Basic requirement of technical job is the technical skills that an employee possesses. They are the mandatory skills to get your step in the organization. Technical skills open only the first door of your association. However it’s your soft skills, which open the subsequent doors of your career.
Most often technocrats pay less attention to soft skills. Organizations usually have specified training programs for technical skills and not for soft skills. It is taken for granted that the soft skills of a person are comparable to his/her technical skills & adequate for effective performance. The vital role of soft skills comes into picture when a person is promoted to a senior level. Gap in soft skills leads to frustration on personal front and dissatisfaction at team level. Requirement is to identify the importance of soft skills and bridge the gap between expectations and current level.
To be a good human is the first and most important soft skill. It’s the honesty, attitude and willingness towards work, which contribute to be a good human being. Absence of any of these virtues leads to personal failure in spite of having great technical ability.
Communication and body language are very important while interacting with team and customer. The organization may lose their customers not because of technical deliverables but the way they are presented & communicated. A small gesture that is very common in a particular geography could be considered a not so good practice in other part of the world. An innocent mistake can cause a breakup in relationship.
Collaboration, negotiation and conflict resolution skills help to manage the team more effectively. To have the best talent does not solve the problems but to drive them with a vision creates miracles. A person with self-motivation and creative thinking always turn out into a successful leader. Good learning skills also help to mold the people in right direction.
Coaching and mentoring skills of a leader also help team to grow and keep organization young. An organization with continuous learning process always creates an atmosphere of challenges. It improves the analytical abilities and problem solving skills at each level.
Patrick Valtin has well said in his book “No-Fail Hiring” – most employees get hired for their technical skills and get fired for lack of soft skills. Technical skills can make you a successful engineer while soft skills make you a successful technology leader.