Vous avez un problème technique à expliquer à des intervenants non techniques. Comment pouvez-vous vous assurer qu’ils comprennent ?

In conveying technical issues to non-technical stakeholders, weave a narrative that bridges the knowledge gap. Simplify complex concepts into relatable analogies and visuals. Engage them in interactive discussions, encouraging questions and feedback. Tailor your communication to their expertise level and foster a collaborative environment. By promoting understanding through clear communication, you empower stakeholders to make informed decisions, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.

Understanding first what the stakeholders priorities are, their current awareness of the subject matter (different to technical understanding) and how the issue affects them and their goals are important. This allows you to zero in on what element of the issue affects them and why in terms they understand. Communicating with specific, concise and relatable analogies helps. If the subject and situation lends itself visuals can also assist. Simple, relevant, relatable and to the point are the order of the day.

It's a lot easier to explain a concept to someone you know. Why? Because you have a common history, and frames of reference for discussion. If you know your audience you will by extension what will click and what will fall flat.

To ensure non-technical stakeholders understand a technical issue, simplify jargon, use analogies, and visuals. Start with the problem's impact, then explain the cause briefly. Offer solutions in layman's terms and provide examples. Encourage questions to gauge comprehension and foster dialogue. Tailor communication to their level of understanding and use relatable real-world examples.

Don’t forget that the stakeholders are intelligent people that are experts in their own field. They do not need speaking down to because they are not technical, always show respect. However, it is important to simply convey the issue in terms they can relate to ensuring that they understand the issue along with pros and cons of solutions to have a clear understanding of why it impacts them and make an informed decision on the solution. Jargon and industry acronyms are a big no. Being able to simplify something demonstrates how well you understand it.

Avoid acronyms! Acronyms are reasonable communication shortcuts if you are speaking to people with similar levels of expertise. The problem is that my IT acronym of ABC may be completely different than the accountant's ABC acronym. I can't count how many times I've asked a presenter to clarify an acronym to make sure we're speaking the same language.

This goes back to speaking the language of your audience. If you want people to understand the problem, you need to explain simply and clearly. *This is a widget. Widget does thing. If thing doesn't work, you can't work.*

I always ask stakeholders if what I’ve said makes sense to them, along the way at each point. If the answer is an explicit no, or implied though body language I will apologise for not explaining well enough and approach in a different manner. Yes it is my fault if they haven’t understood, not theirs. Don't forget that empathy can be incredibly important when the Stakeholder understands the impact of the issue to them.

Analogies are awesome! Do you both understand cars? Great, use analogies saying something like *this widget is like a steering wheel. Without it, you can go, but you can't control the direction.*

Build Relationships: Invest time in building relationships with non-technical stakeholders. Understanding their perspectives, concerns, and priorities can help tailor your communication to be more relevant and impactful.