The document discusses why IT professionals need soft skills. It defines soft skills as personality traits and emotional intelligence that characterize relationships with other people, such as communication, empathy, and teamwork. Soft skills are less tangible than hard skills but are important for getting and advancing in jobs. The document provides examples of how soft skills are important for individual contributors and managers in areas like communication, conflict resolution, and leadership. It recommends learning soft skills to be more strategic, see other perspectives, have less conflict, and gain opportunities for responsibility, promotion, and salary increases.

1. Why IT Professionals Need Soft Skills
 Define “soft skills”
 Compare with hard or occupational skills
 List of soft skills
 How soft skills apply in different positions
 Why learn them
 Benefit
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2. Soft Skills Definition
 Emotional Intelligence Quotient - Personality traits
 Social graces
 Communication, language
 Personal habits, responsibility, integrity
 Friendliness, optimism, sense of humor, common
sense
 Characterize relationships with other people
 Complement hard skills
© 2011 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.

3. Emotional Intelligence Quotient -
Personality traits
 Can translate to abilities that can be learned and
practiced
 Empathy
 Communication
 Sociability
 Negotiation
 Willingness to teach and help others
 Teamwork
 Leadership
© 2011 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.

4. Hard Skills and Soft Skills Side-by-Side
 Hard Skills  Soft Skills
 Tangible  Less tangible
 Can be defined  Harder to quantify
 Can be measured  Personal and
 Relate to an interpersonal
occupation or job attributes
 May be technical  Determine a person’s
work performance
 Learn in school or
from books  Require adaptability
 Get the interview  Land the job
© 2011 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.

5. Expanded List of Soft Skills
 Leadership
 Strategic thinking
 Communication
 Delegation and motivation
 Conflict resolution and negotiation
 Influencing
 Creative problem solving
 Coaching and mentoring
 Team building
 Personal effectiveness
© 2011 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.

6. Soft Skills as an Individual Contributor
 Individual contributor
 Work with others
 Communication
 Conflict resolution
 Problem solving
 Help and support
 Initiative
© 2011 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.

7. