Green light ahead?
When words drive us apart
Who's Really Driving? The Hidden Lanes of Communication
In project management, effective communication is crucial for coordinating teams, aligning on tasks, and resolving issues promptly.
Messages in professional settings often carry multiple layers beyond just facts, such as personal feelings, relational dynamics, or implied actions. This can cause misunderstandings, escalate conflicts, and derail project timelines.
To analyse and improve, the Four-Sides Communication Model by Friedemann Schulz von Thun dissects messages into their four components, enabling better self-awareness, targeted responses, and conflict resolution in team communications.
Schultz von Thun
Factual information
The objective information or data in the message, focusing on facts without emotional or relational overlay.
In project contexts, this is the "what" – e.g., status updates or metrics.
Self-Revelation
What the sender unintentionally reveals about their own state, feelings, or personality.
This layer exposes the speaker's inner world, like frustration or enthusiasm, which can influence team morale if overlooked.
Relationship
How the sender perceives or signals the relationship with the receiver, often through tone or phrasing.
In projects, this can indicate trust, hierarchy, or respect issues, leading to defensiveness if misread.
Appeal
The intended action or influence on the receiver – what the sender wants them to do, think, or feel.
This drives calls to action in management, such as urging faster progress, but can be seen as bossy if not clarified.
Since project managers communicate with individuals and groups, we will expand the model with
- stakeholders' core values (e.g., intrinsic motivators like autonomy, security, or innovation) as good as is known
- existing relationships (e.g., trust levels or power dynamics, informed by relational dialectics or social exchange theory), also as good as known
How does this work out in the traffic situation?
