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Engineers are known as the big brains of the career world. We are known as problem solvers, and that\u2019s a good thing. What we are not known for is our ability to speak. Well, at least not in terms that regular humans can understand. That\u2019s too bad because we, as engineers, have a lot of good knowledge we could share if we could just learn how to get out of our own way.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t have to be that way. Just because they didn\u2019t teach us about effective communication in engineering school, it doesn\u2019t mean we can\u2019t learn it on our own.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re probably wondering why you should invest the time to learn how to be a better speaker. You\u2019re thinking that time would be better spent learning another programming language.<\/p>\n
Let me give you some reasons why learning how to be a better communicator is worth your while.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t believe me? Think for a moment about how many programmers there are in the world. According to Evans Data<\/a>, there were 23.9 million programmers in 2019. Now think about how many of those programmers have developed a following; you could probably count them on both hands. What separates these from the rest? Why do some engineers seem to get ahead while others stay behind?<\/p>\n Higher intelligence is no guarantee of a successful career. Yes, you absolutely have to understand your subject matter, but it\u2019s not always the smartest engineers who command the highest salaries. I\u2019ve known a few engineers in my time, and I\u2019m sure you have too, who were extremely smart but never really seemed to get ahead.<\/p>\n At the first company I worked for right out of university, there was a programmer who had been there for several years. When I asked one of his co-workers why that particular programmer never got promoted the answer was \u201cHe doesn\u2019t interview well.\u201d He clearly knew the software well, and he had been there long enough to demonstrate his skill set. And yet he couldn\u2019t ascend to the next level because his ability to communicate with others was not up to par.<\/p>\n Engineers who can combine their technical skills with an ability to speak well are the ones who have a higher earning potential. Just watch any of the Clean Coders videos<\/a> by \u201cUncle Bob\u201d Martin, and you\u2019ll see why he is so sought after. Did he write a great book<\/a> about solid software principles? Absolutely. Does he have decades of experience? Of course. But so do a lot of other engineers I\u2019ve worked with, and none of them get paid like \u201cUncle Bob.\u201d<\/p>\n Some programmers think that learning how to speak well is somehow beneath them as if good communication is a talent that only applies to salespeople. Some will say they don\u2019t need to communicate better because they are not willing to \u201cplay office politics.\u201d They regard engineers who speak well with a bit of disdain, and consider the others to be suck-ups or sellouts.<\/p>\n You can think that if you want, but from what I\u2019ve seen, engineers who are also good speakers never have to worry about sending out their r\u00e9sum\u00e9s. Engineers who can effectively communicate their ideas create more opportunities for themselves. You already work hard; why not add good communication to your skill set, and increase your chances of a better career?<\/p>\n When I was working in technical support, I often had to explain to a customer why the software had failed. As a result, I had to learn about the lower-level workings of the software. I learned how the endpoints transmitted information to the main server and how to decrypt the information files and examine their contents.<\/p>\n None of this information was in the technical documentation. A lot of it was tribal knowledge that I had to pry from the developers themselves.<\/p>\n I did all this because I wanted to educate the customer as much as possible. Of course the customer didn\u2019t have to know as much as I did, but I wanted to be prepared in case they asked me more probing questions. Preparing for the customer forced me to learn more about the software than I would have normally.<\/p>\n Imagine that you petition your boss for a new Integrated Development Environment (IDE). The request is granted, and you get your new IDE installed on your computer. You are happily writing and debugging code when your boss comes to you with a request. She asks you to prepare a quick presentation for the rest of the team on how to best use that new IDE.<\/p>\n Would you wing it? Would you just project your screen before the group and start clicking buttons on the IDE interface without explaining what you\u2019re doing or why? I think not.<\/p>\n I think you would take the time to prepare a handful of the most common scenarios where you would use the tool. Then you would probably walk through each scenario, carefully explaining what you are doing and why it\u2019s relevant. You might even provide a slide deck for the group to use as a reference.<\/p>\n In preparing that presentation, you would get a much better understanding of the tool and how it works. You\u2019d become familiar with the tool\u2019s benefits and shortcomings. In short, you would become the subject matter expert. And all because you had to teach someone else what you know. So the next time you are called upon to speak about a subject, don\u2019t complain; be thankful. You are about to become an expert.<\/p>\n As an engineer, it\u2019s your job to solve the world\u2019s problems. Never underestimate just how impactful your contribution can be. Somewhere along the way, you will have an idea that could change lives.<\/p>\n Perhaps it won\u2019t be the cure for cancer, but at some point in your career, you will acquire some insight that could potentially make life better for others.<\/p>\n You might discover a bug in a piece of software that could cause an autonomous vehicle to crash without warning. You might discover a vulnerability that could compromise a bank\u2019s security. Or, you might discover a way to reduce the time it takes to test a piece of software so it takes minutes instead of hours.<\/p>\n Whatever the case, you will have an important message to share with the world.<\/p>\n However, it\u2019s not enough to have a great idea. Remember that good ideas are a dime a dozen. Good communication is not just about presenting information; it\u2019s about connecting with your audience.<\/p>\n Your message is important, and you have to present it in such a way that your audience will buy into it. That\u2019s why you need to hone your speaking skills. If you can\u2019t get people to back your idea, it might as well be non-existent.<\/p>\n Garrett Gunderson, author of Killing Sacred Cows<\/a><\/em>, defines the value you bring to the world as a function of your mental capital and your relationship capital. You can\u2019t reach success on your own. You need to build relationships with the people who can help you spread your message. And you can\u2019t build relationships without good communication skills.<\/p>\n So do yourself a favor. Do the world a favor. Learn how to be a good communicator. Because you have a message to share, and the world needs to hear it.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not exactly the same as getting a raise, but don\u2019t discount the benefit of having your employer pay for your training. And you are not likely to get your employer to pay for your training if you can\u2019t request it in terms that will benefit them. As Costa Lamprou says in his article<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u2026 [I]f your employer decides to invest in your skills, it will be beneficial for both you and them. Present this fact to them in a manner that highlights the advantages involved for them.<\/p>\nYou Learn Faster by Teaching<\/h2>\n
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Now, you\u2019re probably thinking \u201cI\u2019m a programmer who never has to interface with the customer, so I don\u2019t have to worry about teaching anyone.\u201d I can tell you that I\u2019ve done more training for fellow engineers than I have for external customers. Just because speaking is not in your job description, that doesn\u2019t mean you will never be called on to do it.<\/p>\nThe World Needs To Hear Your Message<\/h2>\n
Better Communicators Get Better Benefits<\/h2>\n
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Knowing how to phrase things in a way that benefits others is key to getting what you want. I worked with a man who wanted to buy a very expensive saw. He knew his wife wouldn\u2019t approve of the purchase, so he explained to her that the new saw would equip him to build that new dining room table she\u2019d been wanting. He got his saw, and she got her dining room table, it\u2019s a win-win situation.<\/p>\n