The hazards of literal listening
I was describing the data sources for each field in my colleague’s report, when I saw her expression transform from interest to upset. “Is something the matter?” I asked. “You did ask why the report is showing the wrong information. Right?” She replied, obviously annoyed, “You know that’s not what I meant. Please don’t be so literal.” After a moment of confusion, I realized that she really wanted to know what we needed to do to fix her report, not a detailed explanation of the failure mode. At some point, everyone in IT has this sort of...
Read MoreWe techies can put users on edge
We techies need to take the edge off once in a while. As I’ve sought to improve the way we communicate with nontechies, I’ve recognized that we often resort to a surefire way to confound, if not irritate, them: We talk about what I call edge cases. I do it all the time. Say a colleague makes a suggestion. If the idea sounds good, I start mentally wandering its edges, testing its validity. When I find an edge case where the idea wouldn’t work, I blurt it out, wanting to show that I am giving the suggestion my full attention. To me, the edge case could indicate that there...
Read More‘Nothing but the facts’ approach just won’t work with business people
I’ve been talking lately about how IT and business people have trouble communicating. It goes beyond speaking different languages. The two groups really think differently. If you believe I’m overstating my case, then try this experiment. The next time you give a presentation to business people, do a follow-up a day or two later. You will likely find that nearly everyone in your audience completely missed your point. The reason we often bomb when it comes to presenting to business people is that we misunderstand how they tend to process presentations and information. We make the...
Read MoreWhen techies speak, the devil’s in the details
Every IT professional has been here: A business person asks you a question, and your thorough answer just isn’t good enough. You try to give more specific information in an attempt to break through the communication barrier. But the more you try, the worse things seem to get. In the end, the business person is seething with impatience, so you start to get confused and angry. Both parties walk away from such encounters convinced that it’s hopeless to communicate with “those types” of people. They both say of the other, “They don’t get it.” And as a...
Read MoreCollaboration’s fragility
We all know that collaborating with other departments is hard. We all have visceral memories of failed projects, outrageous behavior and painful betrayals. When my colleagues talk about these experiences, I can see the sadness and anger in their eyes. Even decades later, the wounds remain raw, the lessons learned fresh, and the resentments intact. But most of us have had great cross-functional collaborations as well. Ask about those magical projects when everyone pulled in one direction, unified, synchronized and coordinated, and eyes twinkle with excitement. When groups face tough problems...
Read MoreThe Dangers of Too Much Information
Technical people have a bad reputation for being poor communicators. And unfortunately, it’s not entirely undeserved. If you ask managers in the finance department about why they think that the IT people they deal with are bad communicators, they point to all the common complaints. “They speak in impenetrable jargon.” “They don’t listen well.” “They don’t understand what I’m trying to accomplish.” While these are sometimes valid critiques, the problem often lies elsewhere. Frequently, we do listen well and we do understand what the...
Read MoreThe Art of Asking Questions
Information technology people tend to be answer people. When users, managers, family members or even random people from the Internet have questions, we’re right there with the answers, because we’re always the smart people. One of the first things we learn in school is that being smart means having the answers. The teacher asks the class a question, and the smart kids reach for the sky. But just having a hand in the air isn’t enough. To become known as the smartest of the smart, you’ve got to get that hand up faster than anyone else. It’s the original arms race....
Read MoreNEW BOOK: 8 Steps to Restoring Client Trust
We are pleased to announce the release of our new book.
At a neat 118 pages, this book is a succinct, no-nonsense set of instructions for what to do and what not to do when you have an unhappy client. It's especially prized by technical people who, when faced with emotionally charged situations, want a clear and concise set of rules to follow. When your client is really steamed, disappointed, or ready to give up, and your own instincts fail you, this book steps in to save the day.
