Podcast – How to communicate with people and teach

July 8, 2022
3 Min Read

Season 4 Episode 13

Edited Transcription

In this episode, I want to discuss how we communicate with people. This may seem a bit off-topic at first, but it's essential. I want to address those of you who share information and teach others, which should be all of us.

What I'm talking about is the way we communicate and pass on information to fellow developers, people who want to get into development, and experienced developers at any level. It's all about having effective conversations and communication.

So, I thought I'd share some tips on communicating information effectively. It may seem unrelated to our usual topics, but communication is a massive part of what we do as developers- it's not just about writing code.

Let's dive into a few tips. The first is vital to all the other information and how you approach these conversations: know your audience. This doesn't mean knowing them by name but understanding where they're coming from regarding their learning perspective, knowledge level, and preferred communication style.

For example, if you're talking to someone with zero understanding of programming, using complex terminology right from the start will only confuse them. It's essential to use language and concepts that they can grasp and build upon. On the other hand, if you're talking to advanced developers, you can use more technical terms and assume a certain level of understanding.

Always adapt your explanations to the level of knowledge and comprehension of your audience. It's not easy, but with practice, it becomes easier to gauge and adjust accordingly.

You might want to listen to the episode ‘Teaching is Hard‘ to learn more techniques.

Another tip is to show the long-form version of code examples, especially when teaching or explaining concepts. While optimized versions may look cool, they can confuse those unfamiliar with them. Start with the long-form version that provides more context and understanding, and then offer the optimized version as an alternative.

Lastly, always be open to different ways to explain the same thing. People learn and understand things differently, so having alternative explanations increases the chances of someone grasping the concept. Be prepared to answer questions and provide additional reasons if needed. Remember, the goal is to help others understand, not just to show off your knowledge.

I hope these tips have been helpful to you. Communication skills are just as critical as technical skills, and they will help you become a better teammate and teacher. If you have any thoughts or feedback, please let me know. Take care, and I'll speak to you in the next episode.

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