The more time I spend in management, the more clear it is to me that technical knowledge and skills are not enough to be successful. That applies to those in management as well as to the folks who are actually performing the work. I’m sure everyone knows someone who is great at what they do, but no one wants to talk to them. That situation hurts them and the company for which they work.
We technical people spend so much time developing our skills, learning new ones and getting certifications, that we totally ignore the fact that we are part of a larger system. Eventually, and more often than people realize, we have to talk to other people who have no idea how we do what we do. Very often, it is the very same people who give us money to buy equipment or get training.
I’ll submit that anyone who wants to advance in their career cannot afford to ignore these skills. Who’s going to get the promotion, the person who can explain technical concepts in a civil manner, or the person who is condescending and sarcastic?
Ask yourself why you spend so much time learning your technical skills and getting certifications. Sure, you probably enjoy the subject and the challenge, but you also expect to be paid more and have opportunities for advancement.
So why do we ignore developing our communication skills? If you don’t spend at least some time learning to communicate effectively, you are working at a deficit. After all, how much can you really differentiate yourself from all the other people who have roughly the same skill set as you? The difference will be how you interact and communicate with others.
Here are a couple of resources that may help:
A Crash Course in Communication
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
Security and Business: Communications 101
Improving Business Communication Skills
INC.com list of articles
