Communication for Software Engineers

Transcription

1 Communication for Software Engineers Rebecca Hincks Unit for Language and Communication, ECE 1 Good communication really matters Engineers spend a lot of time communicating Good communication skills are key to your professional advancement Supportive environments encourage good communication 2 Rebecca Hincks 1

2 Who am I and why am I here? Associate Professor of English Director, KTH Language & Communication Taught at KTH for 20+ years PhD from Tal, musik och hörsel, CSC My unit is responsible for the communication components of your program from 2016 on 3 At the end of this lecture, you should Have a better understanding of the kind of communicator you should be when you graduate Be reminded of key aspects of successful oral presentations Have some clear ideas about how to structure and deliver your hour-long Demo Be ready to send me plans for your long and short presentations (due May 2 to hincks@kth.se) 4 Rebecca Hincks 2

3 Part 1 WHAT COMMUNICATION SKILLS ARE EMPLOYERS LOOKING FOR? 5 Published research on this topic Ruff and Carter (2009) Communication learning outcomes from software engineering professionals: A basis for teaching communication in the engineering curriculum I reproduce their results in the next eleven slides Norback and Hardin (2005) Integrating Workforce Communication into Senior Design Tutorial Software engineers should be able to 6 Rebecca Hincks 3

4 Design communication Evaluate communication situations and design communication appropriately for different purposes and contexts Frame communication in terms of the knowledge and concerns of the audience. Communicate effectively to a variety of audiences Recognize the different communication cultures and norms of different countries, organizations, areas within organizations, ethnic groups, and individuals, and adapt to those differences 7 Design communication Prioritize communication tasks to use time wisely Discern when it is more appropriate/effective to keep silent rather than to speak and to ask questions rather than to assert an opinion 8 Rebecca Hincks 4

5 Explain clearly Present information in a way that goes beyond the specific details of a project to provide the big picture, a higher level of summary Explain code, methods and design decisions by communicating the intent what was meant to be achieved and reasons why key choices were made Achieve an appropriate balance between conciseness and explanation; go directly to the point 9 Explain clearly Answer questions clearly by going beyond what the questioner has explicitly asked; anticipate what else the questioner might need to know Communicate effectively under stress Communicate convincingly Use consistent and appropriate terminology 10 Rebecca Hincks 5

6 Discuss productively Lead a productive group discussion Deal constructively with conflict: debate/discuss/ negotiate/collaborate productively and respectfully Support the transition from debate to the formation of a decision; e.g. summarize issues, propose solutions, and/or back down, as needed Hear criticism as a constructive contribution to the outcome of a project (without getting defensive) Give criticism constructively and respectfully 11 Discuss productively Collaborate with others within an integrated project team or from different areas of the organization. Demonstrate an understanding of how software engineering decisions affect others 12 Rebecca Hincks 6

7 Receive communication Solicit help, advice, or information Listen actively; ask clarifying questions Read with comprehension and evaluate information to determine what is credible and relevant Adjust communication based on (non-verbal) reactions of the audience; solicit feedback about the effectiveness of the communication Learn and improve communications skills, especially interpersonal skills 13 Communicate professionally Give opinions with a balance of confidence and humility Avoid complaining, by proposing a solution, fixing the problem, or remaining silent Be nice to others, through words and tone Manage non-verbal communication to avoid sending inappropriate messages Make own accomplishments known without arrogance 14 Rebecca Hincks 7

8 Communicate professionally Communicate charismatically; be passionate/animated in order to influence people Mentor others and help them grow Communicate through transparency (make information openly available) Develop the flexibility to communicate in different roles within an organization Inform managers and team members of potential problems before the problems become serious Participate in meetings 15 Use common forms and tools Demonstrate a mastery of the kinds of formal and informal communication most often used in the industry , bug reports, meetings, presentation to groups, oneon-one, teleconferences, IM, code comments, documentation, requirements, status reports Use digital tools that are beneficial for communication and teamwork Tools for document control, bitmap and vector illustrations, documentation, web pages, basic video/audio for presentations, intuitive GUI design, project planning 16 Rebecca Hincks 8

