RailsConf 2019 - Hacking Verbal Communications

Our native systems of conversational flow control might work fine for talking face to face, but they start to have problems when put into many of the conversational scenarios that arise as part of working on a modern development team. Other groups have faced similar challenges and come up with ways to facilitate and improve communication. I'm going to focus on a simple system of hand signals used by the Occupy movement who adapted them from the Quakers. These hand signals mitigate a number of problems with group discussions, including problems of communication over a laggy connection, and working with remotees.

Transcript

1. Hacking Verbal Communication Systems #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
2. Ryan Alexander (He/Him) [@]RNAlexander[.com|@gmail.com] #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
3. I <3 Feedback #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
4. #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
5. Flow Control and Consensus Modeling #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
6. Flow Control #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
7. We have complex semi-conscious real-time algorithms which we use in collaboration with other people’s complex semi-conscious real-time algorithms to control the flow of the conversation. #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
8. The Village Where I Couldn’t Keep Talking #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
9. The Village Where I Couldn’t Keep Talking #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
10. Our Algorithms are Not Identical. #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
11. Even if our algorithms were identical we’d all still be using our own individual weightings. #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
12. So let’s hack those algorithms! #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
13. #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
14. Two Flaws in Our Native Algorithms… #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
15. Race Conditions and Jerks #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
16. We use pauses in our language as part of the flow control signalling, this generates race conditions #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
17. Using a visual channel for explicit signalling allows people to avoid some of the race conditions #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
18. You make better decisions when all the information is present. #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
19. Inserting yourself into conversation is a skill that is unevenly distributed, and does not correlate to the value of what is to be said. #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
20. Consensus Modeling #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
21. The ‘speaking’ set of symbols also act as an active polling system for consensus around flow control #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
22. Subtitles for the conversational meta-track #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
23. Can be much friendlier for neurodiverse individuals #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
24. A Few Implementation Points #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
25. Works great with an explicit facilitator (makes their job easier) #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
26. Can help encourage underrepresented people to contribute #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
27. Doesn’t work audio-only / disadvantages seeing-impaired #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
28. Not the only game in town but be careful #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
29. Confession Time #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
30. The more you use it, 
 the less you might need to use it, but don’t let it slip into undocumented dogma #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
31. Send the Right Signals #ConvoHack @RNAlexander
32. Give it a try, and thank you! Handsignals image and more information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_movement_hand_signals #ConvoHack @RNAlexander