The University of Maryland, College Park

Pearl Diving Assignment 2

Oldyne Pierre-Cnel
Communication for Project Managers: ENCE424
Dr. Shana Webster-Trotman
April 1, 2023

Introduction
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How one sees you is based on the persona one gives off from their own nonverbal and
verbal communication. Throughout my life, I’ve always had the privilege of surrounding myself
around art because through the use of different tones, shapes, and other artistic elements it's easy
to communicate information through the viewer's eye. The power of being an artist is that you
are allowed to choose how you want to depict an object through your personal artistic style.
Though I must follow certain guidelines, I have the privilege of allowing what stands out in the
foreground and what's muted in the background as the work is given from my perspective. This
line of work has made receiving criticism as an act of understanding how my work is recognized
and reciprocated. Knowing how my art is seen from another viewer's eye gives me the advantage
to process my emotions and the opportunity to take in feedback. The power of art holds many
similarities compared to the act of communicating effectively. In the world of an aspiring project
manager, one must complete required readings, participate in class activities, and, ultimately,
employ the skills they learn in class to the real world. Similar to what I know about art, this essay
will highlight the second half of ENCE424 “Communicating for Project Managers” It will be
demonstrated how this course has provided me with the ability to provide a clear and concise
objective, treat others the way they want to be treated based on their given criteria, examine ways
to have crucial conversations, instilling `the act of imagery to showcase the power behind
storytelling, and my personality through the use of science.

Email

Job Description:

The Complex apartments are expected to be open to new tenants in a month, it's the end
of the construction contract but the beginning of new living for members of the community. As
part of the construction team, we all hold certain tasks we must achieve to meet the needs of the
closeout of the contract within a given timeframe. Covid has delayed the project back a year but
since the return of employees back to the office there has been a lack of eagerness, dedication,
and tardiness. We are near the end of the project and are currently in the stage of completing
goals in preparation for the closeout stage of the project. As a project manager, I hold the role to
plan, coordinate, and organize the completion of a project through the scope of remaining on
time and within budget from the start and finish of a construction project (U.S Bureau of Labor
Statistics. During this time I have evaluated the project, allocated resources, and been in constant
communication with the relevant stakeholders. During the closeout phase, I require help from my
team members to fulfill their job description in providing the proper deliverables, confirming
project completion (through the use of walkthroughs), review all contracts and documentation, as
well as release all resources.

To: TEAM
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Cc:
Subject: Project Concern
From: Oldyne Pierre-Canel

Hello Team,
I hope all is well. We have concluded the necessary goals and through the stride of all our
setbacks with covid, we’ve come to the point of closeout. As a team, the performance has not
been where it needs to and this is not acceptable. I would like to remind you all that we are
represented as one and need to step up to our responsibilities, if there's a way we can come
together to get us all to the finish line please share. Within this time the following task must be
split amongst you all. As you know, you all are required to perform a punch list; review all units
at the end of the project, and inspect them all for any needed fixes. Make sure all appliances,
water fixtures, and light switches are operable, paint is even coated with no cracks, assure all
windows go up and down, and whatever else you may see is necessary. I have provided a sample
of how I expect the chart to look. Please organize all documentation and download it to Google
Drive. The project concludes on April 1st, 2023. It is not an option to extend this project as we
require to not be liable for any poor quality of work. For any circumstance, if a delay occurs, I
would like to remind you that within all our contracts it will result in costly litigation upon
disputes, loans, lawsuits, and so on. I have confidence this will not be the case, let's finish strong!

______ The project deliverables have been met, but the following has not been met
______ A walkthrough was completed and with the needed modifications
______ The project has not met at least 95% of the requirements

