How to Communicate Technical Ideas to Non Technical Audiences

The session focuses on how to communicate technical information and jargon to non-technical audiences.

Amber Vanderberg is the founder of The Pathways Group, an international learning and development company that helps improve leadership and communication skills.

Technical professionals can communicate effectively by focusing on problem-solving, collaboration, and presentation, using methods like audience analysis, open-ended questions, and analogies.

Understanding the audience is crucial because it helps tailor the communication to their baseline knowledge, goals, and organizational setup, making the message more effective.

Jargon should be used when it is understood by everyone. Otherwise, it's an opportunity to explain one or two terms to educate and include the audience in the conversation.

Some tools include using stories and analogies, visual aids like flowcharts, and experiences or demos to make complex concepts more relatable and understandable.

Practicing analogies ensures clear and concise explanations, helping non-technical audiences understand technical concepts by relating them to familiar experiences.

Presentations should be adjusted by summarizing ideas for executives and expanding details for colleagues or reports, depending on their position in the organizational chart.

Amber Vanderberg offers a larger course on Pluralsight titled "Technical Communication for Non-Technical Audiences" as a resource to learn more.

Using technical jargon without understanding can hinder communication, but when used correctly, it can streamline conversations and help achieve big goals.