Beware the Illusion of Communication

Down the Road

Ah, spring in the Carolinas.  The Bradford Pears (not a pear tree) and the Redbuds are blooming.  I was chatting with a master gardener about how prolific the Bradford Pears were; the roadside speckled with them against the stark greys, tans, and browns before the forests came alive.  I asked if the Bradford Pear was an invasive species.  The master gardener says that will depend upon what you mean by invasive.  

Why did the miscommunication between the two antennas make the TV show so confusing?

Because one was talking in widescreen and the other in full screen!

Such is communication.

Flashbacks

This made me think about a certification class I taught some years back to a group of engineers moving to project management. We went through the material and practiced questions for that section of the material. One of the engineers had been getting many of the test questions incorrect, stating it was only semantics.  The fact that this engineer was getting many incorrect answers is not unusual.  This certification exam usually gives two answers to choose from that could be applicable; the correct one requires an ability to differentiate situations and circumstances and connect to specific project management process keywords and concepts.

I also worked at a place with many TLA’s in their communication repertoire.  An online page was created to provide the expansion of these Three Letter Acronyms, for example, PPAP, Production Part Approval Process.  Knowing what a letter stands for in an acronym differs from knowing the definition.  Even if the company had taken time to put a complete definition of those terms, having these locked in an online book does not necessarily mean team members have or will visit.

“There’s a big difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.”  ~ Richard P. Feynman

Communication

If you have been alive for any time, you have experienced the downside of poor communication. From experience, projects become late and over budget due to poor communication.  Communication is important for everything we do, and it is not just semantics. There are a few times when we do not need to be able to communicate; I know, a statement of the obvious.  However, there are times when we think communication has occurred when it hasn’t. That engineer from earlier would believe communication has taken place, but the disconnect is in the precision and clear articulation of the test language.

Understanding what is being said requires effort, especially in the technical and business environments.  Poor understanding can have serious downstream consequences for our product and business. This is the problem with the illusion of communication.  Project success requires taking time to ensure actual communication has taken place.

Clear and effective communication is essential for everyone. Even if you are doing solo work, you may keep a record of your efforts and communication.  If you want to go back and do it again, this documentation will come in handy.  If you want somebody else to replicate what you have produced, this record can be used to do so.  If somebody needs to support the product after launch, this record will also be used.

The Cognitive Communication Model: A Framework for Information Exchange and Interpretation

The communication model describes the process of exchanging information between a sender and a receiver. It helps identify and understand the different components and stages of effective communication.

The basic communication model consists of the following elements:

1. Sender: The person who initiates the message or information.
2. Message: The information, idea, or message that is being conveyed by the sender.
3. Encoding: The process of converting the message into a form that can be transmitted to the receiver, such as words, symbols, or gestures.
4. Channel: The medium or method used to convey the message, such as face-to-face conversation, telephone, email, or text message.
5. Decoding: The process of interpreting and understanding the message by the receiver.
6. Receiver: The person who receives the message.
7. Feedback: The response or reaction of the receiver to the message.
8. Noise: Any factors that can interfere with the communication process, such as distractions, technical problems, or language barriers.

Establishing a Common Lexicon

I started up a test group at a global automotive company.  As a manager of a test and verification group, I took my growing group to a software testing certification. It was not that I thought it best for the team to be certified, I did not care if they acquired the certification.  I was more interested in acquiring a common language or lexicon.  There were two reasons for this.

First, internal to the team, we could have productive discussions on how to do the work with a common language as a baseline.  We know what is meant in our context, when we use the phrase, “test case,” it would be similarly so for project managers.  As another example, I worked with a supplier project manager, and they would keep referring to critical path.  However, the term they were using has a specific meaning, and the actual problem had nothing to do with critical path. They could not show me a Gantt Chart with the interconnections to this task, both prior, and depending.  What was actually happening?  Well, this specific task was late, and it had consequences on the customer’s project.  This is not to say that this late task could impact the project’s critical path, but nobody would know as there was no schedule build or tracking. Secondly, a team with a common lexicon understands how the work moves through the department, and the hardpoints or more rigid areas and the things that are more malleable.  They are equipped to have conversations with other departments about the ideal prerequisites and steps to performing the work.

