Communicating and Working with Engineers - Bridging the Gap

About this course

Why do our technical projects keep slipping? Why are the engineers I work with annoyed when I try to talk to them? Why are they resistant to coming back into the office? Why can't they appreciate the strategic importance of what we're building?If you've ever asked yourself any of those questions - consider that the problem might not be with your engineers, but with how you communicate with them. Managers, project managers, or anyone who depends on technical teams need to understand how engineers think differently - and how to communicate with engineers to maximize their productivity and their morale.This course is taught by Frank Kane, who brings his experience as both a senior manager and as a senior engineer at Amazon headquarters. Frank's seen the challenges of communication between engineers and non-engineers from both sides of the table, and shares his insights on how to empathize with engineers to communicate more effectively. You'll join 700,000 learners who have gained technical and managerial skills from Frank.Better communication with engineering leads to more realistic project schedules, a more productive team, and an assurance your team is building the right thing. Some specific topics we'll cover include:Introversion vs. extraversion, and how to create an environment conducive to bothCommunication challenges arising from a focus on the big picture vs. a focus on technical detailsOptimizing your communication style to keep engineers productiveSoft skills vs. hard skills, and the communication challenges that ariseNavigating cultural, language, and geographic barriersYou'll also get four hands-on activities, including a role-playing exercise of a difficult meeting with a lead engineer. You'll get to practice

Course objectives

• to improve communication between project managers and technical teams
• to create a more conducive work environment for both introverted and extroverted team members
• to navigate cultural and language barriers that impact project success