Communication Skills Outweigh Everything

According to a recent study conducted by LinkedIn, the biggest skills gap in the U.S. is not coding, it is communications skills!

This is interesting considering the emphasis on technical skills in our new world of data driven professions. STEM degrees are touted as being the most relevant for the future. However, the recent LinkedIn articles downplays the importance of technical skills in the workplace. Communication skills will set you apart.

Breaking into the consulting industry, I lacked the technical expertise on a lot of the initiatives we were charged with implementing. I would sit in meetings and feel like I was in another world when co-workers started spouting off technical speak. My head would spin as developers and engineers talked about user stories, requirements, infrastructure, and databases. My first year in the IT consulting world was difficult because I lacked the technical knowledge that many of my coworkers had.

What I've learned through working in a more technical field is that a lot of the knowledge can be acquired through on the job learning. When you work in a field where the trade cannot be acquired in school, you have to fend for yourself and learn while doing. Technical skills are one of these trades.

An area you can break out among your peers is through soft skills. Applying empathy through communications will set you apart. I've wrote about this topic in a previous blog post but the fact that LinkedIn is showing the relevancy with data is important.

When you know how to communicate with others, co-workers will assume you know more than you do. They will grant you a level of respect because you know how to handle yourself. They'll assume you have things figured out because you remember facts about them. Your cool as a cucumber in meetings virtually and in person. You may not have all the answers, but that is okay, you can talk your way through the disconnect. You take ownership of the skills you don't have and communicate the gaps.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will increase the need for technical skills in the workplace. However, with more and more jobs replaced by computers, industry will need people that can add the human touch. We are still a long way away, if ever, for computers to replace human soft skills. I don't see this happening in my lifetime. What I do see is a need for professionals to interpret what AI is doing while communicating that to others.

Here are some ways you can improve your communications skills:

1. Listen. People want to know that they are being heard. Listen to what the other person is saying. Instead of formulating your response while they are talking, be present, and listen to them. The person you are listening too should be the most important person in your life at that moment.
   

2. Treat Every Boss the Same. Establishing a good relationship with your boss in essential to advancing your career. You will have great bosses and terrible ones. Most will be somewhere in between. When communicating with good or bad bosses, treat them the same. Try to have a similar relationship with all of them. Use soft skills to get to know them better. Answer emails with professionalism and look for opportunities to improve the relationship through communicating concisely and clearly.
   

3. Get Off Your Phone. Undivided attention is the worse. If you are having a face-to-face or virtual interaction with someone, give them your undivided attention. You can always tell when someone is not present with you. Too often, distractions are a result of that person using their phone. Keep your phone out of the conversation. Leave it behind when you go out to lunch with co-workers. Where a watch if you need to know the time. The cell phone has reduced face-to-face engagement. If you have your phone out and are checking messages while you are speaking to someone, they will lose respect for you. I know I feel this way. It's pretty annoying when someone looks up and down from the phone while you are speaking.
   

4. Use a Notepad. Using a notepad to write down notes is a great way to remember actions. You don't want to be that person who forgets things. If you do, you'll have to ask co-workers to fill in the gaps. Carry a notepad and take notes to help you communicate with others and get stuff done.
   

5. Be Empathetic. Only talk about yourself if someone asks. Instead, you should ask others about how they are doing. Get to know your co-workers on a personal and professional level. Remember facts about them. Put yourself in other people's shoes. If you can display a level of empathy, people will want to work with you. Don't just be the "nice guy." Instead, be the person everyone in the office can rely on.
   

6. Pick Up the Phone. Instead of sending an email or virtual message via Skype or Lync, pick up the phone. Sometimes all it takes is a 5 minute conversation to understand a task or co-workers point of view. Email is not a text messaging service, save it for complex information sharing. Pick up the phone and talk things out with the ones you work with.
   

7. Think Before You Speak. Always pause before you speak, not saying the first thing that comes to mind. Take a moment and pay close attention to what you say and how you say it. Meditation can really help improve this skill because it makes you present and in the moment.
   

8. Have a Positive Attitude. Try to smile as much as possible, even if you are on the phone. When you smile you exude a positive attitude. Be thankful that you have a job and are alive. The more positive you are, the more opportunities will come your way. People will respond positively to you.

Don’t worry if you lack the technical skills. If you do, focus on improving your communication skills with the steps above and more. If you have technical skills, you probably need to improve your ability to communicate. Soft skills are key, not underestimate the power of them.