September 9, 2016 at 8:53 am
David.Poole (9/8/2016)
...it takes considerable time and energy to be able to steer people the way you hope they will go...
...whilst being prepared to change course as we learn along the way too.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
September 9, 2016 at 6:42 pm
Excellent reminders.
While some folks might think emoticons or emoji are not professional or have no place in any written communication, they do provide a crucial piece of the message that is missing from the written word when compared to saying the same thing in person or even via audio.
There is only so much tone you can convey in writing as opposed to your verbal inflection or body language so the reader is left filling in those blanks and they may jump to the wrong conclusions (that you are mad at them for asking such a ___ question or for bothering you). Emoticons and emoji can help if you send a big smile or a wink--but then again, sometimes it just doesn't matter.
I certainly have gotten in trouble for one word responses via email. To me, someone asked a question that could easily be answered with yes or no and I'm busy so I ignored any type of salutation or sign-off and bam! I'm brusk or angry. :rolleyes:
Needless to say, I now greet the person and provide a little more context to the yes/no answer.
But it isn't just our writing, it is also how we read the questions/responses of others as well (and keeping that in mind when we reply). Someone might not have any emotion invested in the message they wrote--or they might be and their wits end and really need support. Try think about that they might have going on in the background and after you have drafted your response, try to read it from their perspective and see what might get misconstrued and could use some clarification. Now, where's that beer 😉
September 10, 2016 at 3:12 am
Gary Varga (9/9/2016)
David.Poole (9/8/2016)
...it takes considerable time and energy to be able to steer people the way you hope they will go......whilst being prepared to change course as we learn along the way too.
Definitely!!! I relish the chance to learn something new.
I've spent the past couple of months learning a couple of frameworks (Yii and Laravel) as part of a large LAMP stack system.
There are things we take for granted in SQL Server that either don't exist in MySQL or behave in radically different ways. I've had to learn how to balance operations between SQL, PHP and XSLT and it has been great fun
September 10, 2016 at 7:53 am
@ben ward. I agree with most of what you said. Obviously developers have the same ability to learn, retain and apply a huge array of complex technical material and they deserve the same level of respect for expertise that area as DBAs do in theirs.
Obviously there are those who are happy in either camp but I don't think it follows that ability in one area means ability in the other. If each discipline was a musical discipline then we would have an orchestra. Oboe players can transition to Cor Anglais, Clarinets and bassoons just don't expect miracles if you hand them a viola.
One aspect of major difference between the development and DBA disciplines is the longevity of a mistake. I can refactor, recompile and deploy code quite happily and a previous buggy release has ceased to be.
Dodgy data is somewhat different, particularly when it represents financial information that is exposed externally (stock market and tax). You may not be able to delete it for regulatory reasons and you might not be able to correct it for technical reasons (not atomic enough) so the implications of a mistake are somewhat nastier
September 10, 2016 at 8:05 am
David.Poole (9/10/2016)
@ben ward. I agree with most of what you said. Obviously developers have the same ability to learn, retain and apply a huge array of complex technical material and they deserve the same level of respect for expertise that area as DBAs do in theirs.
Indeed.
September 12, 2016 at 7:49 am
I think one reason why this could be is our global world. How many of us actually understand how to communicate with not only other people (techies, non-techies, management) but also different cultures. What you find arrogant or rude maybe is a common trait in another culture. I think we all heard that soft skills are important for techies to have, now we can add "How to communicate in a diversified environment" to the mix of those soft skills needed.
September 14, 2016 at 1:22 am
JoeS 3024 (9/12/2016)
I think one reason why this could be is our global world. How many of us actually understand how to communicate with not only other people (techies, non-techies, management) but also different cultures. What you find arrogant or rude maybe is a common trait in another culture. I think we all heard that soft skills are important for techies to have, now we can add "How to communicate in a diversified environment" to the mix of those soft skills needed.
I am in the UK and I have worked with a lot of Indians. There are different values, expectations and protocols on each side. Not necessarily right or wrong. Just different.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
September 14, 2016 at 7:22 am
Everyone knows me to have a big mouth. I think some of you can tell that by the way I post here. Unfortunately, text does me no justice unless you can see emotion because most of my communication with that big mouth is not as serious as some people think. I just like to talk, debate and have discussion of topics I'm passionate about.
Before I got into working with data more professionally, I worked in communications. I represented a number of multi-million dollar products in the video game industry. I was the bridge between the developers and the customers. All I did was communicate the stance of those who cannot publically speak for themselves or had no right to talk to customers. There are plenty of foot-in-mouth moments for me that could have cost the company thousands of dollars or customers. Mostly, I was insanely political and concise.
On the tech side, I'm the opposite. I do open my mouth a lot and very much the jokester in the class. I'm constantly trying to turn those boring tech to-the-point serious meetings into a casual conversation. When I run into things that don't make sense or I strongly disagree with, I open my mouth. I ask both the dumbest questions and sometimes the smartest questions in the room. I try not to sit silent in the back of the room and not join the conversation.
The last time I really screwed up in communication is when I was working on a new project for another department in our company. They were working with a pretty large client and had a major deadline ahead of them that needed tech resources to drive it home. Long story short, I had major concerns and voiced them on the start of the project. I was concerned with someone on our team not doing their homework. I became that smug know-it-all guy I try to always avoid. In reality, I failed to ask the right questions with the stakeholders when gathering the requirements. I apologized to my co-worker, he later tripped me in the hall when I was carrying a large UPS and all was right in the world.
😎
September 14, 2016 at 9:06 am
xsevensinzx (9/14/2016)
...he later tripped me in the hall when I was carrying a large UPS and all was right in the world...
Harsh!!!
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
September 14, 2016 at 9:52 am
Gary Varga (9/14/2016)
JoeS 3024 (9/12/2016)
I think one reason why this could be is our global world. How many of us actually understand how to communicate with not only other people (techies, non-techies, management) but also different cultures. What you find arrogant or rude maybe is a common trait in another culture. I think we all heard that soft skills are important for techies to have, now we can add "How to communicate in a diversified environment" to the mix of those soft skills needed.I am in the UK and I have worked with a lot of Indians. There are different values, expectations and protocols on each side. Not necessarily right or wrong. Just different.
I can associate. I am an American, but spent a lot of time in Europe (specifically France) growing up. I learned the hard way about how different the communication patterns and protocols are when I came back to go to college (university for our friends on the other side of the pond). Let's just say that French culture tends to encourage a high amount of questioning/debating/bantering with people you are friendly with, which conveys as rude and confrontational in the US.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part...unless you're my manager...or a director and above...or a really loud-spoken end-user..All right - what was my emergency again?
March 3, 2021 at 2:12 pm
I am constantly amazed by the number of ways a statement can be perceived or interpreted in a fashion completely different from the way I intended, or thought I intended. I try to be respectful and thoughtful in what I say, but I don't always succeed. I do try to take an extra breath before responding so as to limit the knee-jerk outburst. I just hope my listener(s) have the patience to tell me what I did wrong so I can apologize and do better the next time. I still have a long way to go.
Luther
March 3, 2021 at 3:21 pm
Psychologists have identified the concept of "fast" and "slow" thinking.
Fast thinking is emotional and "instinctual" and is good for riding a bicycle or avoiding being eaten by a lion.
Slow thinking takes more effort but obviously if you take the time your responses will be more logical and reasonable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow
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