Navigating Communication as an Engineering Leader
Miscommunication doesn’t lead to errors but also delays. When assigned critical work, ask yourself, “Who can succeed and grow by taking on this task?” Empower them to lead and collaborate to set up the project for their success. Take the initiative to take notes and shift your contribution towards asking questions. If you notice someone not participating in a meeting, involve them in the discussion. Reach out to someone you admire and send them a brief email or DM with a specific question, seeking their advice. Writing helps you clarify your thoughts and organize data. Remember to present the summary idea before diving into the unique ideas being summarized.
Embrace feedback instead of fighting it. Don’t shy away from responsibility or problems. Always present a question with a proposed answer. To achieve alignment in a meeting, provide a proposal for others to align with. Avoid academic-style presentations and refrain from fixing outcomes based on personal preferences. Having extensive experience in software development doesn’t guarantee successful software. Listening and learning from domain experts are crucial, and effective communication is critical. Working software matters only if it delivers value to users. Focusing on building the right thing rather than something that works is more important. Understanding the problem requires strong communication skills rather than coding expertise.
Express genuine appreciation, project warmth, and radiate positive energy. People tend to like those who make them feel like. Show genuine interest in the other person by seeking their knowledge and expertise. Consider what you want to learn from the interaction so both parties feel they have added value. Listen and ask specific questions in real-time to make others feel heard.
Being a good listener involves two things:
- Demonstrating that you have heard exactly what the other person said.
- Encouraging them to continue sharing.
Mindful communication promotes awareness through active listening and engagement. It takes work to identify absolute authority influence. Expensive clothing, style, and possessions like jewelry or cars can carry an air of status and power.
When faced with authority influence, ask simple questions before succumbing to it. Consider the authority’s credentials and their relevance to the topic at hand. “Is this authority figure an expert?” “How truthful can we expect them to be in this situation?” Even the most knowledgeable authorities may need to present their information. By focusing on evidence of authority influence and avoiding blind trust, we can make informed decisions. Managers should provide non-blocking feedback to support senior engineers. The skills and behaviors exhibited by role model engineers impact the code we write, the algorithms we deploy, and the decisions we make.
[¹]: Staff Engineer: Leadership Beyond the management track
[²]: Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication
