Great Engineers Are Great Communicators

You’ve been asked to present your recent work at the latest company all-hands meeting.

“Ugh, do I have to?” might be your initial response.

The reasons behind your response could come from various reasons. Maybe it’s cause you don’t feel comfortable giving presentations. Maybe you think as an engineer this shouldn’t be your focus. Maybe you don’t see the point of sharing what you do with the rest of the company. Maybe you think that somebody else would be better suited for it.

I’ve seen similar responses during my years as a software engineer and an EM. Technical people (as well as non-technical people) have this misconception that engineers aren’t good at communication, that they don’t need to be good at presenting, and that they don’t need to build up their people skills.

I disagree with that completely.

Great engineers are great communicators.

Great engineers present clearly and effectively.

Great engineers build up their people skills.

Great engineers understand the value of improving these skills.

While part of our roles as engineers is to implement and build new features, we also need to be able to talk about what we’re building, how we’re building it, why we’re building it and discuss trade-offs, approaches and challenges. Clear communication ensures teams build the right things in the right way.

As you advance in your career, the more you need to be able to communicate what you’re doing to others: your team members, your peers, other parts of the company, your stakeholders, your exec team, and your customers. There are so many different possible audiences you should be able to communicate to.

Presenting at company meetings is part of this. It helps other departments and people across the company understand the technical aspects of what you’re working on, why it’s important, and what’s challenging about it. Done well, it increases the visibility of your team and aligns people on what’s being done and why.

Engineers should actively improve their communication skills. Engineering leaders should create opportunities for their teams to improve, practice and give feedback on each other’s communication skills. Engineering teams should celebrate good communication and collaboration.

So if you’re asked to present at a company meeting? Step out of your comfort zone, and learn how to present your work effectively. It’s key to progressing from a good engineer to a great one.

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