Effective Communication for Developers

... or how I learned to stop worrying and love my colleagues!

Transcript

1. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPERS ... OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE MY COLLEAGUES! Created by /
2. WHO? Name - Mike Bell Twitter - Drupal.org - Github - Where - CTI Digital - Drupal Technical Architect
3. SOME BACKGROUND: Developers roles are changing More involvement Investment in personal development
4. NOT CODE MONKEYS! IT'S TIME TO STOP ACTING LIKE IT
5. CODE SOMETHING YOU'RE PROUD OF Get behind the product Make something you can be proud of Limit your technical debt
6. AGILE AND YOU Is anyone doing agile?
7. IF YOU ARE: Agile requires communication A bigger reliance on developers You have to communicate solutions Effect the final product Spend more time on the problems
8. ANALYSING A PROBLEM We solve problems everyday But articulating the solution to none-technical people is sometimes difficult Learning how to do this effectively is important
9. SIMPLIFY THE LANGUAGE AND THE PROBLEM Break it down Express things in a way the audience understands - think who you're delivering to - not everyone knows the language or paradigm
10. EXAMPLES ARE IMPORTANT If possible use examples Coming up with examples often helps solve things Useful to convert into user stories (if agile/kanban)
11. AVOID THE NEVER ENDING MEETING Keep it concise Often the full solution isn't needed right away Don't go off topic
12. PEOPLE - KNOW THE ENEMY Not the enemy, but people around you
13. PERSONALITY TYPES Figure out what kind of personality your dealing with Read the situation and emotions - key to conflict resolution Change the outcome of a situation by taking a step back Realise boundaries
14. THE KNOW IT ALL Someone who thinks they knows it all Confrontational Doesn't take criticism well Solution - explain your solutions, have patience, be logical
15. THE QUIET ONE IN THE CORNER Socially awkward but brilliant Solution - encouragement, positive reinforcement
16. EXTREME PERSONALITIES Every company/community has these types of people Knowing how to deal is important
17. DEALING WITH MANAGEMENT They're not evil There to help Do the stuff you don't want to
18. LEARNING TO SAY NO Saying no isn't bad If your invested then it's ok to say no Earn trust and confidence in your opinion
19. NO ISN'T QUITE GOOD ENOUGH Backup your stance Provide a solution Be confident in the solution
20. "I DON'T KNOW" The hardest words as a developer to say It's not a bad thing Asking makes you a better developer Others are aware of your skill and can plan around it
21. CRITICISM Learn how to take it - Mostly it's all good (even if it appears not to be) - Reflect on what you've been told Learn how to give it - Don't criticise without a valid reason - Open a dialogue with the person
22. DOCUMENTATION AND IT'S SKILL Effective documentation relies on good communication skills Good code + good documentation = new friends Helps in the long run!
23. GET INTO PUBLIC SPEAKING Huge confidence boost Gets your profile out there Meet new people Communication skills learnt in the workplace become transferable It's great fun
24. **YAWN**
25. TO PRACTICE OR NOT Depends on confidence Focus on the points your passionate about Avoid points your less confident in but want to get across ** Always practice at least a little bit
26. FAKING CONFIDENCE The mind is a powerful thing Trick yourself into confidence Learn to enjoy it
27. SOCIAL MEDIA Don't be a idiot Twitter - 140 characters isn't enough Think before posting anything Ignore trolling
28. SOCIAL MEDIA PLUS Use it to your advantage IRC - talk to new people Use SM to connect with people you normally wouldn't
29. SUMMARY Get involved with the community Take risks Don't be afraid to talk to people Smile
30. THANKS, ANY QUESTIONS?