assignment_2

Interaction between people has always been a staple of communication, for it encompasses where most forms of communication function. People witness such interactions daily, be it intentional or forced upon. One such incident I can call memorable would be during my internship in my Polytechnic days.
It was during one of those project meetings in which employees of various hierarchical standing gather to discuss the progress on the project that they are currently tackling. The project manager lays out the requirements and objectives set by the executives, demanding the attention and focus towards himself. Such presence was granted somewhat by a “power-pose” coupled with his stern facial expression and impactful gestures which shows that he’s asserting his dominance. And the whole room would obey that non-verbal command and comply, for-going their current activity while staring intently and actively-listening to the content of what he is presenting. However, when it’s time for the various team leader’s turn to present, I observed that the project manager wasn’t fully paying attention and actively listening, for he shown many non-verbal signs of being occupied by something else. Firstly, his eyes were shifted towards his own phone below the desk seemingly concentrating one some urgent matter he had to resolve. Secondly, when his gaze was not on his phone, he was consistently giving glances towards his watch, in which through chronemics it displays that he values his time more than the presenter.  Lastly, he kept asking questions in which the team leader has already went into detail, this may be because he wants the team leader to re-iterate key-points for the whole meeting room to listen. I believe that such responses may have been attributed because the project manager has been in the company longer and has a higher hierarchical standing as compared to anyone in the meeting room. In which it produces an un-spoken rule in which his time is somehow more precious than the others if his rank is higher.

Ultimately, I believe his subordinates would support him willingly without the use of a power-pose or even a stern expression if he is willing to listen to others and offer a small fraction of his time when they are presenting disregarding the hierarchical structure. 

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Comments

  1. tr11 February 2019 at 18:17

    Hi Josiah,
    Yee Tong here. Interesting post about your experience in Polytechnic! I think it fits the criteria of the assignment as you had answered all of the questions for the assignment as required. I can tell that from your post that you are focusing more in the aspect of non-verbal cue since you mention on the project manager looking on his phone and glancing at watch. I agreed on the factor of chronemics since being at a higher position, the project manager tends to values his time more than the presenters who are at a lower position. I also feel that maybe the team leader might need to improve on his communication skills. Perhaps, his presentation was not really interactive enough to attract the attention of the project manager. All in all, I think the project manager should have involve more in active listening however the presenter must also improve on his verbal and non-verbal aspect in communication to captivate the audience.

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