Jargon is everywhere in the ATM world. As you'll see in this week's below news items, we have plenty of abbreviations and acronyms. SMATSA has started to operate using CPDLC. A great step forward. Nice acronyms. And everybody in ATM understands it. Right? Really? Everybody? Think again. This kind of language might be okay to use in certain scenarios. But we can't assume that everyone, from engineers to ATCOs, uses the same terms and has the same grasp on operational abbreviations.
I'm lucky enough to have had contact with operations, administrative teams and managers over the years. If there is one thing I've learned, it's that you need to adjust the level of jargon and technicality you use to suit your partner. Nothing makes someone switch off from a conversation faster than too much or too little technicality. Whether you are addressing someone on LinkedIn for the first time or meeting in person, always be attentive to this.
It becomes even harder when entering larger meetings with mixed audiences. But ATM is a people business. So it is important to keep your counterparts engaged. When you are presenting your solution to a mixed panel of operational, technical. and procurement people, don't focus on only one of them. If your background is, for example, in operations, it is natural that you'll focus on the operations people on the other side of the table. But it is important not to speak in a way that excludes others. Try replacing acronyms with full words, explain some background, and be prepared to provide some learnings where necessary. Keep your audience interested, while impressing those who know the background of your conversation, with your knowledge and inclusivity.
With that said,
Magdalena Jaworska, the CEO of PANSA is the guest of
our latest podcast. As always, if you have questions, wishes, requests, or simply want more information, don't hesitate to get in touch!
Vincent