I walked into my capstone project really hoping to change the overall effectiveness and productivity of communication in my office and, not thinking about the consequences (something I do a bit too often in my opinion ... still working on that), I took on a project to "improve" the email process in hopes to increase both effectiveness and productivity.
Did I think this would be simple?
Did I think it would be easy?
Did I think I had all the answers?
I'm pretty sure I knew the answer to all these questions was NO!!!, yet for some reason I did it anyway.
Now I'm left with a really great new email system (YAY!), no way to get back all the old emails, a boss who can't access his emails on his phone, and a coworker who gets a pop up asking for his old email password every five seconds if his email client is open.
I'm not quite sure I would call this an improvement of communication.
I am quite sure I would call this a product of my own doing, however.
The biggest problem is, I have to find out the answer to all these questions and I am NOT an IT person. I'm just me. I Professional Communications major who took on a project way too big for her britches and is being asked to fix all these things that I don't know how to fix.
So what's the point of this post? Besides the fact that I've made a first class fool of myself?
Communication.
There is one thing I did RIGHT before embarking on this project.
I communicated.
I did not claim to be a pro. I offered to help and stated I might not have all the answers. I've apologized when I couldn't fix something. And it's become a joke that when my director asks why I don't have the answer, I tell him, "I can't be perfect at everything." He laughs and says, "Why not?"
Jokes aside, I've been in communication with my director and my coworkers about everything that could go wrong or is going wrong the entire time. Because of this, although they may be highly annoyed with the situation (and maybe even me a bit), no one is angry with me. No one expects me to have all the answers. And no one is suggesting I should be fired (At least I hope!).
Communication is everything. If you embark upon a journey where you know you don't know all the answers, be honest about it.
In an article in the Harvard Business Journal they suggest,
And the outcome will be wonderful.
Just because I don't have the answers now doesn't mean I won't figure them out.
I never back down from a challenge!
References:
D'Souza, Steven and Renner, Diana. (2015, Sept 30). New Managers Don't Have to Have All the Answers. Harvard Business Review.
WHY!??!?!?!?!?!
Did I think this would be simple?
Did I think it would be easy?
Did I think I had all the answers?
I'm pretty sure I knew the answer to all these questions was NO!!!, yet for some reason I did it anyway.
Now I'm left with a really great new email system (YAY!), no way to get back all the old emails, a boss who can't access his emails on his phone, and a coworker who gets a pop up asking for his old email password every five seconds if his email client is open.
I'm not quite sure I would call this an improvement of communication.
I am quite sure I would call this a product of my own doing, however.
The biggest problem is, I have to find out the answer to all these questions and I am NOT an IT person. I'm just me. I Professional Communications major who took on a project way too big for her britches and is being asked to fix all these things that I don't know how to fix.
So what's the point of this post? Besides the fact that I've made a first class fool of myself?
Communication.
There is one thing I did RIGHT before embarking on this project.
I communicated.
I did not claim to be a pro. I offered to help and stated I might not have all the answers. I've apologized when I couldn't fix something. And it's become a joke that when my director asks why I don't have the answer, I tell him, "I can't be perfect at everything." He laughs and says, "Why not?"
Jokes aside, I've been in communication with my director and my coworkers about everything that could go wrong or is going wrong the entire time. Because of this, although they may be highly annoyed with the situation (and maybe even me a bit), no one is angry with me. No one expects me to have all the answers. And no one is suggesting I should be fired (At least I hope!).
Communication is everything. If you embark upon a journey where you know you don't know all the answers, be honest about it.
In an article in the Harvard Business Journal they suggest,
"Start by opening up a conversation with your team to set their expectations. Discuss the benefits and challenges associated with being forthright about what knowledge you lack individually and as a team. This gives you the opportunity to renegotiate people’s expectations that you should have all the answers. Allowing room for doubt opens up space for learning, growth, and creativity."You don't have to have all the answers to try something new! Don't let your hesitation stop you! I could have kept us in our old email system in which I was using two different computers and one person couldn't even get their email, but I decided to take a chance. I took a chance with the knowing that I might not do it perfectly, but that the outcome could just very possibly be wonderful.
And the outcome will be wonderful.
Just because I don't have the answers now doesn't mean I won't figure them out.
I never back down from a challenge!
Get email up and running flawlessly ... eventually???
References:
D'Souza, Steven and Renner, Diana. (2015, Sept 30). New Managers Don't Have to Have All the Answers. Harvard Business Review.
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