Engineering Culture by InfoQ

Using Brain Science to Communicate and Lead Technical Teams Effectively

Oct 10, 2025
Guest
Charlotte de Jong Schouwenburg
Charlotte de Jong Schouwenburg, a business psychologist and co-founder of Bravely, dives into the significance of brain science in communication within engineering teams. She emphasizes the need for technical experts to acquire human skills, as relying on innate abilities is unrealistic. Charlotte offers insights on utilizing emotional intelligence and suggests that emotions can guide effective decision-making. She also shares practical techniques like nonjudgmental summarizing to manage conflicts, and advocates for building trust through casual interactions to enhance team dynamics.
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ANECDOTE

From Corporate Psychology To Tech Coaching

  • Charlotte describes moving from corporate psychology to working with a tech scale-up and co-founding Bravely to teach human skills to engineers.
  • After a few sessions engineers report better connections at work and home and say they can read and understand others more easily.
INSIGHT

Human Skills Are Distinct Talents

  • Charlotte explains human skills are distinct talents that don't develop equally across people and require deliberate learning like technical skills do.
  • Expecting technically strong people to lead flawlessly without training is unfair and ineffective.
ADVICE

Treat Emotions As Information

  • Use emotions as information rather than something to fear when communicating with teammates.
  • Apply your analytical strengths to interpret emotional signals and decide your next action strategically.
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