People skills or technical skills, which are more important?
It is a great feeling to know that you are a technical expert or have achieved technical competency at something! Yet the most important skills are the ability to communicate, build relationships and work with for or supervise virtually anyone while consistently achieving results. Numerous large studies have confirmed that people skills, sometimes called “soft skills” are the most desirable and impactful skills for personal and career success.
A twenty-year study of leadership effectiveness conducted by Stanford University’s School of Business concluded that about 15% of one’s success in leading organizations comes from technical skills and knowledge, while 85% comes from the ability to connect with people and engender trust and mutual understanding. http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/headlines/2003entrepreneurshipconf.shtml
Paul Tasca - http://www.paultasca.com - Author of “Drumming Up Your Career”
