situation, yet my methods of managing these problems are
collaborative. Other than dominance, all of the other values align pretty well, especially judger
and steadiness. These almost identically depicted the structured, organized life that I like to live
and it was nice to see the results show in both tests.

Conclusion
This was a very interesting project to undertake and it was particularly interesting to take
the three different tests and compare the results to each other and my real-world expectations.
When undertaking this project, I thought that the 3,500-word limit was incredibly intimidating
but as I began to write a lot of different thoughts began to come to my mind. Forcing myself to
reflect deeply on my own personality in addition to everything we have learned allowed me to
make many connections that I had not originally seen. The biggest connection that I saw came in
the Conflict Management Assessment in which I connected my real-world experience with many
of the techniques we learned in this class. The aspects of confidence, multiple methods of
delivery, and being an active listener were clear connections to the class material and something
that I found very interesting. Making the connection also showed me the importance of
continuing to practice what we are learning in class because it can make a real difference when
entering my first job. I never thought that communications were one of my strengths so learning
effective strategies and implementing them in the real world has been a very rewarding
experience for me. I hope to continue to make enlightening discoveries in this class about how to
communicate effectively with all types of people and I intend to practice these strategies in
real-life scenarios. I am excited to see what the rest of the class has in store for me as I continue
on my communication and networking journey. I am also interested in talking with my peers
about this project and seeing what they got as results of some of these tests because I think it will
be a great way to deepen our understanding of each other and build lasting connections.