management of engineers and technology person-to-person communication communicating to an audience
TRANSCRIPT
Management of Engineers and Technology
Person-to-Person CommunicationCommunicating to an Audience
Principle 4: Communicating Effectively
Effective communication is a cornerstone of management
Not just delivery – listening and understanding
A manager is like a “hub” in a communication network Communication within the group Communication with the outside world
Person-to-Person Communication
Face-to-face Telephone
Live Voice mail
Written Instant messaging Email Letters/memos Notes
Bad Communication
Mistakes Misunderstandings Mistrust People are
Offended Uninformed or misinformed Confused Frustrated
Good Communication
Informs Facilitates Motivates Persuades People are
Aware Confident Productive
Communication Theory
EncodeEncode DecodeDecodeChannelChannel
Do you need guidance?Do you need guidance?
When to put it in writing Technical
Specifications Drawings Legalese
Formal Avoid misunderstanding For the record “If it’s not in writing, it didn’t happen”
Whenever editing is an advantage
When to be face-to-face Performance assessment
Follow up in writing
Rewards/punishment Whenever the richness of
face-to-face communication is an advantage
Beyond the Writtenor Spoken Word
“Between the lines” content Tone Emotion Gestures Body language
Match – reinforces content Mismatch – puts content into doubt
Good Practices
Be the initiator Be a good listener (feedback) Include redundancy Appropriate emotional content Be simple, direct, clear, interesting Be human (anecdotes, humor)
Themes
Engineers are not famous for their business communication skills
Communication is a cornerstone of good management
Communication skills can be learned, practiced, and improved
Communicating to an Audience
Purpose (business communication) Pass on information Persuade the audience to believe
something Motivate the audience to do something Entertain the audience?
Types of Communication
Static Written word Drawings/graphics
Dynamic Oral presentation Multimedia
Oral Presentation Skills
Have a goalKnow your audienceKnow your time limitKnow availability of equipment
Three Most Important Things
PreparationPreparationPreparation
Preparation
Keep goal and audience in mindOutline the presentationKnow your materialPractice in mirror or to
audienceCritique and modifyFind something to get excited
about
Presentation OrganizationIntro-Body-SummaryBody
Problem or goal statementBackground, related materialMethod usedResultsConclusions and recommendations
Ask for questions
Shock value/far outSuspense, privileged informationHumorAudience participationPropsDemonstration
Getting Attention
Visual Aids
OverheadsCommon, easy, interactiveSome fumbling
Computer ProjectionEffective graphics/sound/video,
interactiveUncommon equipment, compatibility, dimProblems are going away
Visual Aids
Video TapeVery descriptive, small screenPoor sound, equipment delays, non-
interactive
35mm SlidesProfessionalHard to prepare, equipment problems,
dark room, non-interactive
Visual Aids
Black/White Board Interactive, history remains, colorTime consuming, messy, disorganized,
talk into it
Flip chartsGood ordering, color/graphic, interactiveSmall, can get messy
Props
Three-dimensional visual aidsPass aroundTouch/feelAdd interest
ProblemsDistractingGet dropped/lost
Rules for Overheads/PPT
Simple - 6 bullet items or lessGood color combinationsReadable - ‘at your feet’ ruleConsistent styleProfessional preparation if appropriateNumber or order them
Working with Visual Aids
Be sure of equipment availabilityCover or shut off when not in useVisible to everyone in roomUse pointer only when necessaryTouch-turn-talkHave a backup
Handling Questions
Ask, raise hand, limit numberIdentify questionerRepeat or rephrase questionKeep answer to the pointAsk if answer is adequateDon’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”
Personal Habits
Don’t use podium, minimize pointerKeep focus on speakerLook good but don’t distractEffective hand gestures, no fidgetingSpeak to audience, project
(microphones)Eye contact
Working Within Time Limits
Difficult to doCount number of visualsWatch the clockHave a ‘helper’ in the audiencePractice to determine time
On Presentation Day
Look goodVisit room, check equipmentBe introduced (or introduce yourself)Review your presentationRemind yourself of presentation skillsBe confident!
Things to Remember
Intro/body/summaryTouch-turn-talkEye contactBody languageVocal projectionQuestion handling
Summary
Oral presentations are very important in business
You are competing for a very busy communication channel, and with internal thoughts
The audience is the customer, so be audience-oriented