Identifying Communication Challenges
Imagine a CEO asking a data scientist if the company’s marketing strategy should include generative AI and large language models. The data scientist responds with a highly technical explanation:
“Large language models, with their advanced deep neural architecture and extensive parameterization, represent a significant advancement in marketing. They can analyze complex, nonlinear patterns within large datasets, allowing for highly personalized marketing campaigns that surpass traditional methods…”
When the data scientist finally finishes, the CEO asks, “Can you simplify that for me?”
The data scientist replies:
“Oh dear, it seems you’re struggling with the basics. Let me break it down: Large language models are very smart tools that help us understand what customers want. They’re far better than old methods, enabling us to create ads that really resonate and drive sales quickly. We need to use these models to stay ahead of our competitors. Got it?”
This exchange highlights the difficulties that arise when people have different levels of technical understanding. The data scientist is deeply immersed in the technology, while the CEO has a basic grasp of it.
To address these issues, Katie Robbert, CEO of Trust Insights, presented solutions at the Marketing Analytics & Data Science (MADS) conference in her talk, “Managing the People Who Manage the Machines.”
Why Communication Breaks Down
Katie surveyed managers and technologists about why conversations, like the one between the CEO and data scientist, often fail. Both groups identified similar issues, including:
- Being overly directive
- Underestimating the other’s intelligence
- Asking inappropriate questions (managers) and poor communication (technologists)
- Overcompensating
- Bad attitudes
- Blaming each other
As organizations adopt more advanced technologies like generative AI, machine learning, and natural language processing, communication challenges between managers and technologists are likely to increase, Katie warns.
“You need a structured approach to communicate effectively with those working with the technology and those managing it,” she says.
Improving Communication with the 5P Framework
Katie developed the 5P Framework to enhance collaboration between people with different expertise levels. It includes:
- Purpose: What problem are you solving? What question are you answering? Why are you having this conversation?
- People: Who is involved in this conversation, and who else needs to know the outcome?
- Process: How are you approaching this? When should it be done? What tools are you using?
- Platform: What communication tools are you using? Slack, phone, in-person?
- Performance: Did you address the problem effectively?
Katie explains that Purpose, People, and Process set expectations, Platform addresses execution, and Performance measures success.
Using User Stories for Clear Requests
The 5P Framework aligns well with creating user stories, a technique from Agile software development. The user story format is: “As a [persona], I [want to], so [that].”
For example:
Old Scenario: A product developer was given a long list of features by a stakeholder, causing friction and poor communication.
User Story Example:
- As a clinician [persona], I need to use this software during patient intake [want to], so I can expedite the process and have more meaningful conversations [that].
- As a patient [persona], I need to use this software during intake [want to], so I can focus more on my issues with the clinician and less on answering routine questions [that].
These user stories clarify the purpose and goals, reducing frustration and improving alignment with the product’s objectives.
Reducing Team Conflicts with User Stories
User stories can also help resolve conflicts between teams. For instance:
- Front-end vs. Back-end Development: If the back-end team had a user story such as, “As a back-end developer, I want to be involved in the design process earlier, so I can assess feasibility,” it would have improved collaboration and understanding.
- Marketing vs. Development: A user story like, “As a developer, I want to understand the marketing strategy, so I can incorporate website features into sprint planning,” would help align marketing and development efforts and manage expectations.
Benefits of User Stories and the 5P Framework
User stories help reframe conversations around user needs and goals, minimizing emotional friction. They also aid in setting clear expectations and aligning efforts.
Reframing the LLM Request
Consider how to reframe the generative AI discussion:
User Story: “As a data scientist supporting the CMO, I want to understand the use cases of generative AI, so I can advise on its potential applications.”
This approach would make the conversation more productive and focused.
Try User Stories in Your Work
If you encounter issues with requests from other teams, use user stories to clarify your needs. “Specify exactly what you need, why you need it, and how it should be done,” Katie advises.
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