Post on 11-Apr-2017
Communication Improbable?by John Stevenson@jr0cket
@jr0cket
5 Day Workshopon communication
20 minute talk
@jr0cket
Communication has many formsPeople respond to forms of communications differently
If we are not communicating…
...just vibrating air between us
@jr0cket
A picture paints a thousand words…
- Use visuals as part of you message
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Touch, taste and smell can evoke very powerful communication
- In-person events add to the feeling of connection
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So it should be really easy to communicate with your community,
right?
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Communication is ImprobableOur brains filter out millions of pieces of data...
Filter… Filter… Filter...
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Thinking Fast and Slow
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System 1- fast, instinctive and emotional
System 2- slower, more deliberative, and more logical
wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow
Confirmation Bias“Our App is so easy to use”
“We have all the features you need”
“Everyone wants to use our platform / API / tools”
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180+ Cognitive Biases
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We are all opinionated people
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Avoid living inyour own
bubble
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@jr0cket
Can we communicateAnd can we convey our real meaning...
The more you do…
… the more confusing the message can become
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Write Clear Content
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Why Attend my event?
If we run an event, do people know why they should attend?
- When is it- Where is it- What benefit will I get
Visualise Your Message
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Organising your info
Make Discovery Easy
Consider the naming of things
Communication TechniquesBeing effective
Listening Effectively
Thinking about what you are going to say next is not listening
Thing about what someone is actually saying, rather than what you think (wish) they were saying
Patient people are much more effective at communicating
Listening shows respect & builds trust
Meditation & Mindfulness practice helps you into a listening mode
@jr0cket
Why are we doing this?
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Challenge your assumptions
Should we do this now?
@jr0cketLast responsible moment
Evaluate many aspects of your thinking
Six Thinking Hats - Edward De Bono
Everyone thinks with the same hat at the same time
Effective way to make decisions & have valuable meetings
Don’t you not want to leave this talk right now,
or not ?
Clarity of communication
Kittens are going hungry whilst you try and figure this out
“I can’t get no…
satisfaction”
Clarity of communication
Modern culture and language is often the most guilty...
“Difficult People” - Agree, Empathise, Inquire
Find something to agree with - reduces confrontation levels - “You’re right, this is a tough situation”
Empathise with the person - give them a sense of acknowledgement - I can see this makes you angry”
Inquire, get further information about the situation - start collaborating on a resolution to the problem
@jr0cket
Learning from CommunicationCome and join me on stage to win a prize
Retrospectives & Off-sites
Work on how you communicate
...challenge your own assumptions
...test /validate your understanding
Evaluating & Testing FeedbackQualitative versus Quantitative
Evaluate your feedback
Validate survey results by talking to people
Data is not information until it’s been tested (many times)
Qualitative versus Quantitative
Validate survey results by talking to people
Test your assumptions
New people to your community can quickly show you
- processes that are broken
- missing information- things are are ambiguous
Keep it real...
It’s not all about T-Shirts
Developers love the new shiny…
… but it actually has to work and be a good experience
Backlash takes more effort to overcome!
If you have to force people to use your tech…
… there is something very wrong
5 volunteers on stage please...Come and join me on stage to win a prize
I went to John’s talk and all I got was a silly selfie!
Deliver what you promise…
… or deliver even greater
What communications is not!
Communication is not...
...the tools you use
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In Summary...
Trust.Underpinning Communication
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Communication is the most important part of
developer relations
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Effective communication is bringing others on a journey your mind has
already taken@jr0cket
If we are not communicating…
...just vibrating air between us
@jr0cket
Thank you@jr0cket
“The History of every major Galactic Civilization tends to pass through three distinct and recognizable phases, those of
Survival, Inquiry and Sophistication, otherwise known as the How, Why, and Where phases.
For instance, the first phase is characterized by the question: 'How can we eat?' the second by the question
'Why do we eat?' and the third by the question:
'Where shall we have lunch?”