the importance of communication skills for software engineers · communication skills for software...

@ericathedev

The importance of communication skills for software engineers Erica Tanti

@ericathedev

Myth or reality?

Software engineers are badat speaking in public

@ericathedev

References:● “According to test developers, successful programmers had most of the same personality traits as other

white-collar professionals. The important distinction, however, was that programmers displayed “disinterest in people” and that they disliked “activities involving close personal interaction.” It is these personality profiles, says Ensmenger, that originated our modern stereotype of the anti-social computer geek.” - https://gender.stanford.edu/news-publications/gender-news/researcher-reveals-how-computer-geeks-replaced-computer-girls

VS

● “Individuals and Interactions” - http://agilemanifesto.org/

● “The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.” - http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html

SPEAK

@ericathedev

References:

● Linda Rising on “Solomon Asch social pressure/conformity experiment” (circa 21:00) https://www.infoq.com/podcasts/thinking-fast-slow-ethics-biases

● Conquer your public speaking fears (my article in the JAX Magazine) https://jaxenter.com/jax-magazine/issues/jax-magazine-august-2018-java

@ericathedev

Main points:

● The best way to learn how to speak is to speak!

● Some typical scenarios:

○ Meetings (tips: prepare points in advance, be the first to speak)

○ Networking (tips: sit next to people you don’t know during lunch or in talks, open posture which invites people to strike up a conversation, quality not quantity)

○ Presentations/Talks (tips: see next slide)

Some advice

@ericathedev

Main points:

● Emotions (How you made people feel) / Having 1 main message / Using stories to make an emotional connection

● Slides are difficult - avoid them when starting out, use them to help get your message across better not as notes for yourself

● Getting feedback/ watching your talks back

londonjavacommunity.co.uk

toastmasters.org

jci.cc

Find your safe space

@ericathedev

Links:

● London Java Community - http://londonjavacommunity.co.uk/

● Toastmasters - Local: https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club, Online: https://toastmasters.org/resources/online-clubs-list

● JCI - https://jci.cc/en/connect#become-member-anchor

@ericathedev

Further reading - only if you’ve committed to speaking first!

● Quiet:

○ Book: https://www.quietrev.com/quiet-the-book/

○ 9 best loved stories: https://www.quietrev.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/QR_ebookMay8-2015.pdf

○ Blog: https://www.quietrev.com/

● Persuade on Purpose: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Persuade-Purpose-Create-Presentations-Influence-ebook/dp/B06XC562TS

● Resonate (e-book): https://www.duarte.com/resonate/

SPEAK@ericathedev