Comments on: Explaining Misunderstanding http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2006/03/27/602/ The magazine for the project age Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:38:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Aaron http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2006/03/27/602/#comment-9562 Wed, 23 Aug 2006 05:24:32 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2006/03/27/602/#comment-9562 Hal, Your posting states the obvious.. but that is why it is so good. It is too often I run into such miscommunication issues while at work that it takes all my effort and sense of humor not to lose my marbles. For the projects I manage it is not just the individuals' differences in personality or manners that is the root cause of all of the misunderstandings I have to work out; it is compounded by as Mr. Orr states: "project participants who originate from different... national contexts." I am an American based in Japan overseeing R&D here and in the US, production and implementation of new designs is in China. Unfortunately the voice of reason is often forgotten by members of the group. Most often heard on all sides: "we do it this way, so why can't they??" Most failures are caused by the tendancy of individuals at seemingly unrelated times to protect that way of thought and do not take the time to stop, listen, absorb, and think over what is at hand before moving on. Then despite the known language barriers, too many people act without following up or confirming obscure information properly. Yet, everyone will be immediately up in arms ready and willing to play the blame game when a misunderstanding related problem comes to a head. In today's world of international business, this is a daily issue. Yet it is not stressed enough in the education of those coming up through the ranks. More often it is a side note to -how to analyze "your" position in order to be right.. which is "success"! Everyone wants their own side to win when if one side fails we all lose. And as you well know the costs from that are large. So it is wonderful to find people like yourself furthering the call to bring attention to the pitfalls of misunderstanding. Hal,
Your posting states the obvious.. but that is why it is so good.
It is too often I run into such miscommunication issues while at work that it takes all my effort and sense of humor not to lose my marbles.

For the projects I manage it is not just the individuals’ differences in personality or manners that is the root cause of all of the misunderstandings I have to work out; it is compounded by as Mr. Orr states: “project participants who originate from different… national contexts.”

I am an American based in Japan overseeing R&D here and in the US, production and implementation of new designs is in China. Unfortunately the voice of reason is often forgotten by members of the group. Most often heard on all sides: “we do it this way, so why can’t they??”
Most failures are caused by the tendancy of individuals at seemingly unrelated times to protect that way of thought and do not take the time to stop, listen, absorb, and think over what is at hand before moving on. Then despite the known language barriers, too many people act without following up or confirming obscure information properly. Yet, everyone will be immediately up in arms ready and willing to play the blame game when a misunderstanding related problem comes to a head.

In today’s world of international business, this is a daily issue. Yet it is not stressed enough in the education of those coming up through the ranks. More often it is a side note to -how to analyze “your” position in order to be right.. which is “success”!
Everyone wants their own side to win when if one side fails we all lose.
And as you well know the costs from that are large.

So it is wonderful to find people like yourself furthering the call to bring attention to the pitfalls of misunderstanding.

]]> by: Ryan Orr http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2006/03/27/602/#comment-3463 Sun, 09 Apr 2006 23:55:52 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2006/03/27/602/#comment-3463 Thanks for a gret post Hal. You might be interested in reading a few of the papers on our site. We have been studying how differences in institutions -- i.e. beliefs, values, norms, conventions, customs, and rule-systems -- lead to misjudgements, misunderstandings, and conflicts between project participants who originate from different organizational and national contexts. Ryan Orr Collaboratory for Research on Global Projects http://crgp.stanford.edu Thanks for a gret post Hal.

You might be interested in reading a few of the papers on our site. We have been studying how differences in institutions — i.e. beliefs, values, norms, conventions, customs, and rule-systems — lead to misjudgements, misunderstandings, and conflicts between project participants who originate from different organizational and national contexts.

Ryan Orr
Collaboratory for Research on Global Projects
http://crgp.stanford.edu

]]> by: Timothy http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2006/03/27/602/#comment-3300 Tue, 28 Mar 2006 01:21:50 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2006/03/27/602/#comment-3300 Excellent post, Hal. Projects by their nature are staffed cross-functionally, so of course the personal perceptual filters of each function/department get in the way of effective communication. Each project team member is asking "what's in it for me?" or "what does this mean to me?" (or at least they should be asking these questions more). I instruct clients and students alike to ask "why" up to five times to delve into the real meaning behind the comments or questions. Still, misunderstandings persist. Great post to make us think on a Monday. Excellent post, Hal. Projects by their nature are staffed cross-functionally, so of course the personal perceptual filters of each function/department get in the way of effective communication. Each project team member is asking “what’s in it for me?” or “what does this mean to me?” (or at least they should be asking these questions more). I instruct clients and students alike to ask “why” up to five times to delve into the real meaning behind the comments or questions. Still, misunderstandings persist. Great post to make us think on a Monday.

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