PLMW@PLDI'16: Getting People to Listen

1. Ge#ng
People
to
Listen
Mary
Hall
PLMW@PLDI16
June
14,
2016

2. Personal
History
Early
History
Mother:
math
and
computer
literacy
teacher
Father:
Journalist,
writer
Surrounded
by:
Books,
news,
puzzles,
TRS-­‐80
Undergraduate
Years
Why
computer
science?
ApQtude
test
Undergrad
degree:
BA
in
CS+Math.Sci.,
Rice
University
Plan
during
college:
CS
+
business
school,
engineering
management
Plan
derailed:
Algorithms
class
taught
by
Ken
Kennedy
Get
a
CS
job?
Seemed
boring
New
plan:
CS
Masters
degree
Mentors
Ken
Kennedy
PhD
Advisor
Keith
Cooper,
Linda
Torczon
PhD
CommiXee
PhD
CS,
Rice
University,
1991
John
Hennessy
Monica
Lam
Research
Scien?st,
Stanford
University,
1992-­‐1995

3. Personal
History,
cont.
More
Career
Caltech,
VisiQng
Professor,
1995-­‐1996
USC,
Research
Professor
(CS)
and
Project
Leader
(USC/ISI),
1996-­‐2008
University
of
Utah,
Professor,
since
2008
Daughters
age
19
and
15
Jamie
–
Rice
CS
entering
junior
Jackie
–
entering
10th
grade
Skeleton
Crew
FIRST
Tech
Challenge
roboQcs
team

4. Image
credit:
LinkedIn
CommunicaQon
and
Confidence
are
Related
Image
credit:
understandinginnovaQon.wordpress.com

5. Scenario
1:
Brainstorming
Session
I
have
an
idea,
but
don’t
want
to
interrupt!
This
is
cool!
Blah
blah
blah
blah
blah
That’s
not
a
good
idea.
It
will
never
work.
I’ve
got
to
get
control
of
this
meeQng!
Green
is
just
thinking
outside
the
box.
Red,
what
do
you
think?
Sugges&ons:
Raise
your
hand
Tell
someone
next
to
you,
parQcularly
if
they
are
in
charge
Follow-­‐up
agerward
in
private
or
over
email

6. • Cr
Scenario
2:
Teleconference
Are
you
more
comfortable
with
wri8en
communica&on?
Write
a
follow-­‐up
email/document
from
the
mee&ng.
Credit
to
Bobbi
Manne,
Career
Workshop
for
Women
and
MinoriQes
in
Computer
Architecture
at
MICRO’15.

7. • Teaching
evaluaQon:
which
is
more
helpful?
– This
professor
is
the
most
boring
lecturer
ever!
– The
lectures
could
be
improved
by
working
more
examples
on
the
board
and
engaging
the
class.
• Paper
review:
which
is
more
helpful?
– This
paper
describes
a
technique
that
is
very
old.
– The
underlying
moQvaQon
of
this
paper
is
interesQng,
but
here
are
some
closely
related
citaQons
that
the
authors
missed:
[1],[2],
…
Scenario
3:
EvaluaQon

8. Scenario
4:
Handling
Conflict
Sledgehammer
Rubber
mallet
• Air
grievances
publicly
• Rant
to
coworkers
• Complain
to
someone’s
supervisor
• Crying,
shouQng,
cussing,
exaggeraQng,
name
calling
…
Ok
to
show
emo&on/passion
if
under
control
and
done
infrequently!
• Try
talking
privately
first
• SQck
to
facts,
avoid
aXribuQng
blame
or
malicious
intent
• Figure
out
what
you
want
and
ask
for
it!
• AnQcipate
and
explain
a
possibly
contenQous
posiQon

9. • Find
your
own
way
to
communicate,
what
works
for
you
– It
doesn’t
have
to
be
the
same
as
anyone
else’s.
• Confidence
backed
up
by
competence
– Try
to
find
something
unique
to
say:
“We
are
each
…
unwilling
to
speak,
unless
we
expect
to
say
something
that
will
amaze
the
whole
room,
and
be
handed
down
to
posterity
…”
-­‐-­‐
Elizabeth
Bennet
– Perhaps
focus
on
the
edge
of
your
comfort
zone.
• Treat
everyone
with
respect,
always!
– Assume
that
most
people
want
to
do
the
right
thing.
Summary
and
General
Advice