Stanford Webinar - Talking Tech: Creating Stakeholder Excitement

Introduction and Quiz

• Matt Vasser, a core lecturer with the Technical Communications program at the School of Engineering and a principal at Vasser and Associates, helps people learn how to create compelling presentations, ideate leadership strategies, and inspire high-performing teams 22s.
• The goal of the session is to discuss how to excite stakeholders to technical solutions, no matter how dry or complex the details may be 1m20s.
• A pop quiz was conducted to gather the audience's guesses on the first company to have a mass-marketed PC available to consumers, with most people answering IBM, but the correct answer being Apple 2m20s.
• Another question asked about the first company to have a mass-marketed PC with a graphic user interface, with most people correctly answering Apple 3m10s.
• A third question asked about the first company to have a mass-marketed PC with a mouse, with 80% of the audience correctly answering Apple 3m53s.
• A final question asked about the company that invented the first PC with a graphic user interface, with most people answering IBM, but the correct answer not being explicitly stated 4m45s.
• A poll was conducted to determine which company Steve Jobs first saw the mouse, and nearly half of the respondents answered Xerox, which is the correct answer 5m11s.
• Another poll was conducted to determine which company developed a PC five years before Apple released their mass-marketed PC, and nearly half of the respondents again answered Xerox, which is the correct answer 5m51s.

The Importance of Communication

• Xerox developed the Alto, the first PC with a graphic user interface, windows, and a mouse, but Apple was the company that successfully marketed and profited from these innovations 6m43s.
• Xerox hired brilliant technical minds to develop these innovations at the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), but they failed to successfully market and communicate their solutions 7m43s.
• Steve Jobs approached Xerox and offered them the opportunity to buy shares of Apple in exchange for allowing him to visit PARC and see their technical innovations, which he later successfully marketed and profited from 8m12s.
• The story of Xerox and Apple highlights the importance of communicating technical solutions effectively, as even the most brilliant technical minds can fail to achieve success if they cannot market and communicate their ideas 8m37s.
• Steve Jobs commented that if Xerox knew how to talk about their technical innovations, they would have become a bigger company than IBM, Apple, and Xerox combined 9m7s.
• Many clients struggle to effectively communicate their ideas, often seeing others receive credit for their concepts due to better communication skills 9m36s.
• A survey of engineers published in the Journal of Engineering Education found that communication skills are the most important skill for advancing a career in tech 10m4s.
• Having brilliant technical solutions is not enough; one must also be able to talk about them in a way that excites and gets people interested 10m17s.
• Brief opportunities to make a difference in one's career often arise, and being able to talk about technical work in an exciting and inspiring way is crucial 10m36s.

A Three-Step Process for Clearer Technical Communication

• The challenge lies in untangling complex technical ideas and making them clear, but a three-step process can be followed to achieve clearer technical communication 11m32s.
• The field of cognitive psychology, which studies how we think, can provide insights into what messages stick in our minds and how to create lasting messaging 11m51s.
• Evidence-based strategies, scientifically proven to work, will be discussed, as opposed to opinion-based advice 12m27s.

Engaging the Emotional and Rational Brain

• Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt's metaphor of the human brain will be used to illustrate how to make technical ideas more engaging and attention-grabbing 13m21s.
• The brain can be metaphorically divided into two parts: the elephant, representing the emotional part, and the writer, representing the rational part, and good persuasive communication takes advantage of both 13m24s.
• Decisions are made based on both the emotional and rational parts of the brain, and effective communication should stimulate the emotional part to get people excited and then engage the rational part to provide a clear path forward 13m48s.

