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coolerbob
Aged Yak Warrior
841 Posts |
 Posted - 2006-07-02 : 11:30:46
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| Hi chaps and chapets,How many of you out there play a role of having to be technical in your skillset and be able to converse with other technical people but at the same time be able to hide that when required and talk to people at the top of large organizations and be a complete people person?Some people just have that ability - perhaps as a result of their upbringing. But most technical people do not (in my opinion). And I think a lot of us like to think we are better than we are when it comes to the people side of things.I know I for one could certainly get better in this area. Have any of you found any good guidance in this area or know where to get it?I talking about stuff beyond the obvious... don't moan about "the users", don't use techie terms, think of things from the business viewpoint, be a good listener, be respectfull, don't be argumentative, don't think you are always right...Is there more to it than that? Is it something that can be taught? Or is this all to abstract? |
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spirit1
Cybernetic Yak Master
11752 Posts |
Posted - 2006-07-02 : 15:55:58
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listen to what people are saying and respond accordingly.have good arguments prepared.be confident (good body language, voice tone etc.)have a relaxed face.read a few non tech books to get a feel of the other side's vocabulary  anything else you'd like to know? Go with the flow & have fun! Else fight the flow  |
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jen
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker
4110 Posts |
Posted - 2006-07-02 : 21:22:12
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keep everything simple, be concise, avoid complicated words that could leave you wondering if the listener understood what you meant and leave them feeling 'dumb'If you see them nod or seemingly to agree with you, don't push your point beyond that, others feel you are being too pushyI recommend 'the art of war' by Sun Tzu for readingWe had this Japanese consultant (female), very soft spoken, very diplomatic, even if your boss is shouting his lungs out, red mad coz someone screwed up, she pacifies the boss and provides workaround, I liked working with her very much, she is what you call a 'professional' professional, same thing with a jewish cto (male)both of them exude confidence that are not overbearing, knowledgeable without appearing boastful and very diplomatic, insanely cool  --------------------keeping it simple... |
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Michael Valentine Jones
Yak DBA Kernel (pronounced Colonel)
7020 Posts |
Posted - 2006-07-02 : 23:00:01
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| Don’t be afraid to shut up and listen.Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” when you don’t know.When you are asked as question that you have to think about, don’t start speaking until you are ready to answer. It’s better to be quiet and think than fill the time with “Well, hum, let me see…”.When you have said what you have to say, stop talking. If you ramble on, it sounds like you are unsure or don’t know what you are talking about.Keep it brief.CODO ERGO SUM |
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spirit1
Cybernetic Yak Master
11752 Posts |
Posted - 2006-07-03 : 03:41:54
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| great suggestion jen.i read that book about a year ago. excellent reading.there's also "The art of peace" by Morihei Ueshiba which is the founder of Aikido and it's also a very good book if you ask me.Go with the flow & have fun! Else fight the flow |
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coolerbob
Aged Yak Warrior
841 Posts |
Posted - 2006-07-05 : 19:54:11
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| Thanks for all of that guys. I also liked the "Art of War" book idea. I've heard of it before. So I weant to amazon. This is what one reviewer said: "As a Project Manager I can tell you that this book has little value to today's business. Projects are about efficiency, cooperation, and ROI not war."I get the sense that many/some dba's (and maybe programmers too) have a tendancy to look at their work environment as a war zone. I know that where I work, management is never satisfied with what we as a team of 6 programmers produce. And there is deffinitely a culture of blame and "cover your back, they're trying to stab you there". |
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jen
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker
4110 Posts |
Posted - 2006-07-06 : 00:08:05
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i think he misinterpreted the passages or did he take it literally?"do not judge the book by its cover" errr...in this instance title it's all about strategy, some people are really good with it and take advantage of the fact that not everybody is aware of such thingsthere are valuable stuff there... http://www.chinapage.com/sunzi-e.htmlthis one can be related to project management quote:
Now the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple where the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.
--------------------keeping it simple... |
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Communication