People skills for the technical person

I thought some of you may find this helpful. Not aimed at anyone in particular but there are a lot of technical people here and a little refresher course can't hurt. Some of the highlights include--
" Instead of the emotional
factors of optimism, warmth, enthu-
siasm, inspiration and extroversion,
they have the logical factors of refl
ec-
tion, facts, incisiveness and skepti-
cism (matter-of-fact). "



" How many times today do
we hear “Th
ey really know
what they are doing techni-
cally, but they simply have no people
skills”

" Learning how to identify diff
erent
styles and how to adjust their styles
to better communicate and motivate
is the prime directive "

I didn't correct the way the wording copied as I thought that might add to anyone's desire to look at things a different way.

Full article below--People Skills for
the Technical Person
.
H
ow many times today do
we hear “Th
ey really know
what they are doing techni-
cally, but they simply have no people
skills” during the discussion of a
coworker’s career? We would like to
have the best of both worlds—good
technical skills and good people
skills—but a survey of today’s man-
agers quickly concludes it is all too
rare we fi
nd such an individual. Why?
Th
ough companies base 80% of their
hiring decision on the technical skills
—education, skills, training and
experience—85% of turnover is due
to BEHAVIORAL incompatibility.
Th
at is, we hire people whose techni-
cal skills are suffi
cient, but we fail to
identify or analyze the people skills
required. Compounding the prob-
lem is that the behavioral style most
comfortable for the more technical
positions is naturally less comfort-
able in the people skills department.
Th
at is, what makes a person enjoy
technical work is the desire to look
at “things” logically (versus emo-
tionally). If we are logical, we make
a decision by fi
rst, gathering all the
facts. Th
en we study and analyze the
data, research, test, check the details,
and fi
nally make a decision that is in-
capable of being incorrect. Th
e most
important goal is to be correct, the
biggest fear—to be wrong!
Other styles may value beating
deadlines at all costs, keeping people
happy and motivated, keeping things
the same to avoid confl
ict. But to the
more technical people - being correct
and accurate takes all precedent—it’s
only logical.
Most people who view “things” very
logically also view “people” the same
way. While most Americans fall into
the group that views “people” (as well
as “things”) emotionally, most tech-
nicians view both people and things
logically. Th
is infl
uences the way
they both perceive and communicate
with others. Instead of the emotional
factors of optimism, warmth, enthu-
siasm, inspiration and extroversion,
they have the logical factors of refl
ec-
tion, facts, incisiveness and skepti-
cism (matter-of-fact). “People might
talk a good game, but prove it to me;
actions speak louder than words.”
Since they assume that this approach
is logical, and therefore correct and
appropriate, they are surprised when
others describe them as somewhat
aloof or cold. Th
ey can point to the
good relationships they do have, but
further examination usually reveals
that those relationships are limited
to others with their same style -
other engineers, scientists, computer
enthusiasts, auditors, and quality-
control people. Th
ey indeed share the
common value of a drive to always
be logical—perfection. Relationships
outside their styles are far more
uncommon and usually the result of
friends of a spouse or relative of dif-
ferent style.
Th
e technician’s lack of people skills
can be self-correcting within his/her
own natural behavioral style - a style
which requires gathering and analyz-
ing data. Th
e technician gathers and
analyzes input on behavioral styles
diff
erent than his/her own to under-
stand how to better communicate
with and motivate others.
Learning how to identify diff
erent
styles and how to adjust their styles
to better communicate and motivate
is the prime directive.

Huh??? Whattcha up to this time Kemper???-----Also, what's with the four days since registered???-----Is that the actual length of time since you was last banned off this Forum & wormed your way back in/ re-registered???---Man, I thought it was a LITTLE longer this time!!!-------Let's keep these post/threads centered on M.d.ing related criteria----OK????? (sound familiar)?????-----Hmmm, crazy question mark key keeps sticking!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2016 04:03AM by D&P-OR.

Last time I looked the forum wasn't full of salesman,... these guys have people skills,... :-)

Anyway glad the technical and analytical guys and girls are around,... or we would be stuck in the stone-age.

As with our guy Kemper,... still trying to figure out his great skill in life :-)
Maybe a very specific niche orientated skill like forum trafic provider??
Does it provide him with any extra income or is it a kind of hobby??

Questions, questions,.... last sip of coffee,.... daily dose of metal detecting jibber jabber,... of to work!

HH
Johnb

scoopjohnb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Last time I looked the forum wasn't full of
> salesman,... these guys have people skills,...
> :-)
>
> Anyway glad the technical and analytical guys and
> girls are around,... or we would be stuck in the
> stone-age.
>
> As with our guy Kemper,... still trying to figure
> out his great skill in life :-)
> Maybe a very specific niche orientated skill like
> forum trafic provider??
> Does it provide him with any extra income or is it
> a kind of hobby??
>
> Questions, questions,.... last sip of coffee,....
> daily dose of metal detecting jibber jabber,... of
> to work!


I think you were on the right track till you came up with the " jibber jabber " remark. A question mark behind that one would make me think you are interested and you may be.

If I were interested in a particular machines function ,I think I could find something here that would be helpful to me. If you were interested ,and you may be, in something I have experience in you may learn something too. If either of us would not be open enough to want to learn I don't think we could benefit from the available knowledge.


As it relates to metal detecting, the technical aspects of machines can be helpful in many ways to the hobby. Aspects of other areas of the hobby can be just as helpful to the hobby. If a person wants to protect the hobby or even just enjoy it, or both ,it would be beneficial to them to realize that.

