Do you feel like your ideas are being ignored? You can pound out code with the best of them, but somehow, your suggestions fall on deaf ears. Maybe you think that if you just write quality software, your work will speak for itself. I certainly fell into this camp.

Early in my career, I just wanted to sit and do the tasks I was assigned. I figured the rest would take care of itself. For a while, it did. But there came a time when, in order to do quality work, I needed to enlist the help of others. When that happened, I discovered that I had a lot to learn about effective communication.

Over the past few years, as I’ve worked to improve, all of the things I’ve learned can really be boiled down to these three areas: listening, speaking and writing.

Listen

Before you can even think about how to influence, educate, or persuade another, you need to know where they’re coming from. What’s important them him? How does she see the world? Why does he do what he does? When you understand someone’s motivations, you’re able to tailor your words and message in a way that will allow you to be heard in return.

Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood – Stephen Covey

In order to really understand someone, you have to really listen. I’m not talking about a false, going through the motions, nod your head like you’re paying attention listening. I mean, put aside what you want to say for the moment and really hear what the other person is saying. Ask follow up questions. Have empathy and really try to understand why he’s saying what he’s saying.

This is hard to do. Even with years of practice, I still want to jump into a conversation with my point of view before the other person has finished talking. I have to remind myself to shut up and listen. The other person will be much more willing to listen to what I have to say if she knows that I’ve heard what she said.

Speak

Once you feel you understand and that the other person is ready to hear you, the last thing you want is to open your mouth and sound like a dork. Learning to speak well is a skill that is worth learning. Whether it’s getting up in front of a group to give a formal presentation, sketching at the whiteboard, or just one on one at your desk.

Even though we’ve been talking most of our life, organizing your thoughts and presenting them in a logical manner takes practice. Personally, I’ve found great value in joining a Toastmasters club. The meetings and projects are structured to help you learn what makes for a great speech, even if you’re just talking to one person at a dinner party. It’s also helpful to identify those odd tics…uh…you know…that you…like…have when…ah…like…you speak.

Write

As software developers, much of our communication is written. Many of us prefer it that way! Whether you’re writing documentation, composing an email, or dashing off a question in Slack, it pays to think about how we write.

When you’re communicating via keyboard, misunderstanding is almost certain. The way the words sound in your head are not the way your audience will hear them. In some ways, it’s like writing error handling logic in your software. If you you can anticipate possible misunderstandings, you can attempt to make things clear from the beginning.

There are whole books dedicated to the art of writing better, but the main things I try to think about in anything I write are:

• Use clear subject lines. In this day and age, many people scan their email and delete anything that doesn’t seem to pertain to them (myself included). Use a subject line that makes it obvious what you need
• Get to the point. In emails, put the tl;dr; at the beginning. Don’t make the reader meander through your email before getting to the call to action.
• Use short sentences. Run on sentences will make your readers eyes glaze over. Keep it short.
• Don’t get fancy. You don’t need to impress me with your extensive vocabulary. Keep things simple and direct. This isn’t poetry.

Conclusion

Communicating clearly and effectively is an important skill to learn in your software development career. If you can listen and understand, speak effectively, and write well, you’ll be that much more effective and productive throughout your day.