Finding the Through Line

• To achieve good technical communication, three steps are proposed: finding the through line that unites all disparate parts, structuring the talk, and adding strategies to make the talk engaging and memorable 14m59s.
• The concept of a through line is inspired by Theodosius Dobzhansky, who in the 1960s revolutionized the field of biology with a simple statement that united the complexities of the field: "Nothing in biology makes sense except in light of evolution" 15m45s.
• This statement is an example of a beautiful through line that takes many complex parts and unites them with one simple idea, making it attention-grabbing and memorable 16m10s.
• The goal is to find a similar through line that unites the disparate parts of technical solutions and makes them simple and easy to understand 15m17s.
• The statement "nothing in biology makes sense except in light of evolution" is attention-grabbing, but its accuracy can be debated, as some aspects of biology, like DNA sequencing, do not necessarily require an understanding of evolution 17m12s.
• The boldness of the statement contributes to its attention-grabbing nature, and a more technically accurate version, such as "hardly anything in biology makes sense except in light of evolution," might not have the same effect 17m52s.
• A game of "mad lies" is proposed, where participants fill in the blanks of the sentence "nothing in makes sense except in light of " to make a bold statement about their technical work 18m18s.
• Examples of completed sentences include "nothing in Tech makes sense except in light of when it's well communicated," "nothing in it makes sense except in light of the user experience," and "nothing in code makes sense except in light of the user interface" 18m40s.
• Participants are encouraged to share their own completed sentences in the Q&A box, and several examples are shared, including "nothing in business makes sense except in light of profit," "nothing in organization makes sense except in light of digital," and "nothing in research makes sense except in light of data" 19m6s.
• The framework of "nothing in makes sense except in light of " provides a through line that connects disparate parts of technical work together and makes bold statements sound incredibly cool 20m21s.
• More examples of completed sentences are shared, including "nothing in healthcare makes sense except in light of the patient's care," "nothing in accounting makes sense except in light of results," and "nothing in Parking Solutions makes sense except in light of a better user experience" 20m29s.
• The exercise helps to create bold and attention-grabbing statements that can be used to communicate technical work in a more exciting way 21m2s.
• When discussing a project, responding with a through line that connects the work to a larger purpose, such as humanity, can capture people's attention and make them see the importance of the work 21m11s.
• A through line is a key message that ties together the main points of a project, and it can be used to create a compelling structure for talking about the work 21m48s.

The ABT Framework

• Randy Olson, a Harvard-trained biologist turned filmmaker, developed a framework for structuring a talk, known as the ABT (And, But, Therefore) framework, which is inspired by the three-act structure of theater and film 22m6s.
• The ABT framework consists of three parts: the "And" sets up the context for the talk, the "But" creates tension, and the "Therefore" brings resolution to the story 23m31s.
• The "And" part of the framework introduces the context and sets up the story, while the "But" part creates tension and raises questions 23m34s.
• The "Therefore" part of the framework provides a conclusion that resolves the tension and answers the questions raised in the "But" part 24m29s.
• The ABT framework can be applied to various types of talks, including research presentations and pitches, to make them more engaging and effective 24m36s.
• Examples of the ABT framework in action include a pitch for a research project on increasing user retention for an app, and a hypothetical pitch for the original Star Wars movie 24m39s.
• The storyline of the original Star Wars movie can be condensed into a few sentences using a framework that is widely used and recognized, even by those who have not been formally trained in it 25m17s.
• This framework is often used in everyday conversations and can be seen in various forms of media, such as in the song "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen 25m44s.
• The framework consists of three main components: "and," "but," and "therefore," which create a narrative structure that sets up context, introduces tension, and provides a satisfying resolution 26m41s.
• The exact words "and," "but," and "therefore" do not need to be used, but rather the underlying idea of creating a narrative structure that engages the audience 26m29s.
• This framework can be applied to pitching technical ideas by setting up a context, introducing a problem, and providing a solution that addresses the problem 26m50s.
• Structuring ideas in this way can be helpful in communicating technical solutions to stakeholders, especially in situations where preparation time is limited 27m39s.