Technical data is not helpful without the interest and skill to understand it. Other aspects of the hobby are not helpful to anyone without the interest or skill to understand them. I currently am not interested in the technical aspects of any machine. I don't think of those as " jibber jabber "

What level of experience does one need to consider your own written words as more than "Jibber Jabber"?
And how do we quantify that level?

HH
Johnb

scoopjohnb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What level of experience does one need to consider
> your own written words as more than "Jibber
> Jabber"?
> And how do we quantify that level?



It would depend on the person as to whether they could understand what someone is saying as well as the person who is saying it.

Some might think discussion of hobby issues are Jibber Jabber and no level of experience would change their mind.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2016 07:55PM by Kemper94.

scoopjohnb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What level of experience does one need to consider
> your own written words as more than "Jibber
> Jabber"?
> And how do we quantify that level?


On that note I'll share a public conversation I had with White's regarding their use of parks for staged hunts earlier this year.---

Are you planting these eggs in public places ? I don't think you should bring any more traffic to public places. Nothing wrong with real hunts but parks etc. are being banned from detecting and the less traffic the better.
The traffic at these public places should be for real hunts and not this type of activity.

Egg hunt is over Gary. Didn't affect too many parks and was a good event overall.

Thanks for your reply. The fact is that it did affect some parks and if these type of events grow they will affect more parks. I think it would be better if any future events ,such as or similar to this , were held on private property. Thanks.

We'll take it into consideration next year. Appreciate you wanting to protect the hobby as it is important to do so.


Whether or not the parks will be protected next year might depend on common sense being pushed by the detecting community regardless of level of experience. Do you think my words, as shown here,are Jibber Jabber ?

As a rule,... allthough there are exceptions,... I prefer not to engage in "Hobby Related Politics".
Because as with all Politics they are just Point Of View.

Providing the event didn't break any park imposed rules, then who are we to judge?
Off course you can always state a concern,... a concerned citizen.

How should a metal detector manufacturer draw young people into the hobby,... because that is what Whites and other companies are trying to do.
Cool metal detectors that talk to your Iphone, crazy youtube vids that are more comedy than infomercial, labelling as a Sport, etc. etc.

Youngsters consider us "Old Fa#%s digging useless coins" when they look at 99% of our finds,... hey even I think that after another slow day.
On the other hand you've got the Youth Orientated Cool Tech. Drones, RC anything, I-whatevers, Go-pro's, gadgets galore, etc. etc.

And then we come along with our mono-chrome LCD display machine that Beeps at a Bottlecap the same as it Beeps at a coin,...
It's like comparing a WWII infantery radio to an Iphone. And to top it all,... that Bottlecap digging pre-historic piece of tech costs more than that COOL Iwatch.

You would indeed plant eggs in parks,... dress detectors in camou,... etc. etc.

For 99.99% of the population our writings are "Jibber Jabber", just as much as the Local RC Club doing a WWII reenactment with toy tanks,...

But and here comes the punchline,... who doesn't like to fiddle with an RC toy,... it's just plain fun from nearly everyones Point Of View.

Providing no-grass was being harmed during the filming of the "easter metal egg hunt",... it's all just Jibber Jabber,... but fun nevertheless!

HH
Johnb

scoopjohnb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As a rule,... allthough there are exceptions,... I
> prefer not to engage in "Hobby Related Politics".
> Because as with all Politics they are just Point
> Of View.
>
> Providing the event didn't break any park imposed
> rules, then who are we to judge?
> Off course you can always state a concern,... a
> concerned citizen.
>
> How should a metal detector manufacturer draw
> young people into the hobby,... because that is
> what Whites and other companies are trying to do.
> Cool metal detectors that talk to your Iphone,
> crazy youtube vids that are more comedy than
> infomercial, labelling as a Sport, etc. etc.
>
> Youngsters consider us "Old Fa#%s digging useless
> coins" when they look at 99% of our finds,... hey
> even I think that after another slow day.
> On the other hand you've got the Youth Orientated
> Cool Tech. Drones, RC anything, I-whatevers,
> Go-pro's, gadgets galore, etc. etc.
>
> And then we come along with our mono-chrome LCD
> display machine that Beeps at a Bottlecap the same
> as it Beeps at a coin,...
> It's like comparing a WWII infantery radio to an
> Iphone. And to top it all,... that Bottlecap
> digging pre-historic piece of tech costs more than
> that COOL Iwatch.
>
> You would indeed plant eggs in parks,... dress
> detectors in camou,... etc. etc.
>
> For 99.99% of the population our writings are
> "Jibber Jabber", just as much as the Local RC Club
> doing a WWII reenactment with toy tanks,...
>
> But and here comes the punchline,... who doesn't
> like to fiddle with an RC toy,... it's just plain
> fun from nearly everyones Point Of View.
>
> Providing no-grass was being harmed during the
> filming of the "easter metal egg hunt",... it's
> all just Jibber Jabber,... but fun nevertheless!

I would prefer a metal detecting company does not draw anybody into the hobby. That would better be done from association with seasoned detectorists that know it is better to keep these staged hunts out of public areas. It's not all "Jibber Jabber " as the harm from hunts like these can be various. We are in a hobby that even seen participating can have a negative effect. Low key detecting on public property will help keep these areas open for real hunts. As technology advances with better discrimination and depth, a person will not be able to take advantage of it when their park is closed. As Whites agreed to to as I've shown-- " Appreciate you wanting to protect the hobby as it is important to do so. " Sorry you think that is Jibber Jabber. It may be ,if when they take it into consideration next year, as they said they will, they come to the same conclusion as you.