How to talk to humans: Preparing for my #RailsConf lab

Excited to announce that I'll be leading a workshop at RailsConf 2015 on leveling up your communication skills! You can check out a full description of the workshop over on their website and you can register here.

The reason behind this workshop

Before I get into the nitty gritty, I want to touch on a question that I know some of you probably have: why are you giving what amounts to a talk on marketing at a Rails conference? Well, I've spent a lot of time around tech folks and the number one complaint I hear from people in hiring capacities is that they have the perfect person with the exact tech skills they need....but there's no way they can put them in front of a client because they struggle with the social aspect of the job. And a lot of time, their teams struggle with effectively communicating with each other. 

And that's where this workshop fits. I want to both help attendees feel more secure in talking to clients. And I want to help teams to work more fluidly - both with each other and with other teams. So often, there are breakdowns in projects because people don't know how to approach a situation. This lab will teach you guys how. 

Why I'm qualified

My background as a marketing writer has been great, but stuttering has taught me so much about the ins and outs of communication. I know what it feels like to walk into a room and expend a ridiculous amount mental and emotional energy before you even say your name. I know how nerve-wracking it is to feel confident in what you can for this person you need to impress, but not know if you can actually articulate it. 

I've struggled with my speech for years. After coming to a place of acceptance, I then learned there are ways to more effectively communicate with those around me: speech impediment or not. And these are the skills that I'm going to discuss during the lab.

The lab: what you need to know

For those interested in attending, I wanted to give you some things to consider in preparation for the workshop. I've only got you for 90 minutes, so be prepared to jump right into the fun as soon as you arrive. This is a soft skills lab so you won't need any technology; all you need to bring is yourself. 

What will we be doing for 90 minutes? I know this is going to sound crazy, but bear with me: we'll be talking to each other. Offline. In real life. iPhone's not needed.

Deep breaths. You can do this :)

We're going to touch on things like small talk, building a relationship quickly, how to be charming and general confidence in speaking. You are going to be working with the people around you on exercises that will help you learn and build those skills.

Basically, you're going to spend 90 minutes dissecting the nuances of human interaction - both of those of around you and your own. I want you to leave this workshop with the confidence to walk into any room with any group of people and successfully communicate with them. No second guessing. No overanalyzing. Just results. 

Does this sound fun? It will be, and I hope to see you there on Wednesday morning.