Poor Communication Blocking Promo? You need these tips
5 tips to improve your communication skills.
Has your promotion been blocked because you “communicate” poorly? Are you frustrated with repeated feedback to improve your communication? You are not alone. I have been there, too!
As software engineers, we take pride in our ability to write great code but ignore the importance of good communication. But, what exactly is bad communication and why does it matter?
Today, I will share common situations where miscommunication easily occurs and provide tips to prevent it.
1. Slipping a deadline?
Did you uncover a major surprise with your project that will delay the project? Will the delay upset a customer or other stakeholders?
Let’s say you tell your team lead once. But, you don’t explain the severity of the surprise. Maybe they don’t realize this setback impacts other high-priority deliverables. Nobody is alarmed yet.
Weeks later, things escalate, and people realize this surprise is a major blocker. You get dinged for not sounding an alarm when you first learned of the problem.
Recommendation
Don’t hide the key message with convoluted words. Say, “We uncovered a major performance bottleneck with the design, blocking XYZ milestone”.
Have a discussion instead of just declaring the status. That way, others can identify what else gets impacted.
Don’t wait long. If you are unsure about the impact, say so. Your team lead can help you clarify things.
2. Disagree with a design?
Did someone present a proposal with hidden gotchas that can make the product unstable? If you stay quiet, the flawed design may get implemented. That would mean you and your team must deal with the repercussions.
Recommendation
Stop hesitating to give feedback. Read more about how to avoid hesitation here.
Phrasing your concerns as questions is a great way to keep it constructive.
Discuss it 1:1 if you worry about hurting them.
3. Your project estimates are off?
Your product manager requests that you deliver project X in 3 weeks.
You say, “That is too aggressive, and it will take two months.” When they push back, you push back harder, leaving them unheard.
Maybe they want parts of project X done in 3 weeks but don’t know how to describe what they want. By being blunt, you shut any room for discussion.
When this pattern repeats, you get feedback that you are “slow” or that your estimates are off.
Recommendation
Understand the business requirements so that you make a well-rounded decision.
Explaining why things take time is a part of your job. Break down your project into milestones and explain how some of those milestones are expensive.
If you can deliver partial goals sooner, propose that as an alternative.
4. Misalignment on project scope?
Have you ever found yourself deep into a project, only to realize that your understanding of the scope differed from your stakeholders'? This disconnect leads to frustration, wasted effort, and subpar outcomes.
Recommendation
Write down the project plan and explicitly capture what is in scope & out of scope.
Get it reviewed by the opinionated folks early on.
If the scope changes, then broadcast that to the stakeholders.
5. Your manager thinks your work is easy.
You delivered an amazing feature that required a lot of effort. However, nobody understands the project's difficulty, so you get feedback saying, “You should take on more work.”
Recommendation
Don’t think that talking about your work is bragging. If you don’t, no one else will.
Share continuous project updates that include the ups and downs.
Give a tech talk and explain the challenges encountered so people can see the depth of your work transparently.
Parting Note
I regret investing too late to improve my communication skills. I don’t want you to repeat my mistakes. So, I encourage you to read more about improving your:
1. Written communication
2. Verbal communication
3. Non-verbal communication
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Enjoyed reading the article, Raviraj, resonated with it through and through.
I've made a lot of these mistakes, starting with the pandemic one advice I got from a very senior leader, my skip at the time was over communicate. That was my turning point where I started being more vocal about a lot of the aspects you share in the post.
Awesome article, Raviraj.
This point stood out to me:
> Share continuous project updates that include the ups and downs.
I share project updates continuously, but often put more focus on the wins. I do raise any blockers or concerns, but it might also be good to emphasize the challenges overcome too. That way, to your point, it doesn't come across as too "easy" when it wasn't.
Thanks for this!