Issue ID ISSUE DESCRIPTION STATUS DATE ISSUED DATE COMPLETED

Thanks in advance, and have a nice day on purpose,

Oldyne Pierre-Canel
PM

Concept
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Taking this course has been useful in my project management career as well as in
everyday life. The way we choose to translate the information is upon us. Two concepts that
have stood out and were applied to my daily life have been, treating those how they want to be
treated and not speaking with an angry tongue. While taking this course I’ve attempted to look
within my relationships with friends and family and find how to improve them. As I’ve grown in
age, I have had the privilege to meet different types of people in different types of sceneries,
from mutual friends, a random night out in the city, classmates, and colleagues, to people in
passing. My journey has taught me that the length of time you may know someone does not
justify the importance of the relationship. I have had friends that have shown me more loyalty in
a short period of time compared to those I’ve carried out for five-plus years.
I am a strong believer that not one thing can fix multiple problems. Looking at that from
a friendship aspect; all of my friends hold their own traits and serve their own purpose. There are
situations where I can rely upon one friend (a) compared to another friend (b). Taking these two
concepts has been helpful in how I now understand and justify my needs within a friendship.
One of my longest friendships (a) has been around due to the memories we share and the
similarities we hold. Though we don’t communicate every day I know she can be someone I can
count on to assist, and have a listening ear. With that being said, she is not a friend who I can call
and expect for her to answer; though she will return my call with a text and check up within the
day… or two; the call just won't get returned. It’s one of my pet peeves but it's something I've
noticed she does to everyone. I never brought this up prior because of how I noticed her other
interactions with her family and friends. I've allowed years to go on within our friendship where
I would brush (what I consider to be a negative trait of) her not answering the phone under the
rug but in reality, I knew it was something that annoyed me most about her. Within the past
weeks, I found it right to ask why she doesn't return my calls. I then mentioned to her how I
believe that it limits the lengths our friendship can go and that she doesn't make me feel
important because of that. She responded that it was never her intention and she didn't notice she
was doing that nor making me feel that way. I’ve tested this out and attempted to call her while a
couple of texts have previously been exchanged but, no changes have transpired. Learning the
concept, I was able to flip it to reflect my needs and have a conversation with my friend (a).
Fast forward to that weekend of expressing how I would like to be treated. It was a
weekend of fun in the cabin surrounded by friends from all over. The vibes, food, and drinks
were great. As a group, we all decided to do a Tik Tok trend where we express our “icks” (a
negative trait about the person next to you). Of course the more drinks you have the looser the
tongue. Taking the quote from Ambrose Bierce, “Speak when you are angry and you will make
the best speech you'll ever regret”... the next few moments within this trend will change my
longest friendship. Sitting next to my friend (a), as harsh as it may sound, I’ve expressed to her
that “my ick is you don't answer your phone calls but yet you’re always on your phone” I
proceeded to also say that she would not be someone I call if I only had one call to make. In front
of a group of our mutual friends, I can tell how the energy in the room started to shift and I said
something that I would soon regret. Not meaning to hurt any feelings, but this statement yet true
was not received the way I anticipated. At times, it's really important that I think before I speak,
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read the room, and ask myself “Is now the right time?”. I allowed my annoyed tongue to say
something that has changed my friendship. I know there could have been a better alternative in
how I communicated that message, and now one of my negative traits put something in deep
question.

