It Takes a Village Effect ive Communicat ions

Throughout the SDLC

Overview

• Why Does This Matter

• Understanding Your Colleagues

• Becoming a Decision Architect

• Communicating More Effectively

About …

About Me

@pjbeyer

photo credit: vibramfivefingers.com

About Expectations

Not an Expert

Not Comprehensive

Not a Lecture

About Communication

“The most important thing in communication is

hearing what isn't said.”- Peter Drucker

“Communication is what the listener does.”

- Mark Horstman

It isn’t About

It isn’t About

• Your role

• Your thoughts

• Acting alone

It is About

It is About

• Your actions

• Taking initiative

• Working with others

About Effectiveness

“Most people do not listen with the intent to

understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”

- Stephen R Covey

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Effective Communication Habits

• #4 Think Win-Win

• #5 Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

• #6 Synergize

Why Does This MatterUnderstanding Your Colleagues

Becoming a Decision ArchitectCommunicating More Effectively

Intuition

3 Quick Tests

A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total.

The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball.

How much does the ball cost?

10¢

5¢

If it takes five machines five minutes to make five widgets…

How many minutes would it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets?

100 min

5 min

In a lake, there is a patch of lily pads. Every day, the patch doubles in size.

If it takes 48 days for the patch to cover the entire lake…

How many days would it take for the patch to cover half the lake?

24 days

47 days

3 Quick Tests

Thinking… Fast and Slow

Thinking… Fast and Slow

• Daniel Kahneman

• System 1 vs System 2

System 1

• Automatic

• Instinctive

• Emotional

• Concrete, Immediate Payoffs

System 2

• Slow

• Logical

• Deliberate

• Requires Cognitive Effort

Intuition Can Be Wrong

Behavior

A Typical Email

From a Project Manager

• Terse

• Blunt

• Demanding

From a Marketing Director

• Enthusiastic

• Optimistic

• Unclear

From a Developer

• Thorough

• Objective

• Uncompromising

A Typical Email

Interpretation Can Be Wrong

Why Does This MatterUnderstanding Your Colleagues

Becoming a Decision ArchitectCommunicating More Effectively

Understand Behavior

Understand Behavior

• DiSC is an instrument

• Behavioral styles are not personalities

• Helpful in deciphering communication (written and spoken)

DiSC Dominance

Dominance• Emphasis on accomplishing results, the

bottom line, confidence

• Sees the big picture

• Can be blunt

• Accepts challenges

• Gets straight to the point

DiSC Influence

Influence• Emphasis on influencing or persuading others,

openness, relationships

• Shows enthusiasm

• Is optimistic

• Likes to collaborate

• Dislikes being ignored

DiSC Steadiness

Steadiness• Emphasis on cooperation, sincerity,

dependability

• Doesn't like to be rushed

• Calm manner

• Calm approach

• Supportive actions

DiSC Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness• Emphasis on quality and accuracy, expertise,

competency

• Enjoys independence

• Objective reasoning

• Wants the details

• Fears being wrong

Why Does This MatterUnderstanding Your Colleagues

Becoming a Decision Architect

Communicating More Effectively

Define the Problem

Define the Problem

• Behavioral economics is most effective when:

• Human behavior is at the core of the problem

• People are not acting in their own best interests

• The problem can be narrowly defined

Diagnose Underlying Causes

Diagnose Underlying Causes

• Poor decision-making has 2 main causes

• Insufficient Motivation

• Failure to take any action at all

• Cognitive Bias

• Systematic errors in the decision-making process

Design the Solution

Design the Solution

• Improve people’s decisions

• Carefully structure how information and options are presented

• Nudge employees in a certain direction

• Without taking away their freedom

Trigger System 1

• Arouse emotions

• Harness bias

• Simplify process

Engage System 2

• Use joint evaluations

• Create opportunities for reflection

• Increase accountability

• Introduce reminders and planning prompts

Why Does This MatterUnderstanding Your Colleagues

Becoming a Decision ArchitectCommunicating More Effectively

Talk Less, Listen More

(Re)Consider Your Decision

Choose the Right Lever

Resources

@pjbeyer

Effectiveness

Effectiveness Resources

• Stephen Covey

• “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Covey

• Atul Gawande

• “The Checklist Manifesto”

• http://atulgawande.com/

Thinking

Thinking Resources

• HBR Article: “Leaders as Decision Architects”

• https://hbr.org/2015/05/leaders-as-decision-architects

• Daniel Kahneman

• “Thinking, Fast and Slow”

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Kahneman

• Richard Thaler

• “Nudge”

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Thaler

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