Secrets to Effective Communication for Statistical Consultants

• Activity Number: 159
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Monday, August 5, 2013 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistical Consulting
• Author(s): Jeffrey A. Bakal*+ and Alan Salzberg*+ and David R. Bristol*+ and Ralph M. Turner*+ and John (Jack) H Schuenemeyer*+ and Colleen Mangeot*+ and Elena G. Rantou (Randou)*+
• Companies: Canadian VIGOUR Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and Analysis & Inference Inc. and Statistical Consulting Services, Inc. and Healthcore and Southwest Statistical Consulting, LLC and Cincinnati Children's Hospital and George Mason University
• Keywords: communication ; consulting ; consultant ; skills ; practices

Abstract

Effective communication is a key ingredient of successful statistical consulting. As statistical consultants, how do we put our best foot forward when communicating with clients? How do we acquire and refine communication skills in important areas such as listening, inquiry and empathy? How do we build rapport with our clients and establish a respectful environment of trust? How do we adapt our communication style to the personality and needs of our clients? How do we keep the communication alive throughout the lifetime of a consulting engagement, especially when things don't go as planned? How do we overcome barriers to communication imposed by the lack of statistical sophistication of our clients? How do we learn from our communication mishaps? How do we solve conflicts generated by miscommunication? How do we use technological advances to further enhance our communication and how do we best tailor our communication skills to take advantage of these advances? This session will highlight valuable communication skills and tools that will enhance the practice of any statistical consultant and suggest ways to apply them to achieve maximum communication effectiveness.