Communication Skills Mary Jean Harrold ADVANCE Professor of

Communication Skills Mary Jean Harrold ADVANCE Professor of Computing College of Computing Georgia Institute of Technology

My Background BS, MS math, secondary, college math teacher • Georgia Tech (1999 present) • Software engineering • TOSEM, TSE, ACM Fellow • CRA, CRA-W, National Center for Women and Information Technology Ph. D CS, 1988

Role of Communication Disliked BS, MS writing math, and public speaking—but secondary, wouldn’t college need these math as math teacher • Georgia Tech (1999 present) • Software engineering • TOSEM, TSE, ACM Fellow • CRA, CRA-W, National Center for Women and Information Technology Thought Ph. D CS, 1988 “if I do good work, it will be recognized”

Role of Communication Disliked BS, MS writing math, and public speaking—but secondary, wouldn’t college need these math as math teacher Thought Ph. D CS, 1988 “if I do good work, it will be recognized” But then I realized • Georgia Tech (1999 present) • Good writing/presentations can’t make my bad • Software engineering work good, but bad writing/presentations can • TOSEM, TSE, ACM Fellow make my good work go unnoticed • CRA, CRA-W, National • No matter how good the idea is, it won’t go Center for Women anywhere unless and I can communicate it to Information Technology others

COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY! Disliked BS, MS writing math, and public speaking—but secondary, wouldn’t college need these math as math teacher Thought Ph. D CS, 1988 “if I do good work, it will be recognized” But then I realized • Georgia Tech (1999 present) • Good presentations/writing can’t make bad • Software engineering work good, but bad presentations/writing can • TOSEM, TSE, work ACM make good go. Fellow unnoticed • CRA, CRA-W, National • No matter how good the idea is, it won’t go Center for Women anywhere unless and it can be communicated to Information Technology others

COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY! Disliked BS, MS writing math, and public speaking—but secondary, wouldn’t college need these math as math teacher Thought Ph. D CS, 1988 “if I do good work, it will be recognized” But then I realized • Georgia Tech (1999 present) • Good presentations/writing can’t make bad • Software engineering work good, but bad presentations/writing can • TOSEM, TSE, work ACM make good go. Fellow unnoticed • CRA, CRA-W, National • No matter how good the idea is, it won’t go Center for Women anywhere unless and it can be communicated to Information Technology others

Making Good Presentations Making GOOD presentations essential for – Explaining your work to others (1 min, 3 min, 25 min) – Advertising your work (lab talks, industry visits) – Selling your work to funding agencies, managers – Interviewing for jobs – Interacting with other researchers – Etc.

But I’m Not a Natural Communicator • Being a good speaker rarely comes naturally, improve by – analyzing what good speakers do – giving more talks • Studies show that – public speaking is #1 human fear à So work at becoming a good communicator—it’s work but worth it!

Becoming a Good Communicator Have something to say Give talk Some final thoughts Create a high-quality presentation Get feedback Practice, practice

Have Something to Say Have something to say Give talk Some final thoughts Create a high-quality presentation Get feedback Practice, practice

Have Something to Say • Work should be mature enough for presentation • “Begin with the end in mind” (i. e. , know how the work will be evaluated) Significance • problem you’re solving • solution in context of your area Originality of contribution Soundness of results

Have Something to Say Have something to say Give talk Some final thoughts Create a high-quality presentation Get feedback Practice, practice

Create a High-quality Presentation Have something to say Give talk Some final thoughts Create a high-quality presentation Get feedback Practice, practice

Create a High-quality Presentation 1. Goals for the presentation 2. Tips for getting started 3. Determine organization and outline 4. Consider how and where to discuss research within outline 5. Some tips for a presentation 6. Mini-tutorial for poster presentation

1. Goals for the Presentation Remember You have a short time to tell audience about your work, and get them interested in finding out more —e. g. , reading paper, asking questions So make your presentation – interesting – understandable

1. Goals for the Presentation Interesting • Get audience interested early, keep their interest • Tell anecdote from experience with problem • Tell story or give statistics about problem • Provide motivation for problem

1. Goals for the Presentation Understandable • Know audience—level of expertise about your area, what they expect, … • Know environment—where you fit within the program, who will speak before you, … • Know community—style of conference, established styles of presentation, areas of research do they work, …

1. Goals for the Presentation Understandable (cont’d) • Discuss required background with respect to audience • Provide appropriate details of research for audience and community • Make presentation clear and concise • Present sound research results but understandable by non-expert

2. Tips for Getting Started • Start early—it takes time to prepare a good presentation • Decide what the “story” and “take home message” should be • Write down the important points you want to make (in any random order)—don’t forget motivation and “way of looking at the problem” • Think about pictures / graphs / visual aids / examples to help you make your points

3. Determine Organization and Outline Title Introduction Outline (optional) Background (if needed) Body (research) Evaluation Discussion Related work Future work Conclusion Acknowledgements

