Leading People Leading Technical Work Use storytelling Use emo.on Understand why a story is a good story to you and consider your audience. Use narra.ve tension (ie. A boy fell down a well) See HBR Storytelling that Moves People use lists use concise language See Monash University Wri4ng in Engineering website Growth is fun. Seek coaching. GeCng permission to coach. What is the coached person doing well at? What is their next big win? What could they co-­‐create? 1)  Do I have permission to coach?
I noticed…
You could…
I need…
I wonder what would happen if we…
Have you seen the way Elon Musk…
Technical Communications
Chapter II
Techniques for Technical Leaders:
Concise Technical Writing
Why use Concise Technical Wri.ng? • Move to Ac.on • Create Order in Complexity • Create a Common Understanding 8
Why Use Exis.ng Genres? (aka. Formats) • Comprehension and • Credibility 9
Genres (aka. Formats) Verbal Team Communica.on •  Set team norms •  Team Communica.on Expecta.ons Final Report •  Enph Website Example Reports •  Monash University Website Resources •  Purdue University Website Resources •  Textbook 2 Minute Summary •  -­‐Lecture Notes •  Videos of Top Presenters •  Leadership Advice (expecta.on seCng) 10
Genres (aka. Formats) Genre Examples from Students: • Procedures • Protocol • ReadMe • Code Comments • Test Results • Schema.cs • Verbal Coaching • Two Minute Summaries • minutes • Memorandums • Email • Final Report • Final Presenta.on • Company Repor.ng • Lab Notebooks • Schedules • To-­‐do lists • Purchase Requests • Proposals • Bill of Materials • Design Proposals • Specifica.ons • Design DraXs • Models 11
Hallmarks of Concise Technical Wri.ng from Students •  Efficient Word Choice •  Precision •  Clarity •  Brevity •  Knowing your Audience •  Follows Genre •  Diagrams •  Subsec.ons •  Index •  Organized Thoughts •  Summary 12
Technical Communications
Chapter II
Techniques for Technical Leaders:
Concise Technical Writing Process
Communica=ons Grade Breakdown 20 % Formal Technical Reports (design proposal and final report) 20 % Informal Technical Reports (2 minute summaries 50 % Coaching and Feedback Communica.on 10 % Final Presenta.on 14
Technical Wri=ng Process 1: Determine Audience and Purpose 2: Decide whether to use narra.ve and/
or concise technical wri.ng. 3: Determine genre and find the best reference document. 4: Write an outline 15
Technical Wri=ng Process 5: Write Document (First write the body, then write the introduc.on, summary, abstract, etc. ) 6: Edit 7: Peer Edit 16
Technical Communications
Chapter II
Techniques for Technical Leaders:
The Purpose and Practice of Narrative
Storytelling?! Are you serious? Complements data. Used by leaders of all kinds. (See Harvard Business Review ar.cle) Memorable 18
Storytelling: What formats exist? 19
Storytelling: How do you currently tell stories? 20
Storytelling: Best Prac=ces Character(s) that we care about Crisis and Resolu.on 21
Technical Communications
Chapter II
Communication for Technical Leaders:
Seamless Integration of Technical Detail
into Stories
Integra=ng Technical Informa=on Seamlessly Iden.fy Audience and Purpose Iden.fy Appropriate Format or Genre Iden.fy Content required to support previous 2 steps Create Outline 23
Integra=ng Storytelling and Technical Informa=on Must be true (Did I need to write that down?) Almost certainly begin by explaining the risk or the opportunity that you are addressing 24
Inspira=on for stories come from: 1)How you iden.fied risk or opportunity 2) A hypothe.cal case study about what your proposal could create, and 3) A proven track record example, if available. 25
Exercise: Pretend that funding for this summer’s lab course has been cut for all future years and you will be the last students to take this course. Prepare the outline of a presenta=on reques=ng that this course be con=nued. Your audience is Andre and Jon. No assump=ons or fic=onal informa=on is allowed. Give this 5 minute presenta=on to your neighbor at 12:40 26
Technical Communications
Chapter II
Assignment Feedback
And
Templates
‘Office’ hours for 1 hour before and a[er class. Progalski@EngLeadership.org 28
Review: What have you learned so far? 29
Assignment Feedback: Strengths, Defini=ons, and Room for Improvement 30
Assignment Feedback: Strengths, Defini=ons, and Room for Improvement 31
Why use Concise Technical Wri.ng? • Move to Ac.on • Create Order in Complexity • Create a Common Understanding 32
Limita.ons of Storytelling Not Effec.ve for Reference Documents ie. specifica.ons ie. schedules ie. contracts ie. budgets Difficult to do well Doesn’t (always) trump good content Prac.ce or use Templates Do Great work 33
Universal Template 1) What risk or opportunity are you addressing? 2) How are you addressing it? 34
Template: Pitch Format 1) Use a hook. ie: 'we make smart materials smarter' 2) Short and succinct mission statement 3) State your target customer 4) Men.on your customers' pain 5) Explain how you solve this pain 6) Key differen.ator 35
Technical Communications
Chapter II
Presentation Details, Project Management
and
Course Close
‘Office’ hours for 1 hour before and a[er class. Progalski@EngLeadership.org 37
We have prac=ced: Storytelling Concise Technical Communica.on Coaching Communica.on 38
Communica=ng Uncertainty in Technical Projects. Communicate: Project Phase, Risk, and How Risk will be addressed. 39
Managing Uncertainty in Technical Projects: The Project Phase Approach: Ini.a.on Defini.on Execu.on Control Close 40
Coaching Feedback Request 41