Effective communication skills for engineers

Abstract

If technical professionals really know how to Communicate, they can accomplish any job more effectively. Effective communication is the key to successful outcomes. Technical professionals must be trained in the discipline of effective communication just as they are trained in the discipline of electrical and electronic engineering. Fortunately, our understanding of the process of human communication has finally achieved a level of structure that allows training. This paper presents a step-by-step approach to the discipline of effective human communication. Over the past 20 years, research has provided insight into the processes of human perception and communication. These insights have led to the development of tools and procedures that increase significantly the effectiveness of that communication significantly. The communication process is divided into seven distinct steps. When taken in order, these steps give the speaker the ability to communicate and influence a wide variety of people. Engineers and technical professionals in the IEEE environment can use the 7-Step Effective Communication Process to increase their communication effectiveness. By doing so they will stand out as more capable and more competent at influencing, leading, and conveying ideas and concepts to their colleagues and others. The 7-Step Effective Communication Process allows the speaker to understand the structure of the communication that would be most beneficial for the listener. Once this has been established, the speaker then builds rapport and begins the process of understanding the listener's paradigms. Once the listener's paradigms are understood the speaker can then send the desired message and then determine if the message was received as intended. This process is fast and can be done in the course of casual conversation, in the midst of an important meeting, or from a platform presentation. It can be performed in a large group or one-on-one. It is easy, quick, efficient, and effective.