Scenario: Your boss called you an “idiot” in front of the entire team

No age, sex, gender, religion, or culture is excluded from experiencing the act of being
mistreated. The act of getting mistreated can lead to physical and mental problems among us all
and can result in how one may portray themselves. Growing up, I've experienced my share of
bullying as I was surrounded by a community with more white individuals than blacks. This
made everything I do different from my peers and because they didn't understand they found it
irregular which led to mistreatment. Growing up my parents would always tell me to always
defend myself. With my history of knowing how to identify social injustice, there are many
ways this scenario can go. The option of not doing anything because some may find speaking up
to their boss as disrespectful, and though it's important to stand up for yourself in that specific
conversation as stated in Crucial Conversations, we can “often back away from them because we
fear we’ll make the matters worse” (Joseph Grenny). Taking this route will often allow the
situation to continue which results in the “Fool's choice” to believe you have to either choose
between your respect or the job.
Taking this scenario into my consideration, I believe there's a time and place for
everything. Non-verbal communication is just as strong as verbal communication. From the
moment of hearing this statement, I would have made a facial expression to express my
confusion, disagreement, and disgust. I will allow my boss to read my body language as feeling
uncomfortable. I will then proceed on to make sure within the same scenery, I would confide to
one of my colleagues asking them “Did you hear what he said to me” and then asking them
“What did you hear”, by doing this I have established the dialogue “all relevant information
(from themselves and others) out into the open [...] the free flow of meaning” (Grenny chap.4),
that was used, making sure someone other than myself has heard and identified what was said. I
believe this is important as if this situation continues to proceed there's evidence to show where
injustice was being done. In manners of not trying to escalate the situation and knowing it's best
to think before I speak; I would wait until the meeting to conclude to individually meet with my
boss to express my concerns about what just occurred. Being aware of my emotions has allowed
me to be aware of my “styles under stress” (Grenny chp.4), because I can easily speak with an
angry tongue it's better to gather and think of the main concerns I want to express and what I
expect to be done from the conversation than to speak freely. Within the conversation, I would
aim to be direct and first express to my boss that his statement made me feel uncomfortable. I
would then express that the words people speak hold meaning and I believe his words were a
form of harassment. I would proceed to express that though this word can easily be used loosely
it was said in a manner to diminish my professionalism, intellect, and representation among my
colleagues. By doing this I've allowed my emotions and reasoning for the statement to be
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justified and clearly stated. This gives a clear understanding that I don't agree with the manner
things were expressed. To allow for a crucial conversation I will also ask my boss why he
believed that word characterizes my work. While having this conversation I will also have to
allow myself to have an open mind and understanding of “what you're doing and the impact it’s
having” as this allows me to become a “Vigilant Self-Monitor'' (Grenny chap.4). Because this
was the first incident I would conclude the meeting in hopes it doesn't happen again. If the
situation does recur I would make sure to leave a paper trail in making sure it addresses that I
have felt some type of verbal abuse. I will then conclude my email with my boss by clearly
stating “As previously discussed this has become a continuous manner and I would appreciate it
if you can refrain from using that language when it comes to my work ethic” as it is clearly
stated under the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
“Harassment is a form of employment discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, (ADEA), and the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, (Harassment). Offensive conduct may include, but is
not limited to, offensive jokes, slurs, epithets, or name-calling”.
which will result in taking the manner higher than it needed to. Taking this route is very risky.
This can lead to being under a microscope or feeling more uncomfortable in the workplace but
being satisfied with speaking my truth will be worth it. In all, I will aim to not allow matters to
go that far and if manners remain professional I don’t believe the problem will continue since a
crucial conversation had a problem and possible solutions.

Storytelling Technique

The person I aspire to hold many hats. When it comes to my personal growth I don’t
allow my failure to define who I am rather I allow myself to appreciate my dedication to
overcome them. Growing up in a household with immigrant parents, attending college is your
only option after high school. Unfortunately for me, I was unaware of the types of careers that
fell into my love for design. I knew I wanted to study design but was all over the place when it
came to my specification. With this, applying to universities didn't make any sense but because
college is mandatory in my household community college was my only option until I figured it
out. Feeling like this is a forceful decision, I didn't take my college learning seriously. Unaware
of the opportunities in front of me, I took this establishment as a way to hang out with my friends
and enjoy the college experience. I would attend classes only when necessary (quizzes,
presentations, or anything worth a grade). I was still able to receive passing grades of majority
“C’s” and sometimes “B’s” and because I was satisfied with these grades I continued the rest of
the semester with that demeanor. During that time I was satisfied with finishing the semester
with a 2.3 GPA. My vision of my future life still remained unclear and I allowed myself to
remain content with my lack of effort.
Starting my second semester was no different from the first. I was excited to see my
friends again and carry on from last semester. But I was up for a rude awakening when I found
out the majority of them went off to universities. To make matters worse, fast forward a couple
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of weeks, I received the news that my half-sister passed from leukemia. I went from only
attending classes for graded assignments to not making it to class at all. These actions resulted in
failing grades and being placed on academic probation. The shame of my actions started to come
about when I learned how my sister while battling leukemia still found the strength to attend her
courses and receive her bachelor's degree. My excuse of not finding the time to know what I
want to be was unjustifiably compared to her efforts to actually receive the degree. Due to my
academic probation, it set me back a year since I had to retake my failing courses and can only
take 6 credits at a time. In making sure I was in the proper head space to do so, I made the
decision to take a semester off and research what I enjoy and the careers that can relate. My love
for art and design were key factors that guided me to look into interior design and architecture.
Luckily for me, my community college offered both programs.
I strive to not allow my failures to be a repeat offender but rather a process to gain
insight. Surrounded around resources and endless possibilities while having completed a full
year of college, my experience has allowed me to understand the outcomes of my decision-
making. My third semester (beginning of my second year) was a 180 compared to my first year; I
came up with a plan to receive straight A’s. During my time off I was also able to look into
different programs more in-depth. Fast forward a full year and I raised my GPA up to a 2.5. I
was taking excessive notes, asking questions, meeting with the professor, attending study groups,
studying long hours, and utilizing my outside resources to enhance my learning. My
accomplishments made me feel good inside, I understood the concepts and deeper meaning
behind my studies. I finally saw school as a way to enhance my life. Wanting to show more
achievement, I decided to retake the course I received “C’s” in over the summer. Sacrificing my
summer break to raise my GPA was the best decision I could have made during my education
journey. I started my 3rd year of college with a 3.2 GPA standing after receiving all “A’s” during
my summer courses. I was released from academic probation and was allowed to attend school
full-time (12 plus credits). I knew I was behind compared to my high school graduating class and
decided to take 15 credits during the Fall and Spring semester to decrease my time at
Montgomery College. I started taking interior design courses during this semester and was able
to carry out my following semesters graduating with a 3.4 GPA after continuing my streak of
receiving all “A’s”. Through my failures, hard work, and plans I was able to lead myself to my
version of success.