3. Determine Organization and Outline Title Introduction Outline (optional) Background (if needed) Body (research) Evaluation Discussion Related work Future work Conclusion Acknowledgements

3. Determine Organization and Outline Introduction Background Body Evaluation Discussion Related work Future work Conclusion Acknowledgements

4. Consider How/Where to Discuss Research Within Outline (SOS) Introduction Background Body Evaluation Discussion Related work Future work Conclusion Acknowledgements

4. Consider How/Where to Discuss Research Within Outline (SOS) • Significance – discuss why this problem is significant – discuss why your solution is significant (e. g. , what it may be useful for, why/how it scales up, generalizes) Introduction Background Body Evaluation Discussion Related work Future work Conclusion Acknowledgements

4. Consider How/Where to Discuss Research Within Outline (SOS) • Significance – discuss why this problem is significant – discuss why your solution is significant (e. g. , what it may be useful for, why/how it scales up, generalizes) Introduction Background Body Evaluation Discussion Related work Future work Conclusion Acknowledgements

4. Consider How/Where to Discuss Research Within Outline (SOS) • Originality – specify objectives, contribution clearly – compare with related work carefully – implement objectives carefully Introduction Background Body Evaluation Discussion Related work Future work Conclusion Acknowledgements

4. Consider How/Where to Discuss Research Within Outline (SOS) • Originality – specify objectives, contribution clearly – compare with related work carefully – implement objectives carefully Introduction Background Body Evaluation Discussion Related work Future work Conclusion Acknowledgements

4. Consider How/Where to Discuss Research Within Outline (SOS) • Originality – specify objectives, contribution clearly – compare with related work carefully – implement objectives carefully Introduction Background Body Evaluation Discussion Related work Future work Conclusion Acknowledgements

4. Consider How/Where to Discuss Research Within Outline (SOS) • Soundness – describe research – discuss evaluation • method • results • discussion – will need to leave out many details Introduction Background Body Evaluation Discussion Related work Future work Conclusion Acknowledgements

4. Consider How/Where to Discuss Research Within Outline (SOS) • Soundness – describe research – discuss evaluation • method • results • discussion – will need to leave out many details Introduction Background Body Evaluation Discussion Related work Future work Conclusion Acknowledgements

4. Consider How/Where to Discuss Research Within Outline (SOS) • Soundness – describe research – discuss evaluation • method • results • discussion – will need to leave out many details Introduction Background Body Evaluation Discussion Related work Future work Conclusion Acknowledgements

4. Consider How/Where to Discuss Research Within Outline (SOS) • Background and related work—the difference – Background—what listeners need to know to understand your technique – Related work—what existing work is similar to yours, and how yours is different from theirs Introduction Background Body Evaluation Discussion Related work Future work Conclusion Acknowledgements

4. Consider How/Where to Discuss Research Within Outline (SOS) • Who to acknowledge – Those who fund your work —ask advisor – Those who have helped with work but not authors – Those who have given you important feedback Introduction Background Body Evaluation Discussion Related work Future work Conclusion Acknowledgements

5. Some Tips for Presentations Preparing presentation • Do in parallel (telling your “story”) – Create talk using outline, make slides – Write out exactly word-for-word what you are going to say on each slide—this is your story • Give the talk out loud to yourself with slides and printed notes in front of you – Note mistakes in slides – Jot notes on places that just “don’t seem to work” or “don’t flow well” – Note if talk is too long or short

5. Some Tips for Presentations Slide mechanics • Plan for about 1. 5 -2 min/slide • Never use serif or variable width fonts • Never use less than 24 point font • Aim for 3 -6 points per slide and less than 30 words per slide • Make effect use of color—but don’t overdo it try to select a pleasing 3 -color scheme) • Use animation (rather than a laser pointer) but don’t overdo it (I

6. Mini-tutorial for Poster Presentation Things to consider – Audience is quite general • in CSE • not in your area – All communication tips still apply but time is short – Want to quickly interest listener so they’ll ask more questions

6. Mini-tutorial for Poster Presentation Create a 1 -2 minute presentation that addresses SOS Significance of problem and solution Originality of contribution Soundness of results

6. Mini-tutorial for Poster Presentation Outline (mini-talk in 1 -2 minutes) • Describe problem area • Describe your specific problem • Tell (briefly) what others have done and the limitations of those techniques • Describe your solution (it should address limitations), and list its benefits • Discuss any empirical results that validate your work • List contributions

6. Mini-tutorial for Poster Presentation Follow up questions • Discuss approach in more detail • Discuss validation in more detail • Discuss limitations of your work • Outline current and future work • Etc.

