Talk/Listen: Working
Better Together
D. Keith Robinson
!
http://www.slideshare.net/dkeithrobinson/talklisten-awdg-may-2014
Thursday, May 29, 2014
AWDG
!
D. Keith Robinson
Principal Product Designer, Salesforce
@dkr / dkeithrobinson.com / dangerismyfristname.com
TALKING. LISTENING.
THE BEST TOOLS.
“Sometimes the most appropriate
technological solution is a person
talking to another person.”
- Robert Hoekman Jr
The Tweet from @rhjr: https://twitter.com/rhjr/status/464129645688799233
“Staying on top of the hard skills needed is a
necessity in the short term, but one of the best
ways to position yourself for success in the long
term is to focus on the soft skills needed no matter
what technology you are working with.”
- Sean Blanda
From: http://99u.com/articles/20696/you-dont-need-to-learn-to-code-other-truths-about-the-future-of-careers
“Getting the right people and the
right chemistry is more important
than getting the right idea.”
- Creativity, Inc.
From Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull (co-founder of Pixar) and Amay Wallace
“Infinite diversity in infinite
combinations...symbolizing
the elements that create
truth and beauty.”
- Commander Spock
THINGS TO PRACTICE
ASKING QUESTIONS
“Asking questions is at the heart of collaboration,
more so than any project management software or
process. And if you want to truly collaborate, I’ve
found you need to allow yourself to be someone
without the answers.”
- Jason Santa Maria
From: https://the-pastry-box-project.net/jason-santa-maria/2014-march-15
BEING PRESENT
ACTIVE LISTENING
“Don't talk a lot if you have high status.
People will assume you're competent
and when you talk, they will listen to you.”
- Marshall Scott Poole
Related: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304017604579445140870078088
BEING OK WITH NOT
KNOWING
“I’ll think about it and
get back to you.”
BEING BLUNT(-ish)
POSITIVE
REINFORCEMENT &
BRUTAL HONESTY
Being, explicitly,
The Devil’s Advocate.
Related: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304017604579445140870078088
Open Skepticism
An idea I got from Carl Sagan.
“It seems to me what is called for is an
exquisite balance between two conflicting
needs: the most skeptical scrutiny of all
hypotheses that are served up to us and at
the same time a great openness to new
ideas … If you are only skeptical, then no
new ideas make it through to you … On the
other hand, if you are open to the point of
gullibility and have not an ounce of
skeptical sense in you, then you cannot
distinguish the useful ideas from the
worthless ones.”
Related: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/05/23/carl-sagan-the-burden-of-skepticism/
TEAM BUILDING &
RELATIONSHIPS
EXPERIMENTAL
ATTITUDE
OFFER TO HELP
PRACTICE SAYING
THANK YOU
THE YaYY! METHOD
or
Join, Invite & Wander
Related: https://yesand.squarespace.com/blog/2014/3/18/how-to-say-yes
MAKE TIME FOR THE
1-ON-1
THE WALK AND TALK
OFF SITES
PAIRING & SHARING
More: On Pairing
Some things to watch
out for…in yourself.
BIKESHEDDING
Parkinson’s Law of Triviality: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_Law_of_Triviality
ASSERTING OPINIONS AS
INARGUABLE FACTS
DISCREDITING CRITICISM
SCOFFIN’
“Picard
management tip:
Don't scoff at
anything. You don't
know as much as
you think.”
!
- @PicardTips
SEAGULL FEEDBACK
“If you’re not in the arena, also
getting your ass kicked, I’m not
interested in getting your feedback.”
- Brené Brown
From: Brené Brown: Why Your Critics Aren't The Ones Who Count
ONE LAST THOUGHT.
Shoshin
(BEGINNER’S MIND)
More: Beginner's Mind
“Asking questions is at the heart of collaboration,
more so than any project management software or
process. And if you want to truly collaborate, I’ve
found you need to allow yourself to be someone
without the answers.”
- Jason Santa Maria
From: https://the-pastry-box-project.net/jason-santa-maria/2014-march-15
“In the beginner’s mind there are
many possibilities, in the expert’s
mind there are few.”
- Shunryu Suzuki
From: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
THANK YOU
D. Keith Robinson / @dkr
dkeithrobinson.com / dangerismyfirstname.com
!
http://www.slideshare.net/dkeithrobinson/talklisten-awdg-may-2014

Talk/Listen - AWDG May 2014