University of Maryland, College Park

Pearl Diving Assignment 2

Marcos Lorenzana
Communication for Project Managers: ENCE424
Dr. Shana Webster – Trotman
July 10, 2021
Introduction
As an architecture student at the university of Maryland, we are mostly shown a lot of
technical skills within our majors. We are not really shown how to properly communicate with
other employees. In this second pearl diving assignment I will first be writing an email to my
team addressing their lackluster performance and emphasizing their need for improvement.
Following the email, I will then discus one important concept or technique that was discussed in
class and how I plan to apply it in the real life. Moreover, I will then go over a situation in which
my boss has just called me an “Idiot” in front of my team and how I as an employee would go
about handling a situation like that with the techniques covered in the book “Crucial
conversations”. Furthermore, I will finally use the techniques that I learned from “Five Stars” to
craft a personal story about a personal experience in which I was forced to demonstrate my
ability to overcome adversity. Finally, I will attach an image of the Big Five personality
assessment with a short description.

A. Write an email to your team.

Good afternoon team,

We have received several complaints regarding the miscommunication between team

members in this jobsite. Due to this miscommunication several issues have occurred in the
jobsite including late swap of dumpsters which have caused the site to be extremely dirty.
Due to this we have received several complaints from workers, foreman, and people that
occupy the area around the job site.
First, I would like to address the miscommunication issue, within the team. Everyone in
the team has a means to communicate with everyone else, we all have cell phones and we all
have each other contact information. There is no reason as to why team members should not
be aware of an issue that has arisen in the job site especially if it is something as important as
getting our dumpsters swap out efficiently and on time on a weekly basis. Everyone here has
a specific job duty, and this job as a whole cannot be completed by any individual alone. We
have to work together, when one of us sees a dumpster if not all the dumpsters start to get full
we have to speak up or take the initiative to call in the dumpsters to get picked up on time.
Thus far we have had a very successful team in past projects, delivery jobs on time and
delivery quality work, I know that we are a very talented and hard-working team and that this
should not be something that should be discussed multiple times.
As always thank you for your hard work, let us not allow this little bump to demoralize
our team, and let us fix this issue so that customers can see that we pay attention to all the
details, and the they can feel comfortable and confident to partner with our company for
future projects.
Thank you.
Marcos Lorenzana

B. Select one important concept or technique.

The most important concept that I have learned throughout this summer session course
has been Crucial conversations. During this class we also had the two guest speakers come
and share how this class impacted them and how what they learned while taking this class
has helped them become better in their careers and better as individuals. The guest speaker
that really touched me was Adriana. I have known Adriana prior to this course for about a
year or two now and I had honestly never heard her speak the way she did during the class
while she shared her story with us and how it impacted her career for the better. The reason
why her story impacted me so much was because it inspired me. From what I can remember
she spent 3 years as an intern for her company, as an intern she closed out several projects
and even trained new full-time employees to become project engineers. Throughout all this
she was a full-time student and had a lot to manage. Where her story took a turn for the best
was that she was currently in this same class and had just finished taking the same crucial
conversation session. From that she became motivated and shared her personal story with her
boss and shred how important the job she was in was to her. Due to her speaking up and
sharing her personal story and knowing her own worth her bosses took note of that and
decided to make her a full-time employee with a salary and benefits.
The reason this story inspired me so much was because she spoke from the heart and
spoke up to her superior. If she had done nothing, then she would have remained as an intern
for a very long time. I have been in similar situations in a previous job. I was working in a
restaurant as a food runner and was promised to become a server. However, my managers
never took me seriously and I eventually gave up on trying to become a server and decided to
quit the job because I felt myself become too comfortable in the job. However, I believe that
if I had taken the initiative and had continued to speak up I feel like I would have been able
to receive the server position. The concept of Crucial conversation has been very impactful to
me because at work I am not the most outspoken person, I usually try to be the hardest
worker in the room however this causes for people to compliment me but always keep me in
the same spot. Something that I am going to take from this concept is to speak up. To know
my worth and to not settle for anything less just because I am afraid to hurt someone is
feeling by speaking up and getting what I deserve. I plan to keep this lesson close to my heart
because in this world no one is ever going to come and give me what I want, I must be
willing to go out and get it.

