Oh, message, how shall I send thee?

This week, I would like to discuss communication modality. The following message has been delivered in three ways: email, voicemail, and in person. Each method has pros and cons, and each may leave the recipient feeling one way or another about the message and the messenger. No one way is necessarily better, but consider how you would react if you received this message in each way:

“Hi Mark,

I know you have been busy and possibly in that all day meeting today, but I really need an ETA on the missing report. Because your report contains data I need to finish my report, I might miss my own deadline if I don’t get your report soon. Please let me know when you think you can get your report sent over to me, or even if you can send the data I need in a separate email.

I really appreciate your help.

Jane”

Email:

When this message is received via email, it sounds very apologetic. The tone is not assertive and is not clear in expectation/demand.  These are stereotypically considered feminine speech patterns and give an impression of insecurity, lack of competence, and even lack of trust (Bennett, 2017). The message contains extraneous words and could be boiled down to a single sentence or two to improve clarity:

“Hi Mark,

When do you expect to get the missing report to me? Feel free to send the data in an email if that will get to me faster.

Thanks, Jane.”

Voicemail:

In a voicemail delivery, the tone of voice allows a sense of urgency to come through, but there are still a lot of words in this message. Voicemails should be quick, precise, and to the point. Again, it could be summed up in a few sentences. Another problem with voicemail is the lack of a confirmed receipt. Too often, voicemails are ignored or allegedly never received.  Since the message conveys a time-sensitive request, confirmation and response would reassure the messenger.

In Person:

Even if a person is hesitant and uses more tentative language, she cannot be easily ignored. Eye contact is maintained, and facial expressions and small hand gestures can help convey meaning and tone and imply an exchange of information and a shared responsibility to get this project to the finish line. Opening with a smile can make it even harder for the other party to say no. If I were mentoring Jane, I would work with her to adopt a more stereotypically masculine speech pattern to be more assertive and confident in her requests (Lituchy & Wiswall, 1991).

Of course, there are times when business needs and practicality cause communications to be delivered in a less-than-optimal method. Email and instant messaging are the modes of the day, and voicemail may be the only option for a colleague in a different time zone when tone of voice is crucial. Even in tight-knit teams, communication is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Different folks on the same team may react more favorably to different modes of communication, and a pervasive organizational culture may lend itself to one mode or another. Dr. Stolovitch provides some examples of how to tread lightly and explore effective communication styles and modes for each situation (Walden, n.d). Eliciting feedback from a trusted co-worker or mentor can be a great starting point for fine-tuning communication for any project manager or instructional designer.

References

Bennett, J. (2017, March 8). What a speech coach told me about “speaking like a woman” (and why it’s BS). Working While Female. https://www.fastcompany.com/3068806/what-a-speech-coach-told-me-about-speaking-like-a-woman-and-why-its-bs

Lituchy, T. R., & Wiswall, W. J. (1991). The Role of Masculine and Feminine Speech Patterns in Proposal Acceptance: A Laboratory Study. Management Communication Quarterly, 4(4), 450–465. https://doi.org/10.1177/0893318991004004003

Walden University, LLC. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Project management concerns: Communication strategies and organizational culture [Video file]. Retrieved from https://waldenu.instructure.com