Production - Why Communication Is So Important [RESEARCH]

After recent shoot dates have highlighted that communication could be better within our team, I wanted to do some further research as to why it is so important when working in a professional environment. It was hard to find the information directly relating to media and the television industry, but I can take a lot of knowledge from information learned in the workplace. We are trying our best to conduct this project in the most professional way possible, so learning from the workplace is ideal and will allow me to understand how we can all improve as a team.

A few of the issues we have experienced during this project so far are due to miscommunications through texts, where a lot of the context can be lost. "Because text messaging cannot accurately convey tone, emotion, facial expressions, gestures, body language, eye contact, oral speech, or face-to-face conversation, it is likely messages will be misinterpreted or misunderstood. The real meaning of your message gets lost through the medium." (SCRIBENDI, 2019) This issue has led to us having disagreements due to the simple fact we did not understand the tone in which a message was being sent. This has wasted time in the early phase of this project and has created unnecessary tension between us. In understanding that text messages were causing issues in creating a dynamic and legitimate discussion, we decided that we would start a regular chat session via Skype which would allow for discussion back and forth on important decisions that need to be made for this project. These will happen at least once per week, but probably more to allow us to go through all of the points that will need to be spoken about in a project of this magnitude. As it is obvious that discussion will still have to happen via text, we have since spoken in person and made sure that when communicating via text, we will now be clearer about the point we are trying to make. We have also agreed not to take issues personally and work in a professional manner to overcome each issue as it presents itself. "By outlining exactly what you need your employees to do and ensuring that everyone is aware of their objectives, the department, project and company will run more smoothly." (Time-recruitment.com, 2019)

Along with these chats via Skype and Text, we have agreed upon the need for real-life weekly meetings so that we can have honest discussions and develop the project at a faster rate. "Experts have been able to prove that some people understand better when you take them aside and talk to them on a one-on-one basis. Ensure that you maintain eye contact with them to enable the message to sink in" (smallbiztrends.com, 2013). This quote definitely highlights an issue I have with online chats, as it is very hard to read someone's emotions and honest thoughts, even through Skype. Therefore we have already started to have these meetings, mostly at university when we are in for other meetings with lecturers. These have already been productive and we have worked on schedules to work around Cailan as well as further developing an understanding about our job roles, there has been an overlap in areas over the first few shoots and these real-life discussions have definitely been more productive so I would like to hold more in the future. The problem we have is that Cailan only had two free days in the week and we will be filming on these most of the time. Therefore Cailan needs to stop working three weekdays each week to ensure that this does not become a further issue. This is my main worry going forward as I can see this becoming an issue on multiple occasions, as things such as test sessions and availability of locations cannot be suited around Cailan's work schedule. George and I have expressed our opinion on this, but nothing has changed at the time of writing this blog.

As mentioned, the communication issues so far have hurt our productivity, which we cannot allow to be the case because of the importance of this project for our futures "Good communication is an essential tool in achieving productivity and maintaining strong working relationships at all levels of an organisation... poor communication in the workplace will inevitably lead to unmotivated staff that may begin to question their own confidence in their abilities and inevitably in the organisation." (michaelpage.co.uk , 2019). Although the quote relates to a conventional workplace, we can take a lot of the same values into this project. As I was the "creator" of this idea and the project, I want to ensure I motivate Cailan and George as their passion for this project will probably never be on the same level as mine. It will be hard for them to engage with it in a way that I have for nearly a year now. Therefore, as stated above, good communication will only benefit the project as a whole as it will allow the team to flourish and do their role in the best way possible. Communication about racing technical terms and ideas will also allow the crew to understand what is happening so that they can engage with the idea even further. "Communicating is more than just talking. It’s about connecting with people. One of the most powerful benefits of better communication in the workplace is more engaged employees. Employees are more engaged in their work and can better align with company objectives and goals when a culture of good communication is established in a team or workplace." (leadershipchoice.com, 2019). I am really happy to see that both George and Cailan are willing to learn about the sport and their engagement so far has been fantastic. This has allowed me to relax into my role as a contributor when in front of the camera, as I know the team are learning a lot about the sport and what they should be filming. The issue with motorsport is that there are a lot of small technical details that need to be captured to ensure the story is complete. It is clear that from the first shoots that the team are starting to understand these details which shows when looking back at the footage. As a fan of the sport for my whole life, I am passing on as much advice as possible to enable everyone to learn quicker. This will allow us to have a documentary with more detail and depth which will mean that it is the best documentary it can possibly be.

As mentioned above, we have found that text chats don't make it easy to resolve issues. We have had disagreements on minor issues that have been blown out of proportion because of miscommunication. "Good communication in the workplace isn’t about being right all the time or trying to overpower people. The key is to talk openly, honestly and professionally to one another so that everyone’s needs are met. Finding a resolution that everyone is happy with will result in a much healthier environment than one person getting their own way at another person’s expense. This kind of atmosphere could be very uncomfortable for colleagues and might result in a lack of enthusiasm and motivation." (Time-recruitment.com, 2019). Something I know I struggle with is admitting when I am wrong. I have made every decision in the project for the benefit of the team, but it is sometimes hard to accept when someone else is right, because I grew this project from nothing. Allowing myself to accept other opinions is vital for the success of the project and, in some scenarios, I need to change my attitude to not take another suggestion personally. We have all been guilty of taking opinions about the project personally in this project, which has not only wasted time but caused unnecessary friction within the group.

I am really happy to have conducted this research so early on as it is clear that good communication is so important in creating a powerful team dynamic. Going forward we have revolutionised how we are going to communicate during this project and in my opinion, it will be very beneficial to both the project and its quality, as well as maintaining a friendship! Understanding how people create a successful working relationship in the professional workplace has been very beneficial in allowing me to understand how I should change my approach going forward. It has been hard for me to split myself up between so many roles so far, but I understand that it will make the project better as a whole if I take the time to explain things to the crew. I am certainly feeling the pressure from the team to provide all of the details, but I am hoping to thrive under this pressure, now that the dissertation has been submitted. Overall, I am looking forward to going forward with this project and I am sure that our new communication methods through regular Skype meetings and real-life meetings will allow this documentary to flourish and fulfil its full potential. Exciting times are ahead for this project, we just need to ensure that we maximise our time together and communicate effectively when doing so.

References:
SCRIBENDI, 2019: https://www.scribendi.com/advice/miscommunication_and_texting.en.html
smallbiztrends.com, 2013 https://smallbiztrends.com/2013/11/20-ways-to-communicate-effectively-in-the-workplace.html
michaelpage.co.uk , 2019 https://www.michaelpage.co.uk/advice/management-advice/development-and-retention/importance-good-communication-workplace
leadershipchoice.com, 2019 https://leadershipchoice.com/power-good-communication-workplace/
Time-recruitment.com, 2019 http://time-recruitment.com/importance-good-communication-workplace/