Engaging the Audience

• To make a talk more engaging, it's essential to consider both the rational and emotional parts of the brain, represented by the "writer" and the "elephant," respectively 28m27s.
• The goal is to energize the audience's "elephant" and rouse their "writer" by conveying excitement and clarity about the technical solutions being presented 28m47s.
• To energize the "elephant" (a part of the brain that processes feelings), one strategy is to "look to the one," which means focusing on a single person rather than statistics, as people are more moved by individual stories than by numbers 29m26s.
• This strategy is inspired by a quote from Mother Teresa, who said that if she looked to the masses, she would never act, but if she looked to the one, she would 29m28s.
• Charitable organizations have long known that people are not moved by statistics, but by individual stories, and research from Carnegie Mellon University has confirmed this phenomenon 30m5s.
• In one study, participants were given $5 and then asked to donate to a charitable cause, with some receiving a brochure with statistics and others receiving a brochure with a personal story, and those who received the personal story donated more than double the amount of those who received the statistics 30m21s.
• The personal story was about a 7-year-old girl from Malawi named Ria, who was struggling due to food shortages, and the brochure explained how donations would directly benefit her 32m5s.
• The study found that when people were presented with a personal story, they donated over half of their money, compared to only $1.20 when they were presented with statistics 32m50s.
• This shows that the "elephant" processes feelings with more weight than logic, and that focusing on individual stories can be a powerful way to move people to action 33m11s.
• To get stakeholders excited about technical solutions, it's essential to speak from the perspective of one person and focus on how the solution applies to them, rather than presenting a large amount of data 33m28s.
• A recommended approach is to create a story around a representative data point, such as a person named Jane, who has a problem that the technical solution can solve 33m49s.
• This approach can be used even if the person is fictional, and the goal is to make the story relatable and engaging 34m4s.
• A real-life example of this approach is how HP used a design firm to create a life-sized model of a family interacting with their technology at the Walt Disney Resort, which helped Disney understand the benefits of the technology 34m12s.
• The model showed how the Ferrari family, a fictional family created for the demonstration, could use HP's technology to enhance their experience at the resort, and it was so effective that Disney signed a contract instantly 35m40s.
• The engineers who worked on the technical solutions were also impressed by the model, and it helped them see the bigger picture of how their work benefited others 36m10s.
• When discussing technical details, it's essential to pull back the lens and explain how the solution benefits people, especially when talking to non-technical stakeholders 36m35s.

Creating Stakeholder Excitement

• Behavioral psychologist Robert Cialdini's research found that interesting scientific papers often have a commonality that makes them engaging, which can be applied to presenting technical solutions in a more exciting way 36m56s.
• A story about the composition of the rings of Saturn is used to illustrate how to create stakeholder excitement, where three teams of scientists from Caltech, MIT, and Oxford came to different conclusions about what the rings are made of, with Caltech believing they are made of dust, MIT believing they are made of ice, and Oxford believing they are electromagnetic particles 37m23s.
• The story is presented in a way that creates suspense and curiosity, making the audience interested in knowing the answer, even though it may not be relevant to their lives 38m0s.
• The way the story is told is what makes it interesting, and it is revealed that the rings of Saturn are actually made of ice-covered dust, which explains the difference of opinion among the scientists 39m0s.
• The strategy used to make the story interesting is to introduce a mystery at the beginning, which is a powerful way to get people interested in what you have to say and build up suspense 39m18s.
• The mystery is deepened by presenting different conclusions from three teams of scientists, filling in the knowledge gap and making the audience curious 39m49s.
• The audience is then left in suspense for a moment before the answer is revealed, which is a key element in creating stakeholder excitement 40m11s.
• Another strategy for creating stakeholder excitement is to bring the audience on the journey of discovery, making them a part of the process rather than just presenting the solution 40m35s.
• This approach is illustrated by the story of Barry Marshall, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who was initially frustrated because nobody believed his groundbreaking theory that most ulcers are caused by the same bacteria 40m46s.
• A discovery in medical science was made by a doctor who found that ulcers are caused by bacteria, not incurable, and can be cured with antibiotics, which eventually won him a Nobel Prize 41m4s.
• To prove his discovery, the doctor drank a beaker full of the bacteria, and then had doctors take an x-ray of his stomach to confirm he had ulcers, and later cured himself with an antibiotic 41m52s.
• This real-life experiment is an example of a powerful way to engage an audience and make them interested in findings 42m27s.
• Other ways to engage an audience include live demos of technical solutions, discussions where the audience brainstorms their own solutions, and role-plays where the audience imagines interacting with the technology 42m44s.

Rousing the Writer

• To rouse the writer, one solution is to focus on benefits versus features, where instead of listing technical specifications, the benefits of the product or service are highlighted 43m7s.
• For example, instead of saying "15 microbits per second," say "with my broadband internet, you will never suffer through buffering again" 43m14s.
• Visual aids are another powerful way to make the writer understand complex ideas, as a simple visual can help illustrate a concept 44m6s.
• An example of a complex idea made simple with a visual is the explanation of tunnel boring machines, which have a head that drills into the Earth and a body that solidifies the surface 44m19s.
• Breaking down complex components into their key parts is an effective way to explain a process or idea, as seen in the example of a tunnel boring machine, which can be broken down into its head and body, and how each part contributes to its function 44m54s.
• This method can be applied to both physical objects and abstract concepts, such as business principles, to help make them more understandable 45m15s.
• Making ideas concrete is crucial in communication, as seen in the example of Beth Beyer's PhD research at Stanford University, where engineers and assemblers struggled to communicate due to abstract blueprints 45m35s.
• Using concrete objects or examples, such as a screw, can be more helpful than abstract representations, like blueprints 46m27s.
• Analogies can also be used to make complex ideas more concrete, as seen in the comparison between a tunnel boring machine and an earthworm 46m56s.

