Soft skills have been high on the tech agenda for a while now. This was largely down to the stereotypical (and unfair) image of the IT team as quiet, uncommunicative and awkward. But it is also related to broader changes in tech. Today, more people have a stake in software related projects. Product and project managers, even financial managers, will have their work impacted by software. That means everyone’s communication around it is so important.
This year’s Skill Up report clearly highlights that developers are aware of how valuable soft skills really are. A huge 96% of respondents said they believe that developing soft skills is important:
The Skill Up 2018 report will be available to download on Monday 4 June.
Perhaps this isn’t that surprising. We all know how much of a difference effective communication can make on a project. Without good communication, the technical bits of work become even harder.
If we go back to the stereotype of the ring-fenced IT team, it’s not hard to see why soft skills are so valued by business leaders and management figures. It’s almost as if trainers and consultants and management have conspired, saying ‘we need these engineers to be more like us’.
But whatever the management industry want from tech pros, it’s clear that the real advantage of developing soft skills are for developers themselves. Here are just a few reasons why soft skills are so important for developers:
The reasons why soft skills are important could be huge. And given 96% of developers believe it to be important, it would seem that no one really needs convincing. However, it is important to see how soft skills impact different parts of your job, and even your life. Yes it’s about writing great emails, but it isn’t just that. Yes it’s about learning how to network at conferences but it’s also much more than that.
The bottom line is that it’s hard to be a great technician without soft skills. It’s possible, but very rare. Nothing technical happens in a vacuum – technical things are always about people. Forget management speak and training courses: that, really, is the one thing you need to remember.
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