Effective communication is the one thing that makes your life better, more fulfilling, and more rewarding. That is equally true in life and your career. Give the soft skills and communication, in particular, the same emphasis that you give your hard skills. Soft skills are the difference makers.
My Religion is the Most Important
I agree with technical professionals who counter with this observation. We then agree that one of the first things they teach you in any church is how to pray.
My Family is the Most Important
Again, I agree with technical professionals who cite this one. Then we agree that every family has a fair number of poor relationships that could be improved if we all communicated more effectively.
My Health is the Most Important
I cannot argue with this one either. We then usually agree that if we communicated better with our doctors or if our doctors had better bedside manners, many of our health issues would be less problematic.
Soft Skills versus Hard Skills
Oxford University Press defines soft skills as “personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.” As an umbrella term, soft skills are associated with people and social skills. Soft skills are equally applicable and desirable across all professions.
Hard skills are technical skills that are specific to different professions. After World War II, the US Army referred to hard skills as anything related to the use of machinery. By contrast, the US Army defined soft skills as “job-related skills that involve little or no interaction with machines and whose application on the job is quite generalized.”
Most technical professionals spend their time as young professionals focusing on applying hard skills. The extra hours of project management in the middle years leave little time for formal training in soft skills like communication and facilitation. By late career, many technical professionals understand that the difference in their careers has been in the things they have spent the least time developing.
Never Learn Communication As You Go
Last year, I was with a senior executive with two advanced technical degrees. She attempted to relate to some of the things I champion in communication.
“You know, JD,” she said. “Communication is one of those things we learn as we go. We try some things, figure out what doesn’t work, and do the things that do.”
I did not have anything to say. That’s not how we design a mechanical pressure vessel, a cantilevered structure, or our career.
Communicate with FINESSE
Effective communication is the one thing that makes your life better, more fulfilling, and more rewarding. That is equally true in life and your career. Give the soft skills and communication, in particular, the same emphasis that you give your hard skills. Soft skills are the difference makers.
Communicating with FINESSE is a not-for-profit community of technical professionals dedicated to being highly effective communicators and facilitators. Learn more about our publications, webinars, and workshops. Join the community for free.
JD Solomon is the author of Communicating Reliability, Risk & Resiliency to Decision Makers: How to Get Your Boss’s Boss to Understand and Facilitating with FINESSE: A Guide to Successful Business Solutions. JD Solomon Inc. provides solutions for facilitation, asset management, and program development at the nexus of facilities, infrastructure, and the environment.
Leave a Reply