First let me say that I am not a manager, but I would really appreciate some management feedback - especially from non-technical managers who manager technical directs.
I recently changed jobs (I am a software engineer) and one of the reasons why was because my new team was lead by a newer manager in the company who has a very strong and recent technical background. All management in my previous job's organization was non-technical. Even though the company did a really good job of providing them management training (it was a Fortune 500 company), sometimes I felt like management and engineers just couldn't connect. It was a very professional, non-hostile workplace.
However, I am realizing after being around for 6 months at the new job that my new manager is more effective in general with regards to communication with the team of engineers. I realize that my old and new managers are completely different people, but I am just thinking out loud that the guy who has never been a manager seems to be able to take sometimes highly technical and even heated conversations between engineers and turn it into productive work, while the professionally trained one with a good 15 years of management experience was not terribly effective. In fact, I had three managers at my old job in the 5 years I was there and none of them really communicated well with technical staff.
- So I am wondering here in this management forum, what makes technical people so hard to communicate with?
- Is it to the point where managers actually fear some strong-personality engineers?
- Do managers receive training either on-the-job or in MBA about dealing with technical people who think they are stupid an vice-versa?
I am hoping that I can communicate with future managers better if I understand a little more of their side.
different behavioral styles [DiSC]
1. If you're not familiar with it already, I highly recommend you check out the podcasts and info on DiSC, especially on high Cs, which technical folks tend to be.
I don't think it's "technical people" that are so hard to deal with as much as it is different behavioral profiles interacting with each other. High I's (I'm generalizing, but examples would be salespeople, entrepreneurs, gregarious managers) just don't have a natural tendency to relate well with high C's that are very detail oriented.
http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/03/the-d-in-disc
http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/04/the-i-in-disc
http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/05/the-s-in-disc
http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/06/the-c-in-disc
2. Pretty much the same answer as above. I think the majority of it is vastly different behavioral tendencies. Once you learn to spot those tendencies in others it becomes much easier to communicate with them.
3. I think this is why MT exists...the answer is a resounding "no."
- Tim Sanchez
Ask Questions
I always lean towards being more personable, open, and friendly. Asking open ended questions and allowing more technical people time to talk in their response, thus listening, seems to always work. I like the manager tools advice when they say communication is what the listener does.
Ask questions
A plus 1 for the previous answer of "Ask Questions". This question reminded me of the book "Leading Geeks: How to Manage and Lead the People Who Deliver Technology" by Paul Glen. Managing technical people is different, sometimes they do not "suffer fools gladly" and if you lose their respect it is very difficult to win back.
Sean