Chapter 7. Communication Skills

Communication Breakdown

Technology professionals have a long history of deficiency in communication skills, which has fostered jokes and parodies.

Tragically, however, this might be the single most important aspect of effective career development. Poor communication skills result in misunderstandings, project failures, and ultimately, career stagnation.

The development of good communication skills is rarely given appropriate time and effort. The technology professional is typically consumed with learning technology-based skills, not the ill-defined and misunderstood soft skills.

Communication skills are some of the most essential to dynamic career growth. Unfortunately, they are the most overlooked. When I speak of communication skills, I will cover broadly the gamut of possible communications. These include the following:

• Verbal This includes presentation skills, meeting skills, and effective conversation.

• Written This includes memos, reports, letters, and e-mail correspondence.

Communication falls into those often-nebulous soft skills. The soft skills are prized beyond all others, yet their definition and teaching are often elusive. In the world of IT, this one skill set might be the golden nugget that can support incredible career growth.

Communication skills are seldom mastered, however, falling prey to a schedule that is filled with technical training and a library of books geared toward staying at the top of your fieldfrom a technological perspective. Those things that are ill-defined seldom make it to the top of our list, and this is the case with the technologist and communication skills.

Perhaps a definition of what these skills are and how they work for you is in order. If you clearly understand the nature of a given skill and how its mastery directly impacts your ability to grow in your career, it is more likely that you will work to conquer that skill.