What we're Going to Talk About

• How teaching helps with regular software development work;
• with email communication;
• with finding out the pains of clients and users;
• with understanding the other person's world;
• with explaining one's position.

What Does This Have to Do with Negotiation?

Teaching and negotiating are forms of communication. The former can help automatically get pumped up in the second.

Hanlon's Razor and Murphy's Law

“You probably didn't understand each other.”
“You probably don't understand each other from the first time.”

Let's Assume I'm a Developer...

...And sometimes I get bugs
from testers

I Look at the Bug Report, and There...

Bug Report: “IT'S NOT WORKING!!1!111”

Me:

The Problem is Misunderstanding

Our worlds views are different.

I don't know something the testers know; they may not know something that I know.

Doesn't Reproduce!!1!11

Comprehension Training

Now I'm a Tester...

...And Sometimes I Hear
“Doesn't Reproduce!”

Cure for Misunderstanding

Effective communication reduces this difference in world views and helps us find an average understanding.

• I'll tell what I did;
• what I expected to get;
• what I actually got.

I will describe details, because I will be asked anyway.

In Teaching it's the Same*

*Except it's kinda different.

Predict What a Student Needs

• No one wants to deal with incomprehensible stuff.
• People like stories.

Let's Assume I'm a Manager...

I Will See the Email Like This

Will Answer Later...

Mobile Always

And even if not, people still don't like figuring out incomprehensible stuff.

Give Everything They Need. Immediately

Everything you need to fix the bug.
Everything you need to understand a topic.
Everything you need to...

Find Out What's the Deal

Students may not have done their homework for a variety of reasons.

• Asking questions is scary.
• It's always hard in a new field.
• It's hard for people to explain themselves.

Find Out What's the Deal

Developers could have fallen behind for a variety of reasons.

• Asking questions is scary.
• It's always hard in a new field.
• It's hard for people to explain themselves.

Find Out What's the Pain

• We're on the same side since we're doing the same thing.
• Wanting to understand someone else's point of view.
• Helping to see your own point of view.
• Asking open questions and be friendly.

Not Only Clients but Students, Too

At DRIVE2, we use custdev, to get to know your users better. We learn a lot of new things.

...About Us as Well

Effective Communication —...

...is two-way communication.

Need to Feel Safe

Companions Want to Feel Safe

Otherwise, we have “fight or flight” mechanisms turned on. This won't lead to a productive conversation.

Students Want to Feel Safe

Because dealing with new things is difficult, people feel vulnerable.

Everyone Wants to Feel Safe

Kindness × 2

Really trying to figure out what's wrong. Don't give in to emotion.

Tell Facts, Speak About Yourself

• Rely solely on the facts.
• Talk about your own feelings when dealing with problems.

This Requires Resources and Attention

It is important to rest and recover.

For standard and frequent questions, I used prepared answers.

It gave time and energy to resolve difficult non-standard situations.

Teaching is a Responsibility

But...

With Great Responsibility
Comes Great Power...
Or Something Like That.

Alex Bespoyasov 👋

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