9 Use common forms and tools Use appropriately, demonstrating an understanding of What information should be included and what should not When to use reply all The necessity to read carefully before sending Give effective and engaging presentations 17 Part 2 EFFECTIVE AND ENGAGING PRESENTATIONS 18 Rebecca Hincks 9

10 Allow plenty of time Ten hours of prep for one hour presentation not unreasonable 1. Planning 2. Structuring 3. Creating Visuals 4. Delivering Plan your content carefully Must be targeted to your audience Background knowledge? Expectations? Must accomplish your purpose What should they learn? What is your main point? Must be appropriate to the occasion Formal or informal? Time limits? Time of day and location? 20 Rebecca Hincks 10

11 Consider storyboarding 21 Lots of reasons for storyboarding Fast and easy to structure and rearrange Keep focus on task by not being online Less stressful way to start the process Prevents work that is unnecessary or redundant Helps you focus analysis 22 Rebecca Hincks 11

12 Do not drown audience in detail Scope Depth Depends on audience Cannot include everything Some details better in writing Source: Alley (2003) p Structure your content The organization of the major points The way the points are connected The depth of the information The emphasis of details Should have a beginning, a middle and an end I M C 24 Rebecca Hincks 12

13 Framing your presentation Your structure provides a framework Your points are hung up on this framework Allows audience to understand your message 25 The introduction is very important Do not assume your audience is familiar with the work you are presenting Take time to put them into the picture Answer these questions: What exactly is the subject? Why is this subject important? What background is needed to understand this subject? In what order will the subject be presented? 26 Rebecca Hincks 13

14 What exactly is the subject? Leave your title slide up for a minute Give the audience time to adjust to you as a speaker Don t overwhelm them with information at the beginning 27 Why is the subject important? Motivate your audience to keep listening to you Appeal to existing problems or Appeal to curiosity Ground abstract information by providing an example Don t save all information about applications for the end 28 Rebecca Hincks 14

15 Aristotelian rhetoric Appeal to logic Appeal to character Appeal to emotion 29 Make your structure clear As you move between introduction, middle and conclusion As you move between parts of the middle Plan your transitions Particularly important as you reach the end 30 Rebecca Hincks 15

16 Framing: the conclusion Identify for the audience the most important points Connect with the context you used in the introduction Leave the summary slide up at end instead of this: Thanks! Any questions? 31 Emphasize key points By mentioning them at beginning and/or end By repeating them By illustrating them By being selective By leaving conclusion slide up at end 32 Rebecca Hincks 16

17 3. Designing visuals Do I need visuals? PowerPoint was invented by engineers for engineers Provides good support for both speakers and listeners Multimedia improves people s ability to remember content But can be misused Great work can be done without visuals Kinds of visuals Videos Demonstrations Objects Black/whiteboard Slides 33 Typography Use sans-serif such as Verdana or Arial (Times New Roman is serif) Use boldface for emphasis but not underlined or italics Use at least 18 points Avoid using all capital letters Set language for spellchecking from the creation of the document NO TYPOS or misspellings This and following reproduced from Alley (2003) p Rebecca Hincks 17

18 Use color wisely Use light type against dark background or Dark type against light background Avoid red-green combinations Keep to a color scheme Consider effect of colors: hot or cold? 35 Consider using sentence headlines Sentence headlines express a point Phrase headlines introduce topic Headlines should be left-justified Text blocks should be no more than two lines (6 words? 6 items?) Listed items should be parallel Be generous with white space 36 Rebecca Hincks 18

19 Include lots of images People are drawn to pictures Keep them simple Make them big Label axes and parts Maximize the data-ink ratio 37 More things to think of Plan on 1-2 minutes per slide Number your slides Key words in print help non-native speakers Indenting helps audience focus on key points 38 Rebecca Hincks 19

20 4. Delivering the presentation Interaction with audience Eye contact Interaction with room Voice Gesture Body language 39 Rehearse! Save plenty of time to rehearse your presentation repeatedly Don t memorize or read But the presence of a script can be reassuring Memorize the first minute if necessary Speak from points or keywords Film yourself Get feedback from peers 40 Rebecca Hincks 20

