Critical Thinking

QUESTIONS FOR CRITICAL THINKING?

1. How do you think a small margin of error affects communication on a project?

I think a small margin of error affects communication adversely on a project a great deal, in terms of money and time. In this case, employees involved in the project for the Ball Corporation had specific roles, so there was no room for mistakes. The employees needed the correct details, in order, to fulfill their role in the project accordingly. Any errors could have led to something not getting done correctly or timely, which would have led to bigger project problems.

2. In what ways do you act differently in a face-to-face meeting than you do during a telephone conference call? In a face-to-face meeting you have to be more attentive. Also, you need to be dressed professionally. Everyone can see you and notice everything. On the contrary, during a telephone conference call, the person on the other end of the conference call cannot see you, so it is possible that you can multi-task unnoticeably. In addition, you can dress more casual because you cannot be seen on a telephone conference call.

3. Why is written communication essential in some situations (such as conveying specifications), while oral communication is essential in others (such as technology interchange transfers)? When using written communication, it easier for someone to retain what they see visually. Therefore, if they do not remember something they can always refer back to the visual aid for specifics or reinforcement. When transferring technology, oral communication is essential. In this case, handouts are not good learning tools because many people learn better with hands on training and oral instructions.

4. What listening hurdles do you find yourself as you listen to others? How do you handle it when you believe someone you're speaking to is not hearing what you say? Sometimes I am anxious and just want to know the bottom line versus all the details that preceed. For example, when customers call to discuss an issue that they are experiencing, sometimes I become bored listening to all the details before the bottom line. Usually I am multi-tasking and not paying very close attention. In order to re-focus, I always repeat the issue to the customer to make sure that I heard correctly.

When I believe someone that I'm speaking to is not hearing what I say, usually address them by name and that usually gets their undivided attention. If not, then I repeat myself and ask them a question to get them engaged.