Communication skills are extremely important
Article#: 00024
Date: 2020-08-02
Author: Radim
Communication skills are for a software developer just as important as technical skills.
Many software projects fail not because of technical problems, but because of communication problems.
Software developers must give weight to communication skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Communication skills come into play:
When you communicate (during a conversation, by email, when presenting ...) with your manager, teammate, supplier, customer, etc.
When you write code, code comments, documentation ...
You need to be a good listener.
Listen carefully to what the other person means.
Let the speaker finish speaking and then ask appropriate questions.
Summarize what you understand in your own words back to the person.
You have to formulate your thoughts clearly and easily to understand - even for people who are not technically on the same level!
You have to write code that is correct, but also readable and understandable for other people.
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- Recruit and retain the best employees!
- Understand - Agree - Be Identified - Believe
- Good communication is important
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Comment#: 00001
Date: 2022-07-01
User: Radim
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
- Albert Einstein
Comment#: 00002
Date: 2022-10-22
User: Radim
"Hire great writers!
If you are trying to decide among a few people to fill a position, hire the best writer. It doesn't matter if that person is a marketer, salesperson, designer, programmer, or whatever; their writing skills will pay off.
That's because being a good writer is about more than writing. Clear writing is a sign of clear thinking. Great writers know how to communicate. They make things easy to understand. They can put themselves in someone else's shoes. They know what to omit. And those are qualities you want in any candidate.
Writing is making a comeback all over our society. Look at how much people e-mail and text-message now rather than talk on the phone. Look at how much communication happens via instant messaging and blogging. Writing is today's currency for good ideas."
- Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson. 37signals (2010). Rework.
Comment#: 00005
Date: 2023-08-11
User: Radim
"How to eliminate fifty percent of your business worries.
Everyone who wishes to present a problem to me must first prepare and submit a memorandum answering these four questions:
1. What is the problem?
2. What is the cause of the problem?
3. What are all the possible solutions of the problem?
4. What solution do you suggest?
My associates rarely come to me now with their problems. Why? Because they've discovered that in order to answer those four questions, they have to get all the facts and think their problems through. And they've done that, they find in three-fourths of the the cases they don't have to consult me at all because the proper solution has popped out like a piece o fbread popping up from an electric toaster. Even in those cases where consultation is snecessary the discussion takes about one-third of the time formely required because it proceeds along an orderly, logical path to a reason conclusion."
- Dale Carnegie. Crescent News (1944). How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKzlc_N2yxw (01:07:50 - 01:09:53)
Comment#: 00006
Date: 2023-08-11
User: Radim
"Basic techniques in analysing worry:
Rule 1 - get the fact. Half the worry in the wold is caused by people trying to make decisions before they have sufficient knowledge on which to base a decision.
Rule 2 - after carefully weighing all the facts come to a decision.
Rule 3 - once a decision is carefully reached, act, get busy carrying out your decision and dismiss all enxiety about the outcome.
Rule 4 - when you or any of your associates are tempted to worry about a problem, write out and anser the following questions:
a) What is the problem?
b) What is the cause of the problem?
c) What are all possible solutions?
d) What is the best solution?"
- Dale Carnegie. Crescent News (1944). How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKzlc_N2yxw (01:12:50 - 01:13:50)
Comment#: 00008
Date: 2023-09-13
User: Radim
Often the person who knows the answer or the right way is closer than you think. All you have to do is ask.
Comment#: 00009
Date: 2023-11-01
User: Radim
"Tell the truth, but not the whole truth".
That is, information that is not relevant and can potentially ruin the relationship and further cooperation does not need to be told...
Comment#: 00010
Date: 2024-02-22
User: Radim
Is your native language not English and do you work in an international team? Have you agreed on English as the project language within the team? Then please:
1. Install and use all project tools in English.
2. Use English help files for the tools.
3. Write English variable names and comments in the code.
These rules make collaboration between team members, documentation and support tasks easier. Because people will use the same terms.
Do you agree with these rules?
Would you add anything else?