Personality Assessment

Understanding our personal strengths and weaknesses allows us to identify where our
talents are best served. This can allow a person to become the best version of themselves. In
retrospect to our careers, it's a beautiful thing when you enjoy what you're working for. Being
able to identify our traits can help us discover the careers that best fit our personalities. Who I am
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today strives from who I was yesterday, I can look in the mirror and appreciate the woman I have
become. My dedication to succeed comes from my act of failure. In doing so, My experiences
have allowed me to feel achievement and dissatisfaction. My Conscientiousness, the “ability to
exercise self-discipline and control in order to pursue [a] goal” (Truity) is heightened by my
overcomings, and with that I allow myself to work with that attitude. My hard work has opened
doors and provided me with scholarships, grants, and awards. These outcomes either short-term
or long, have allowed me to become the best version of myself.
Taking a look at the three personality assessments, DISC, JUNG, and Big Five
Personalities have some key aspects that correlate with each other. The highest category for my
DISC assessment was 43% dominance, which identifies my problem-solving and direct control
to improve situations. My JUNG personality type is identified as ISTJ, paying attention to “T”
(thinker). The way I handle situations is logical through an impersonal analysis. It's been
analyzed that this type is hard-working, thorough, gets the job done, and works in an orderly
manner. Breaking down the Big Five Personality results, the highest percentage falls under
openness. Scoring high in this category signifies that my way of thinking is a contributing factor
of creativity, adventure, and intellect which allows my way of thinking to know more in-depth
about the unknowns than the tradition. In all, I don't disagree with my results as they all result in
my ability to achieve through the acts of being clear, direct, and informed.

Conclusion

The duration of this course thus far has been insightful in a work and personal
environment. Taking these pieces of information from lectures, videos, readings, and class
exercises has provided me with the opportunity to synthesize and practice what I have learned.
This course allowed me to grasp how to become a good communicator through the act of
addressing and finding solutions to problems in an email format, identifying techniques to
improve my ability to understand how others like to be treated, allowing the use of storytelling to
make communication more meaningful, and allowing my personality to help influence and
control the verbal and non-verbal message. People can understand you better when you’re able to
express your thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively. One can easily say the key to success
lies in effective communication.

Works Cited

Faulkner, Michael L., and Andrea R. Nierenberg. Networking for College Students and
Graduates: Nonstop Business Networking That Will Change Your Life. Pearson Learning
Solutions, 2017. Print.
Grenny, Joseph, et al. Crucial Conversations. Second ed., McGraw Hill, 2012.
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“Harassment.” US EEOC, https://www.eeoc.gov/harassment.

O'Hair, Dan, et al. A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking. Fifth ed., Bedford/St. Martin's, 2019.
PDF.

Assessments
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