Who should attend: Technical people (programmers, administrators, and managers) who may be having difficulties communicating technical topics to non-technical audiences.

What you will learn: How to communicate technical information to non-technical colleagues.

Communication involves not only the speaker and listener, but also their beliefs, pre-conceptions, and roles within the work envi ron ment. The different requirements and contexts in technical work and business/managerial work create barriers to understanding.

These barriers can place limits on your personal growth as well as on your company's - if you cannot communicate effectively with your manager or your customers, you may lose their trust and recognition. This tutorial will point out the problems in communicating effectively with non-technical col leagues, and help you remedy those problems. Topics include:

- Communications mechanics: The basics
- Happytalk, marketspeak, and jargon
- Defining content: A three-step process
- Understanding your audience
- Structuring your message to meet your goals
- When to speak, when to present, and when to write a memo
- Closing the loop: Decoding feedback

Maurita Plouff is a technologist, manager, and teacher, and has been translating between technical and non-technical audiences since her first post in 1972 as a physics laboratory research assistant. She started her consulting business, Expert Innovations, to solve business problems through creative application of technology and common-sense management. An accomplished speaker, she is known for her ability to avoid inducing the "glassy-eyed stare".

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