C. Using the techniques covered in Crucial Conversations, how would you handle the
following scenario? 
Scenario:  Your boss called you an “idiot” in front of the entire team.
 In a scenario in which my boss has just called me an “Idiot” I would first try my best to
stay calm as the event occurred and just do as I am told. Afterwards I would ask my boss if I
could speak to him/her in private to discuss what just happened, the reason I would ask to speak
to my boss in private is to create a safe space in which we could both share our opinions as to
what just happened. Moreover, once in private this is where I would apply my Crucial
conversation skills, first I would realize that I do not want to fall into the fool’s choice and just
accept that I have been called an Idiot (Covey pg.20). Second prior to even entering into a
private conversation with my boss I would analyses the situation and try to understand my boss’s
viewpoint. After I have analyzed the situation, I would then create a game plan as to how I would
approach this meeting. I would first enter the meeting calmly and respectfully and make some
small talk. I would then ask my boss why he/she decided to refer to me as an idiot. I would then
express that although I may have messed up there would still be no reason as to why he/she
would need to disrespect me. I would then go on to express what mutual respect is and what it
means to me, I would explain to him/her that although they are my boss, they do not
automatically receive my respect and that if they would like to receive the respect from their
employees that they would first have to take the first step in showing that respect to their
employees (Covey pg.79). I would try my best throughout the whole conversation to remain
respectful but still allow my opinion and voice to be heard. I do not believe that just because a
person is a boss that they automatically have the right to just disrespect people as they please, I
believe that respect is earned not given.

D. Using the storytelling techniques covered in chapters 10 and 11 of Five Stars, craft a
personal story around a personal experience in which you demonstrated your ability
to overcome adversity. This story MUST be appropriate to share during an
interview with a prospective employer.