Create a High-quality Presentation Have something to say Give talk Some final thoughts Create a high-quality presentation Get feedback Practice, practice

Get Feedback Have something to say Give talk Some final thoughts Create a high-quality presentation Get feedback Practice, practice

Get Feedback • Get draft slides done early for feedback – Give it to your advisor REALLY early – Give it to your friends—and offer to help them in return • Look at feedback as a blessing (grow a thick skin) • Let people listening know what evaluation criteria are so they can provide good feedback

Get Feedback Have something to say Give talk Some final thoughts Create a high-quality presentation Get feedback Practice, practice

Practice, Practice Have something to say Give talk Some final thoughts Create a high-quality presentation Get feedback Practice, practice

Practice, Practice • Act on the results of your practice – Does the overall talk work? – Is it close to the right amount of time or do you have to cut/add major chunks? – Fix the slides – Rewrite the text to fix the rough spots (sometimes this means re-ordering or working in a new transition or significantly changing a couple of slides) • Repeat until good! (speak slowly; don’t use notes)

Practice, Practice The dry run • It’s often harder to give a talk to your friends and colleagues than it is to a large audience that doesn’t know you • Make sure to do it early enough so you will be able to incorporate changes • Lay the ground rules for the dry run – make sure they know where you are giving the talk (what kind of audience), how long you have, whether you can be interrupted, etc.

Practice, Practice Still on the dry run… • Deliver the talk as if it were the real thing – – – – Smile Be confident Look them (all) in the eye Be enthusiastic about (all) the material Speak SLOWLY Speak clearly Modulate your voice emphasizing the important points

Practice, Practice Still on the dry run… • Listen carefully to the comments – Be grateful for every comment you get! (Remember, you don’t need to incorporate them if you don’t like them, but another viewpoint is ALWAYS helpful. ) – Pay particular attention if someone is confused or didn’t understand a point that was made – that really needs to be fixed! • Redo the talk based on the comments • Practice it for yourself again and again!

Practice, Practice Before event • Need to present many times before actual talk • Not sufficient to go through slides and think about them to yourself • Practice in “chunks” of talk – according to your outline – each of them until you get it right – in front of a mirror

Practice, Practice Have something to say Give talk Some final thoughts Create a high-quality presentation Get feedback Practice, practice

Continue Until High-quality… Have something to say Give talk Some final thoughts Create a high-quality presentation Get feedback Practice, practice

Continue Until High-quality… Have something to say Give talk Some final thoughts Create a high-quality presentation Get feedback Practice, practice

Give Talk Have something to say Give talk Some final thoughts Create a high-quality presentation Get feedback Practice, practice

Give Talk At the talk • Check out the set-up in advance • Try the media in advance – Ask for help if something doesn’t work right – Know what “signals” for time you will get • • Have script for first few slides written Think about appearance—avoid extremes It’s natural to be nervous (learn ways to relax) Remain confident – you KNOW the material and it is GOOD – now show them!

Give Talk Answering questions • Be prepared! – Think of sample questions beforehand – Have backup slides for the questions you expect • Make sure you listen to/understand the question – repeat it back to the questioner • For questions that need long/detailed responses, ask to meet after the session • Don’t be afraid to say “that’s a really good point/idea and on our list to consider for future work” • Don’t get into extended arguments

Give Talk Have something to say Give talk Some final thoughts Create a high-quality presentation Get feedback Practice, practice

Give Talk Have something to say Give talk Some final thoughts Create a high-quality presentation Get feedback Practice, practice

Some Final Thoughts Keep a professional web page • Update it regularly • Include a professionally done head shot • Think carefully about putting personal stuff (family pictures, etc. )—if you do include them, put a link to them

Some Final Thoughts Research communication resources • M. Alley, The Craft of Scientific Presentations: Critical Steps to Succeed and Critical Errors to Avoid, 2005 • R. A. Day, How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper. Cambridge University Press, 1989 • L. Dupré, Bugs in Writing. Addison-Wesley, 1998 • E. Tufte, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 2001 • J. Zobel, Writing for Computer Science, 2 s

Conclusion • Communicating your ideas clearly is an important skill at which you need to work —so start now! • The more you do it, the easier it becomes! • But the fear never goes away—you just learn to deal with it!

Additional Suggestions These came from questions, suggestions, and discussion with students at the talk • Look for resources at your university—they are usually available—e. g. , classes, videotaping, labs • Put your slides in pdf format so that they can be read by any machine and system— or if you want to give them in powerpoint, have the pdf slides as a backup

Additional Suggestions (cont’d) • Create sections of your talk, according to the outline, so that if people tune out, they can get back in. There are two possible ways to do this: – Create an outline that will guide the talk, and continue to put it back up; when you show it, you’ll be able to transition from what you’ve told them and what you’re now going to tell them – Instead of having a slide with the outline, you verbally transition from section to section—e. g. , “Now that I’ve presented my technique, let me discuss the evaluation of it…”

Additional Suggestions (cont’d) • It’s important to provide transitions between slides – They help the audience keep up with you and see where you are – They tell the audience what you’ve told them and what you’re going to tell them.

Questions?