Communication 101: Translating Tech Speak, Exec Speak, and Team Speak
If you thought running meetings and wrangling stakeholders was hard, wait until you realize everyone in your project speaks a different language.
- The developers talk in acronyms.
- The executives want three bullet points and a graph.
- The end users just want to know if the thing will work.
And you? You’re the translator. Congratulations — you are now the Google Translate of your project.
1. Talking to Executives
Executives don’t care about the details. They want the big picture.
- Are we on track?
- Are we on budget?
- Should they panic?
Tip: Keep it short, keep it simple, keep it confident. A colorful chart goes a long way.
2. Talking to Technical Teams
Developers, engineers, IT… they love detail. The more the better.
If you say, “We need this by Friday,” they’ll respond with:
“What version? What dependencies? Which environment? Who’s reviewing?”
Tip: Write things down. Be precise. And never pretend to understand acronyms you don’t. (Trust me, they know.)
3. Talking to End Users
End users don’t care about your plan. They care about whether the tool makes their life easier or harder.
So when you explain, don’t talk about system architecture or sprint velocity. Just answer their favorite question:
“What’s in it for me?”
4. The Email vs. Meeting Decision
- If it takes 3 sentences, it’s an email.
- If it’s messy or needs debate, it’s a meeting.
- If it’s urgent, walk over or call.
Over-communicate, but don’t overwhelm. (Nobody reads your 900-word “quick update.”)
5. Listen Twice as Much as You Talk
Communication isn’t just about sending information — it’s about making sure it lands.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is shut up, take notes, and repeat back what you heard to make sure you got it right.
Closing Thought
Being a volunteer-told PM means you’re not just managing tasks — you’re managing languages.
If you can learn to translate between exec speak, tech speak, and plain English, you’ll keep everyone aligned (and maybe even impressed).
This was Chapter Eight of The Bible of the Volunteer-Told Project Manager.
Stay tuned for Chapter Nine: “The Budget: Pretending Monopoly Money Is Real Money.”