Principles of communication

There are numerous writings and studies on how to communicate effectively. Our focus is on what aspects of communication are important for engineering managers to understand and master. To understand what we need to know about communication to produce the best outcomes, let’s examine how and why we set expectations, assume the best, say no with care, have an audience perspective, maintain authenticity, and give feedback with radical candor.

Setting expectations

The underlying cause of most frustration and conflict can be traced back to an expectation mismatch. In other words, when what we believe turns out to be false or is not upheld by those around us, it is almost always an upsetting moment. For example, if you believe elevator riders should be given room to exit before new riders get on and other riders don’t respect that expectation, you are likely to be annoyed by the exchange because your expectations are not being upheld. In these...