Combat Threats to Technical Projects: 3 Hacks for Soft Skills
Jan 27, 2025
The #1 threat to technical work at scale is poor communication. Many engineers, data scientists, and other technical professionals I've worked with are brilliant when it comes to solving hard problems, but they often struggle with the softer side of their work–the people skills—which are critical to their success. Especially since it's only a matter of time before co-pilots take over the captain's seat of technical tasks. Communication: Catalyst or Ceiling A study conducted by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and Stanford Research Center found that 85% of job success comes from soft skills (such as people skills), whereas only 15% stems from hard skills (such as technical capabilities). Soft skills can distinguish you to help preserve or even further your career, but if they're not developed, they can create a ceiling over your growth. When you lack people skills, especially interpersonal communication, your projects suffer. This is especially true for cross-functio...
