Soft skills are probably more important than hard skills for getting to higher and higher levels, but they are harder to learn than hard skills, which you can generally study and practice quickly. So, got any books, courses, or other training you would recommend? Or if you learned on the job, what kinds of experiences were most valuable to you? How did you make sure any screw-ups wouldn't mess things up for you at work?
Are you a developer/technologist ? Start with Own Your Tech Career from Manning and expand if needed.
I am. I'll check that out. Thank you!
This isn’t released yet. Out of curiosity, how do you know it’s good?
By working at amazon.
Can you elaborate? Or are you joking?
You're consistently struggling here. Colleagues attack you. Managers pip you. You learn from all the chaos very fast.
Do a customer facing job like a server and you’ll gain soft skills
I think those direct interpersonal skills are a great start, but I was thinking more about the types of influence skills you would need to change your company roadmap, or something like that.
🤔 so you mean seniority and power
Learn by doing. Even if doing means failing. By definition you can’t really learn people skills from a “book”. But different people do have different foundations/starting points so
Got any tips for what kind of work you can take on to learn the most?
What kind of soft skills are you thinking of? Socializing? Public speaking? Time management?
All of the above, but especially influence in a professional context
Based on your handle, it sounds like you're an intern. That's the perfect time to get involved in all sorts of things at work without having to worry too much about deadlines or screwing up. Ask your PM if you can sit in on a stakeholder meeting, volunteer to investigate a bug, organize a team social! A lot of these soft skills are gained with experience, so being proactive is a great way to get a head start in developing these skills.
Actively listen. Observe. Ask for feedback. Self reflect. If this does not come naturally to you then it might be helpful to set a reminder for 10-20 min a day for reflection and planning. You work with people who have a different background and different way of thinking- you can learn from them. If you think they’re not good at their job, ask yourself why and if there are environmental things that can help (documentation? Frequent check ins?). If there is someone you admire then study what they do that you would like to emulate
Great tips, and actually actionable. Thank you!
Read up on “active listening” too. There are probably books written about it
This is a great topic 🙌🏻 following!
Toastmasters
What is this?
will help you with your communication skills. Google it for detailed explanation.
Work nights as a bartender. Yes I'm being serious. Once you can deal with the public while they are drinking, you have passed your Padawan training and won't need to ask.
lol speaking from experience? But also, I feel exposure to people at their worst, while valuable, isn't everything you need for professional soft skills. I'd love to hear your stories though.
No, dealing with drunks actually translates insanely well into dealing with people in tech environments. Not all drunks are the mean ones, or the nice ones. You will learn to manage expectations, give gentle feedback, de-escalate conflicts, flirt, let people down, deny with a smile, and so much more.
Have the same question as well. I recently read "How to win friends and influence people". It's a classic and teaches you a lot about managing the interpersonal dynamics that will help you sail well.
Read that book too. It was helpful, but it's hard to tell if you're doing it right haha