Conclusion and Q&A

• By using these strategies, individuals can effectively communicate their ideas and solutions, and bring excitement to their talks 47m48s.
• The ability to communicate technical solutions and research in an exciting way is essential, as it allows individuals to take credit for their ideas and make a meaningful impact 48m1s.
• With the right tools and strategies, individuals can effectively talk about their research and technical solutions in a way that excites and engages their audience 48m16s.
• A participant, Robin, appreciated the session and found the frameworks provided to be wonderful and applicable, especially the tangible takeaways that can be quickly applied after learning something new 48m36s.
• The participant asked for a "goto method" that can be used in casual environments, such as the beginning of a Zoom meeting or in person over lunch, to create stakeholder excitement when there are only a few minutes available 49m21s.
• ABT (and, but, therefore) is a powerful framework that can be used in such contexts to excite people about what you have to say, and it can be used really easily whenever you want to talk about something in a way that gets people excited 49m43s.
• If there is even less time, the Dojy framework (nothing in blank makes sense except in light of blank) can be used to cut to the chase and grab attention quickly 50m15s.
• The goal for using these frameworks in brief windows is not to expect to get everything, but to make an impression, get people to notice you, and ideally have further conversations around the solution 50m32s.
• These brief windows should be used as an opportunity for a little ask, such as keeping the conversation moving forward, rather than a big ask 51m16s.
• The session received positive feedback from participants, with many expressing gratitude for the session and the frameworks provided, and some even planning to apply what they learned to their projects 51m31s.
• It's appreciated that people are willing to try new things and put themselves out there, knowing that it will pay dividends if they make the effort, so it's essential to keep trying and growing 52m3s.
• The Frameworks provided have been valuable to many, and people are excited about the information shared 52m32s.

Additional Tips and Resources

• When advising a coaching client who is a tech person, it's crucial to tell them to avoid certain things when communicating, such as sounding listless about their own work 52m41s.
• A comment from the audience mentioned that the discussion literally just saved their job, showing the value of the information shared 53m7s.
• Breathtaking communication can stop people in their tracks with a compelling message, such as the comment about saving a job 53m28s.
• One thing to avoid is having a non-verbal presence that doesn't convey excitement and passion for one's work 53m45s.
• People in technical roles should avoid sounding bored when talking about their work, as it can be emulated from scientific and technical presentations 53m52s.
• It's essential to sound excited, enthusiastic, and passionate about the work and the difference it makes in people's lives 54m23s.
• Using dynamic vocal intonation and integrating gestures can help convey excitement and passion for one's work 54m49s.
• Thinking about one's presence and how it comes across before speaking is crucial, as it can impact how the message is received 55m12s.
• Avoid getting too technical and into the details when talking to non-technical stakeholders, as it may not be relevant or interesting to them 55m32s.
• When discussing technical innovations, it's essential to pull back and see the bigger picture, explaining how the research benefits actual people, rather than just focusing on the minute details 56m2s.
• Technical innovations matter because someone is paying for the work, and there is literal value in it, so it's crucial to understand why the work is being done and how it creates value 56m37s.
• One way to understand the value of technical innovations is to repeatedly ask "why" to drill down to the real benefit of the work, a strategy known as the "5 Whys" which originated from Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of the Toyota car company 57m52s.
• The "5 Whys" strategy involves asking "why" around five times to get to the root of why the work matters, but it can be four, six, or three times, depending on the situation 58m2s.
• There is an entire course devoted to the topic of communicating technical solutions, called "Communicating with Confidence," which covers non-verbal communication, verbal communication, and how to convey technical solutions effectively 57m24s.
• The course "Communicating with Confidence" is available, and details about it can be found on the On24 platform, along with a recording of the session and links to learn more about the course 58m32s.