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Five vital communication skills for IT leaders and their staff

IT professionals are often told that they need to learn how to communicate better. But you seldom hear anyone define what they mean by "communicate," much less explain how someone can learn to do it. This episode of Sanity Savers for IT executives discusses five of the communication skills that IT leaders and their staff need to develop, based on the book "Leading IT Transformation: The Roadmap for Success."

Jason Hiner: You hear the advice everywhere: IT pros need to learn how to communicate better. But you seldom hear anyone define what they mean by "communicate," much less explain how someone can learn to do it. There's a book called Leading IT Transformation: The Roadmap for Success, which does a pretty good job of breaking down the elements of communication into understandable chunks.

 

I'm Jason Hiner, and today on Sanity Savers for IT Executives, I'll discuss some of the book's insights on five of the communication skills that IT leaders and their staff need to develop.

 

Number 1: Listening

 

The book makes a great statement: "Incorrect assumptions are the bane of any listener." I'd go a step further and say incorrect assumptions are the bane of any speaker, too.

 

In an average conversation there are many opportunities for meaning to be misconstrued. Seemingly unimportant words can put a sentence in a totally different light.

 

Let s take the word "up." If a client says he wants a system up in two weeks, does he mean up and tested and ready for prime time? Or does he mean live but with the understanding that there will be bugs to work out? You have to clarify his meaning or risk having a dissatisfied client.

 

Number 2: Empathy

 

When you can put yourself in someone else's shoes, communication becomes much easier. You don't have to agree with everyone, but you do need to understand why they feel the way they do.

 

The book suggests that IT pros have problems in this area, often becoming defensive or deciding that the other person is simply wrong. This prevents them from hearing what's actually being said.

 

One good way to demonstrate empathy is to paraphrase what the speaker has said or even just take a moment to acknowledge the idea BEFORE you add your two cents' worth.

 

Number 3: Diplomacy

 

Let's face it: Sometimes your clients are just out-and-out wrong. But if you come barging in with that attitude, you're not going to get anywhere. So, you have to learn how to disagree in a way that keeps them from becoming defensive.

 

Sometimes, you even have to help your clients save face. You might say something like, "I completely understand how we gave that impression, but..." or "You make good points, but if you look at it this way...." These are two very diplomatic methods of disagreeing.

 

Number 4: Remain emotionally neutral

 

What if you've been polite and diplomatic, but the person you're dealing refuses to validate your side of the issue? Your first reaction may be to push back with anger or obstinance -- but that will get you nowhere fast. Try to step back and NOT take the other person's words personally. If you can stay calm you can often diffuse a lot of the tension, and eventually open up the possibility for a compromise.

 

Number 5: Rapport building

 

The book also points out that people will be more likely to work with you if they feel a connection with you. Remember that the users of the technology you implement and maintain are people. If you don't try to develop some kind of rapport with them, you're losing out on a good opportunity.

 

I'm not saying you have to take everyone to lunch, but don't be afraid to get to know them -- and to let them get to know you. That can go a long way toward building the kind of trust that is essential for strong communication.

 

It's not always easy to connect with other people, to understand their concerns, or to help them see things from your perspective. But these five skills --the ability to listen, to empathize, to be diplomatic, to remain emotionally neutral, and to build rapport -- will greatly improve your professional relationships and advance your goals.

 

I'm Jason Hiner and this has been an episode of Sanity Savers for IT Executives. For more, go to sanity.techrepublic.com. And if you have feedback or your own sanity savings tips, e-mail them to us at sanity@techrepublic.com. If we use one of your tips on the show, we'll send you a TechRepublic coffee mug. Thanks for watching. See you next time.