Communication, Clarification and Exchanges

Clarifying communication is an essential skill that can help ensure that everyone involved in a conversation or exchange of information is on the same page. Here are some tips to help clarify communication:

1. Ask questions: When someone communicates with you, ask clarifying questions to make sure you understand what they are saying. Ask questions like “What do you mean by that?” or “Can you give me an example?”
2. Paraphrase: Repeat what the person said back to them in your own words. This will help you make sure you understand what they meant, and it will also show them that you are actively listening.
3. Check for understanding: Summarize the conversation or exchange of information and ask the person if your understanding is correct. This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page.
4. Avoid assumptions: Don’t assume that you know what the person means without checking first. It’s better to ask questions and clarify than to make assumptions that could lead to misunderstandings.
5. Use clear language: When communicating with others, use clear and concise language. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that others may not understand.
6. Use visual aids: If possible, use visual aids like diagrams or charts to help illustrate your point. This can make complex ideas easier to understand.

Remember, effective communication is a two-way street. Both parties should try to communicate clearly and ensure everyone understands the shared information.

Communication and Project Management

Effective communication is a critical component of successful project management. A communications model can help project managers plan, execute and monitor their communication strategies.  It is often said that project managers should spend 80% or so of their time communicating. This is probably accurate, though I know of no specific study. 

Communications are important to project management.  We provide five things to do to improve our probability of project success.

1. Identifying stakeholders: A project manager must identify all stakeholders who are interested in or are affected by the project. To not be blindsided late in the project, spend time identifying the various communication channels, frequency, and type of message needed for each stakeholder group.
2. Developing a communication plan: Once the stakeholders have been identified, a communication plan can be developed. A communication plan should identify the type of information that needs to be communicated, the medium used, the frequency, and who is responsible for delivering the message.
3. Encoding and decoding: The project manager must ensure the communicated information is articulated (encoded) so the receiver clearly understands. This is where developing a common lexicon can be helpful.  We should avoid mitigated speech.  Mitigated speech is where direct statements are avoided, reducing the clarity and urgency associated with the message. 
4. Feedback: Feedback is an essential component of the communication process. Feedback is how the project manager and team understand. Feedback is the mechanism by which project communication improves and adjusts to often changing circumstances.
5. Overcoming noise: Our project’s approach to communication must recognize the impact of distractions, not just audio noise, but anything that distracts cell phone etiquette and preoccupation with immediate workloads. We must also recognize that language barriers and technical problems impact communication.  Different first languages will require spending more time and effort to understand.

Conclusion

When I go out to lunch with my family, I order sweet iced tea. From time to time, my family has mocked me for ordering sweet iced tea, as in North Carolina, tea is sweet and iced by default. I tell them if I order just tea and got hot tea or unsweetened tea, then I would have exactly what I ordered but not what I wanted.

There are so many things that must go well for communication to happen. From experience, business, project management, and engineering or tech areas require much attention to specifics.  In our haste, we might have the misguided belief that communication has occurred.  The more complicated the discussion, the more time we should spend clarifying.  There is a saying, “The person speaking is responsible for the receiving person’s understanding.”  This is only half true; all parties must participate in the conversation.  For effective communication to occur, everybody is responsible for creating an understanding and spend as much time as required to understand what is being said.

Related Content

Article: The Project Communication Plan

Lesson: Project Communication Tools – A guide to communicating more effectively!

Course: Communication for Project Managers

References

[1] Quigley, J. M., & Quigley, S. P. (2020). Continuous and embedded learning for organizations. CRC Press, Taylor et Francis Group.

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