Teleconferencing

Telephone conferences are a commonplace business tool, but the depth and variety of approaches have changed in recent years. A number of years ago, having more than four or five individuals on a teleconference would have been considered unwieldy. Now, technology affords the ability to include hundreds or even thousands of persons on a single conference call. Such large-scale teleconferences are frequently Internet supported, featuring an on-line presentation, coupled with a discussion led by a handful of individuals on the virtual teleconference “stage.” Participants can raise questions through the Internet interface, but the discussion can still be dominated by those in charge.

The conventional teleconference of a few key players is still commonplace as well. In all of these scenarios, the key to successful implementation is knowing when it is appropriate for the parties to speak and how they have to manage the mechanics of the call. Perhaps the most challenging aspect of teleconferencing for many people is that they forget the common courtesy of regular personal identification (e.g., “This is Roger again, and I think…”). Because of the distortion inherent in many ordinary telephone receivers, frequent personal identification is essential to maintain a clear flow of information.        

Even when the technical challenges are overcome, the teleconference has the inherent difficulty of lacking face-to-face contact (as do most remote technologies). As such, parties in the conference should ask for clarification any time there are any misgivings about what is being said. The content of a conference call should be clearly outlined at the beginning of the call and should be identified with clear objectives for each content element. If the content requires support documentation, such documentation should be sent (via fax, e-mail, or posted mail) prior to the call, and there should be premeeting affirmation that the support documentation has been received. The call should be treated as a meeting, with a clear agenda, and with all conversation directed at the agenda. Because conference calls can get confusing in terms of who is speaking and any references they may make, any time the agenda is amended or superseded, there should be a clear definition of the objective of the new subject matter discussion.

Clear rules of behavior should be established regarding when it is appropriate to speak, interrupt, or join the conversation. It is also important to establish basic protocols for such simple things as putting the conference on “hold” (where “hold” music may become a distraction), putting the phone on mute (without which participants’ background noise may grow intolerable), or identifying oneself at the beginning of each speaking “turn.” If some participants are there simply to listen, it may be necessary at intervals throughout the call to affirm their presence or ongoing participation through a call of the roll or a simple check on status (e.g., “Bob? Are you still with us?”).

Conference calls can become a major distraction, because participants have the potential to stray from topic (as any meeting does). Conference calls can cause frustration  if  participants  misinterpret  tone  of  voice  during the conversation. Discussion should be measured and even, and speakers should make an effort to minimize intense, rapid speech. Without the context of body language and facial expressions to support the language, it can readily be misinterpreted. As such, any time a conference call is perceived as causing misunderstanding, the topic at hand
should be set aside long enough to clarify the emotional context of the participants and their understanding of what is being said.

Voice-Mail

For some, voice-mail is the technology of choice for project management. As with e-mail, it allows for asynchronous communication and opens the door to transfer information at whim or will. As with e-mail, however, it also has a downside in that some individuals use it inappropriately or to excess. Voice-mail is most effective (as with virtually all communication) when there are clear procedures be followed as ritual. Limiting durations, clarifying contact information, and providing information succinctly can all make the voice-mail experience far more positive. Failure to establish such guidelines can lead to inconsistency and misunderstanding.

Telephone Calls

Conventional telephone calls are intended for the quick transfer of information with some measure of immediacy. They may also be used for clarification of issues that were not transmitted effectively in written or graphic form. They are used liberally in modern business, but should be limited to those situations where an extensive documentary record is not essential or where time is of the essence. They may also be used appropriately when the sender is not effective at sharing information via the written word.

The nature of telephone conversations should be brief and clarifying. Attempting a long-form review of any project element of significance during a phone call invites the opportunity for disagreements and misunderstandings about what was said or how the information was conveyed. The classic “he-said/she-said” types of arguments can be driven by poorly chosen content for such discussions.
On the telephone, particularly in one-on-one conversations, the lack of body language leaves voice alone to carry the message. For some senders, voice quality is not an issue. For others, a monotone quality to their voice may be normal, but may be construed as being bored. Rapid-fire speech may be interpreted as aggressive, and overly slow speech may simply frustrate the receiver. The approach should be one of conversational tone, coupled with a willingness to be patient and listen to the responses thoroughly before providing feedback.

If the call is intended to be a component of the official project record, it should be followed by an affirming e-mail, memo, or telephone log entry. A phone log, if kept, is nothing more than a sequential record of times, dates, callers, and nature of the calls.

Perhaps the most significant modern considerations come with the use of a cellular phone. The microphones on such telephones are extremely sensitive, and yet some users feel compelled to speak loudly into them because of the devices’ size and weight. Due to improvements in cellular technology, such phones frequently have higher quality and better microphone sensitivity than a wired unit and should be treated in the same fashion (with a reasonable level of privacy required).