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Effective Communication

Effective communication involves several factors that simplify everyday conversations. A good starting point is practicing empathy and attempting to see things from the other person's perspective; it'll help you comprehend their problems and suggestions for solutions. Additionally, actively listening with the commitment of seeing the world through the other person's perspective and ensuring mutual understanding is crucial. When speaking, strive to communicate clearly and precisely, minimizing any potential confusion.

When discussing technology, it's common to use complicated terminology in discussions. It is important to establish a common vocabulary among all participants and to adapt our communication style when addressing different audiences.

Mediation

Mediation is a skill that is often underestimated but is very important. It's common to have divergent opinions when multiple people are trying to solve a problem. In such situations, effective mediation can significantly impact the solution chosen. A good starting point is to exercise empathy with all parties involved, which will greatly assist in developing a solution.

Here are a few key points to remember: Just because you are the mediator doesn't mean you can't express your own opinion. However, it's important to remember that your opinion carries the same weight as any other participant's. The role of a facilitator does not imply that you have more influence or importance. The goal is to find a solution the group believes in and identifies with, regardless of who proposed it. It should become everyone's solution.

Successful mediation, as described in the section on effective communication, requires strong active listening skills and the ability to assess whether all participants are on the same page.

Influence

As you progress in your career, you realize that it is difficult for one person to do all the work that needs to be done; at this point, influence becomes critical. Influence is the ability to act with others and through others.

By expressing your ideas, you demonstrate what you are striving for and seek the support of others along the way. It's important to understand that as people's trust in you grows, they are more likely to empathize with your ideas. Therefore, you must recognize that your words carry weight within the group and may cause unintentional bias.

It's important to remember that influence does not require the other person to agree with you completely and influence does not mean exerting authority. There will always be disagreements. You can enhance this skill by combining it with mediation and effective communication techniques to achieve your desired results.

Knowledge Sharing

By sharing knowledge, you help others grow and prevent knowledge bottlenecks where only a few people have critical information and are constantly in demand for it.

The concept here is to share your knowledge freely, without restrictions or right or wrong methods. The exchange of knowledge and experience should be unrestricted, and the more diverse the exchange, the more enriching it will be for everyone involved.

Here are some suggestions on how to put this into practice. First, consider mentoring others as a way to share knowledge tailored to their specific needs. Participating in engineering forums is another effective way to learn and ask questions, promoting new perspectives within the group. In addition, presenting at internal or external events allows you to share your expertise with a broader audience.

In these examples, you can see different levels of engagement depending on the format you choose: one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many. The most important aspect is to find the approach that makes you most comfortable.