The year was 2017 I had just graduated high school and I was looking at schools where I
wanted to apply to go to school. I went to my mom and told her the list, UMD, UMBC,
Towson, and Penn state. Now the last three schools I applied knowing I would not even get a
reply or if I did that it would not matter. My only choice was UMD reason being that my
mother works at UMD and if I get accepted at UMD then I would receive tuition remission
and would be able to attend school. So, I applied, UMD became my only option if I didn’t
get into UMD then my next two choices would be to just start working in construction or to
join the marines. Thankfully, I had received an acceptance letter from UMD to join the
school under a condition that I had to participate in a summer transitional program so that
they could prepare me to become enrolled at the University of Maryland. This transitional
program was extremely intense, but I was determined to get through this program and join
the school which I worked so hard to get even a letter back from. Throughout the summer I
had met a lot of people one of those people was a girl, her name was Marcella. At the time
she had a boyfriend, so I remained respectful and just let her alone.
 Fast forward two years, the year was 2019, this became the year in which my life
would change. It was the end of my sophomore year, and I was going into my supposed to be
Junior year, my goal at this moment was to become an engineering student and at the same
time I was talking to Marcella, things where good I felt like I was on top of the world.
However, by the end of this scholar year an event occurred which changed my life forever.
Marcella and I had found out that she was pregnant. Everything was crazy, the day I had
found out that I was going to be a father was just like any other day, I was off from work it
was the summer, and I did not have any classes. We had a date I was driving over to her
house to pick her up for our date, as I was driving, I decided to stop to fill up my gas tank and
got a call from her. Over the phone she was scared, and she was crying, but all she told me
was “we have to talk”. I did not know what to make of that, my mind was racing all over the
place and I started praying because I did not know what to expect, once I arrived, we talked,
and she told me she was pregnant.
We were both in shock neither one of us where ready to be parents or even wanted to be
parents. That day became one of the worst in my life. I am a very religious person, being that
I am religious I am personally against abortion, on that day due to being so afraid I
personally took marcella to a clinic to get an abortion. However, we found out that she was
not able receive any procedures without making an appointment. That same day we had a
very sad date and I went home, I spoke with my father and told him everything that happened
and he talked sense into me and reinforced that although I messed up I had to man up and
take responsibilities of my actions. I was no longer going to support her through her abortion.
We spent two weeks going back and forth as to why she should not have the abortion it was
bad. Consistent arguing, I did not spend a day in which I was not consistently preparing
myself to argue. Thankfully she decided against the abortion, but my problems did not end
there, I started to prepare. First, I switched majors for other reasons and decided to pursue
architecture, then I decided that I would work two jobs and save as much money as I could to
prepare for when my son would be born. I saved a whopping eight thousand dollars now
before my son I would have been proud of that, but I soon came to learn that was nothing.
My son was born Nov 2, 2019, it was a great day for me but starting the next week I would
learn how expensive kids where. Diapers, formula, medication, wipes, and more, I had
burned through the money I had saved up so quickly that I started stressing out even more, I
felt like I was losing hair (thankfully I did not).
I started working two jobs one at a restaurant during the night and in construction
with my dad during the day and it seem like it was never enough money, I would get paid
and immediately I would have to break my money up. A lot of thoughts went through my
head the first and most reoccurring thought was to drop out of school, I thought it was no
longer worth it I wanted to just work to at least be able to support my child. I stopped paying
attention at school and realized that I just started going through motions, I would wake up go
to school immediately go to work, it started feeling like it was too much. Through out this
whole time I had several break down, I did not know how to keep going and the only thing
my dad would always tell me was “take things one day at a time”, by far one of the best
pieces of advice I had ever received. It always helped me calm down, but it never really fixed
 my issues, however it did help me get organized. I stopped working two jobs and realized
that I had to change my lifestyle, doing this I would be able to continue school. At the time I
did not understand what the purpose was of sticking out with school, but I am grateful for my
parents that did not allow me to drop out. I am thankful to them that they kept pushing me to
be better. Currently I have been hired by Stanley Martin Homes as an intern and I am now
realizing the importance of school, I work less hours and make more money than I did
before. I am not drained from work; I am still busy and still work two jobs, but I am realizing
that I still have a future. Now I am expected to graduate in spring 2022 with a bachelor’s
degree in architecture and a minor in construction project management. If you had asked me
in 2019 if I were graduating, I would have said no, now I can see endless opportunity for
myself.
E. Complete the free online Big Five Personality Assessment

I received the highest score in agreeableness, I strongly agree with this. I tend to not tell
people how I feel because I am afraid to hurt other people’s feelings even if I have been offended
I’d rather stay quite than say something. I have learned that this is a big mistake, I learned this
lesson in my relationship with my sons’ mother, I would never speak up about how something
would make me feel which would then lead to more issues. I feel like these personality traits are
the step up from JUNG’s assessment, where in the 5 traits go into more depth than JUNG’s
assessment did. I also believe that these exams are go to an extent because we as humans could
get several different answers depending on our moods. One day I may be really agreeable, but
depending on my mood I might have a very strong dominant personality and not want to be an
agreeable person anymore.
 Works Cited

Faulkner, M. L., & Nierenberg, A. R. (n.d.). Networking for college students and graduates:
nonstop business networking that will change your life. Nierenberg Group, c2019.

Gallo, C. (2019). Five stars: the communication secrets to get from good to great. Pan Books.

O'Hair, D., Rubenstein, H., & Stewart, R. A. (2019). A pocket guide to public speaking.
Bedford/St. Martins.

Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2012). Crucial conversations: tools for
talking when stakes are high. McGraw-Hill.