21 Manner of delivery is critical Audience will be interested if you show interest and enthusiasm Everyone needs to find own style Everyone can improve with practice and focus Get friends to comment on your performance Think of a model speaker and pretend you are that person 41 Try to involve your audience Ask questions Relate your points to familiar things Make personal connections Use personal pronouns I, you, we Use examples and stories Use humor if it comes naturally 42 Rebecca Hincks 21

22 Pay attention to your audience Maintain eye contact Look at all sides of the room If they look bored, work harder! Don t talk to the projection screen Don t hesitate to use pointers 43 The room has an effect Aula or classroom? Tightly packed or spaced out? Lit or unlit? Comfortable chairs or not? Possibility of moving or not? Size of screen? Take charge of the room! 44 Rebecca Hincks 22

23 Your voice is your medium Avoid flat tones Stress important words Pauses are effective don t rush Speak to the back of the room Use your whole register Introduce new topics with raised pitch Vary loudness, speed and pitch 45 Your physical presence matters Dress for the occasion Move naturally and with a purpose Rest your hands somewhere Avoid any repetitive movements Gestures contribute meaning and emphasis Eye contact is critical 46 Rebecca Hincks 23

24 Pay attention to time At least 60 s per slide Practice so you have a good idea Be wary of digressions Skip slides if you must Be in control if questions are asked Rephrase questions for the benefit of the audience 47 Everyone is nervous Adrenalin can help you do a better job Audience most often doesn t see your nervousness People are on your side Deep breaths can help Think positive thoughts 48 Rebecca Hincks 24

25 Summarizing Delivery Be enthusiastic Do not hurry Give time on visuals Maintain eye contact Modulate your voice Look friendly Try to involve your audience 49 In conclusion Keep audience and aim in mind as you plan Prepare visual material carefully Use lots of images Leave time to practice Use keywords instead of written language Say what you are going to say, say it, and say what you have just said Be aware of body language and voice Enjoy sharing your knowledge! 50 Rebecca Hincks 25

26 Apply these principles in your 5- minute project presentation in class Using screen shots instead of demoing Summarize the product Its strengths Its weaknesses How well you fulfilled your original plan 51 Part 3 MAKING A GREAT DEMO 52 Rebecca Hincks 26

27 From your course handbook Your demo is to be held on campus The whole group does not need to attend Your audience is your supervisor Your purpose is to allow the supervisor to assess: How well the overall product vision and detailed user requirements have been fulfilled How and why you have deviated from your project plans The quality of the final product 53 From your course handbook You have about an hour You need to produce a plan for how the time will be used Who will speak What they will say Your plan should allow about 20 minutes for questions I will review your plans (send to hincks@kth.se) 54 Rebecca Hincks 27

28 Your supervisor is not a customer Apply principles of audience, purpose and occasion when planning your presentation Audience of one Purpose is examination Place is an office rather than a stage Put a lot of effort into demonstrating what you have created and accomplished 55 Things to include or bring Written feedback from the end-user Demonstration of error-handling capacity Realistic cases and examples Answers to questions you will be asked, such as Any discovered bugs Limitations and missing requirements Best and worst features Project execution and experiences 56 Rebecca Hincks 28

29 Some general demo advice Have a clear and real problem to solve Tell a story Start with the best part, which is often the end Keep it simple Minimize typing during demo by planning shortcuts by automation or copy-paste Plan your answers for the tough questions you might be asked 57 Backups and safety measures Backup computer Videos of demos? Backup screenshots Software running before examiner arrives Keep all other applications closed Test in the CSC environment 58 Rebecca Hincks 29

30 Finally Share your enthusiasm Engage and have fun Keep cool Don t troubleshoot in real time Make your talk an interactive dialogue Show rather than tell 59 Now, you should Have a better understanding of the kind of communicator you should be when you graduate Be reminded of key aspects of successful oral presentations Have some clear ideas about how to structure and deliver your hour-long Demo Be ready to send me plans for your long and short presentations (due May 2 to hincks@kth.se) 60 Rebecca Hincks 30