How do we rise above the noise and really communicate?
We recently had a situation where a developer made wide sweeping changes to our codebase. For years we have ignored the hundreds of compiler warnings in our codebase, but now, with the blessing of management, we finally got the go ahead to work on and fix those warnings. We are not talking one or two C# solutions effected; it turned out to be 14 or 15 different solutions! Even if the developer’s changes are benign and simplistic, which they never are, the sheer breathe of the changes merits a big heads up to all other development minds in our group. How does this developer communicate this change to so our development group? Here’s some information: we are not distributed, every one is in the same building and not too far away from each other. So what’s the verdict? How should this developer get his point across? I’m not 100% sure what should be done, but here’s what happened: he sent an email to all concerned parties. That’s a very reasonable response, but is it the most optimal response? Does it get the point across?
Well, here’s the 1st problem. Software developers, in general, have poor communication skills. They tell you a story about the building being on fire, but it will be vague, yet full of details, and the real point of the message will be buried in the message. Instead of all that noise, they should simply say, “HEY, THE BUILDING IS ON FIRE!” On the other end of the spectrum, sometimes they will not put enough details, making the email too terse that it’s incomprehensible. “Hey, FIRE.” Where’s the fire? Is he talking about a problem on one of the servers or is he calling me hot? Surely the building isn’t on fire.
The 2nd problem is the nature of email. Inflections and tones are almost completely lost in the transition of thoughts to email. Anything that you want to get across has to be very explicit because nobody is going to pick up on inneundo. If something is very crucial and important, then you’ve got to come out and say it. Don’t assume that the reader takes your meaning because, chances are, they won’t. If they don’t understand what you’re saying, chances are, they won’t ask. Having a face-to-face conversation with someone forces instant feedback. They are more likely to ask questions because the effort is less and the turnaround time is quicker. And even if they don’t have the guts to speak up, you can usually tell from somebody’s face if they understand. Raised eyebrows and blank looks are great feedback!
The 3rd problem is the nature of how people respond to emails. People don’t read emails. If you send someone an email, you’re lucky if they skim it. If it’s long and verbose, chances are they’ll look at the leviathian and say no thanks! Some people might have rules that might push your critical email into a SPAM folder. Why do people treat email like this? I’ll tell you why! It’s because people use OVER USE email as a tool of communication. We have to inform X of Y. What do we do? Send an email. It’s the easiest way to get your point across. We are buried in emails. Too many are sent out. When you get a blast that’s “To:” the whole group, I think the first thought is “This doesn’t apply to me, delete.” People cannot process tons and tons of information. Subconsciously, people have a strong desire to filter out some of the noise in order to preserve some focus and productivity.
Bottom line: If you have something important to say, rise above the 21st century noise and talk to someone face-to-face. Get all the feedback you can, up front. It could save you lots of time in mopping up misunderstanding. If you use email, be specific and brief. However, don’t leave out important details about context. In the subject line, put something that grabs the attention of the concerned parties and summarizes the topic.
Definitely don’t use email if you’re looking to blast your information out without having to talk to anyone. I think most people don’t want to have to be questioned. They just want to get their two cents out there and not have to listen to everyone else. It’s human nature (I know I’ve been there), but it’s wrong! As software professionals that work in team environments, we are obligated to listen and collaborate. It’s a mandate for creating good software. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17, NIV)
Marisa Seal
Daniel Brown
Josh Carroll
Nice tie in to Biblical scripture.
There is no way written word can capture or replace face-to-face contact. I recently found this scripture:
John 21:25 – And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen. [NKJV]
Life is short – trying to use written communications can take a “lifetime” to describe what a simple affirmative head nod may convey in one second.
Not only do we need to “rise above the noise” – we need to rise out of our work cubicles, walk over to greet our team mates, and create communication by dialog, listening, observing, and participating.
Great blog Daniel….
Bill Milam
August 18, 2009
Thanks Bill! I think you could write a good blog posting on listening and observing since I consider you one of the best I know at that.
Daniel Brown
August 20, 2009