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The Future of an Organization Depends on People Skills
The technology sector is filled with smart people who make smart products. However, it can be argued that in tech, success is more dependent on people skills than on technical aptitude. “Building Workforce Skills at Scale to Thrive During and After the COVID-19 Crisis,” published in 2021 by McKinsey and Company, notes that the number of companies that prioritize interpersonal people skills has doubled in recent years.
Without a doubt, interpersonal people skills help improve a tech company’s bottom line. However, if teams don’t communicate and collaborate with each other effectively, projects will be slower, more challenging, and costly. Additionally, the McKinsey survey reports that people skills allow business leaders and engineering teams to collaborate effectively, thus ensuring that products and services are developed in alignment with business and customer needs.
The Most Important People Skills for an Organization
What are the skills that improve tech teamwork?
- Interpersonal skills: How to communicate effectively in a team environment, including periods of conflict or in difficult situations.
- Personal communications skills: Knowing one’s own communication style and how to alter it to better mesh with others; how to be assertive; how to manage unconscious bias.
- Project management skills: How to gain the trust of team members, build alliances and networks, problem-solve, and delegate and provide feedback.
- Writing and presentation skills: Clarity and persuasiveness in writing and presentations play a critical part in creating and maintaining effective teams.
How to Learn and Hone Organizational People Skills
With this in mind, it is possible to learn the people skills that will improve teamwork throughout your organization. In fact, one of the best sources is a long-time tech favorite: San Jose-based Effective Training Associates (ETA), a company that has been a leader in soft skills training since 1989. ETA offers a full menu of instructor-led in-person and virtual course for engineers, managers, and technical professionals.
ETA People Skills Courses for Organizations
- Know Your Communication Style and Impact on Others
- Cross-Functional Collaboration and Influence
- Dealing with Yourself and Others in Difficult Situations
- Be a Trusted Advisor
- Emotional Intelligence at Work
- Effective Communication
- Dynamic Presentation Skills
