Check this out! Chris teaches Software Engineers the C-Word.
Great comedy has some truth to it. That is why Nick Burns The Computer Guy is funny!
Yes, we developers struggle with communication. Whenever I stumble upon people who are trying to help I rejoice.
I found Chris Laffra’s and subsequent book refreshing.
Communication For Engineers
He gets the issue. We do struggle with communication.
I like how he says it here:
A rule of thumb to use is to assume that your impact as an engineer is made up of 30% raw coding output, 50% of you talking about your work, and 20% being nice to other people.
Too many of us overlook this simple fact. Our career is not all coding. There is much more.
Compliments
Chris shares the importance of compliments. They help boost others' confidence.
Introverted developers can neglect these subtleties. Small things like this build relationships.
Productivity
We solve coding challenges. It helps if we do it in a timely fashion.
Don’t be the flaky developer that is never finished. That will drive your team nuts.
Communication
Chris calls communication the impact multiplier. I love that!
It definitely multiplies your impact.
The reason is that communication is the key to personal success in organizations consisting of more than a handful of people.
I couldn’t agree more. Too many coders ignore communication.
Then they wonder why their career suffers. It is all connected.
Ground Rules
Chris shares some ground rules for communication.
Just the facts — share the facts
Be specific and share with conviction
Transparent — show why you choose that option
Consistent-be clear and concise
Direction-have a road map
These five ground rules help us communicate effectively.
The first one is tough for me. Facts are important.
I would share a caveat. It depends on the type of person you are dealing with.
Humans are NOT Computers
Developers can assume that everyone is like them. The truth is they are not.
That is why I recommend one step before following Chris’s ground rules.
Assess
What type of person are you talking to? For instance, software engineers might focus on technology.
A few years ago I tried to make a case for a change to my manager. I detailed the facts of our application.
He looked at me and then told me about the costs. I realized quickly I didn’t speak his language. Costs led him to his decision.
Tools
A good developer knows their tools. As a Java developer, I know my IDE.
When we assess people we need to do the same. There are many tools you could learn. Pick one and know how to use it.
For instance, let’s use DISC Assessments. Here are the four types of people.
Dominance: If you meet this type of person they are results driven. They don’t like small talk.
Influence: These people place importance on relationships. They tend to talk a lot about themselves.
Steadiness: These people will want to cooperate. They won’t rock the boat.
Conscientiousness: They will want exact details on your expectations. Then they will ask more questions. Never too much detail!
If you have talked to someone for more than five minutes you should be able to tell.
Also as coders, we can fall into the latter two categories. If your manager is in the Dominance category they might have trouble talking with you.
Where you might need more detail, they can get frustrated. Calibrate your answers to their question. What are they looking for?
Overall, Chris has wonderful advice. Software engineers need a lot of help communicating. We struggle with it by and large. Use his rock-solid advice.
Make sure to understand your audience.
What style of person?
How can I best craft the message for them?
Answer those questions and you can be more effective in your communication.