Debugging Communication
The Power of Great Communication in High-Performing Software Teams
I recently reviewed a promotion proposal for a colleague I work with, that contained within it the phrase “world-class communicator”. Wow, I thought to myself. World-class is some claim. I don’t think I’ve met a single person in my life that I’d consider a world-class communicator. I’ve barely met anyone whom I would consider good!
Almost every problem we encounter in business has a root cause of bad communication at its heart. Dig deep enough in any given scenario and I’m pretty sure you’ll find an instance where improved communication would have prevented the problem from happening in the first place.
The problem is, in complex businesses with different teams, locations, and people spread out across the globe, communication is really hard. Brooks’ Law taught us how adding more people to a project, adds to the complexity, making communication continually harder. With more people, comes more opportunity to propagate bad habits and bad communication behaviours.
What can we do?
The first step is to think about our own communication style, and how we can become better communicators. Here I’m going to describe some of the different communicators I work with and what each could do to improve their own communication. See if any of these resonate with you.
The “Too Much Detail” Communicator
You’re in a meeting, going through status updates. You ask for a brief summary of an issue and you get a 10-minute brain dump of everything that’s happened since the dawn of the project.
“Yesterday, we tried to fix the bug and added some new tests. After the deployment, we were doing some integration testing but we noticed the issue still existed. We proceeded to debug and during this…”
“Can you get to the point?”
Some people don’t know how to summarise. Inefficient communication is communicating in 1000 words, that which can be communicated in 100.
Solution
If this is you, try giving yourself a time or word limit on your communication. Create a constraint that acts as a forcing function to make your communication more succinct.
The “Absent” Communicator
You’re working on a project, and you feel like you’re constantly asking for an update from the project lead.
“Can I get an update on the status?”
“What’s the latest on the project?”
“PLEASE I’M BEGGING YOU, CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE ME SOME INFORMATION”
These types of communicators tend to think their communication is not valuable, so default to nothing. “Ah, no one listens anyway, so I won’t bother”. Their intentions are often good, thinking that communicating bad or misinformed information is worse than not communicating at all. The problem is that this is often misaligned with what their audience wants. Maybe your stakeholders want to know the bad news or want to know the unashamedly honest news.
Solution
If this resonates with you, ask your audience what they want in terms of communication from you. Good communication is not just about the message you want to convey, it’s about what your listeners want to hear. Try asking people what they want from you in terms of good comms, and work towards that.
The “Constant” Communicator
Know anyone who communicates as a constant stream of unconscious thought? These people share their raw thoughts, constantly, with no filter.
“Just to keep you in the loop, I’ve spoken to James, we’re catching up again later.”
“Ok(?)”
“I spoke to James, we’re going to have another call next week to discuss how to move forward”
“Great, do you have plans yet?”
“Not yet, will keep you updated”
This style of communication can be a positive, but it’s also a time drain. It takes a lot of effort and time to communicate with large numbers of people and groups. Getting every detail as and when they arrive can be too much too soon. It’s ok to hold back some information, but there’s a balance to be struck.
Solution
If this resonates with you, try being more mindful and thoughtful about what you communicate and how often. Sometimes holding back a bit and thinking about what and how you communicate can be a better strategy.
Conclusion
Not all communication styles are created equal. Great communicators understand the importance of adapting their approach to suit different situations and individuals. Flexibility is crucial in order to establish rapport and connect effectively. Pay attention to the preferences and communication styles of those you interact with. Adjust your tone, language, and level of formality accordingly, while maintaining authenticity and staying true to your own values.
The art of great communication is a journey of growth and refinement. Great communication cultivates meaningful connections, strengthens relationships, and paves the way for success in your business endeavours.
By working on your own communication style, you can do better and help your teams to do better too. You might find delivery improves, engagement increases and your processes become more streamlined.
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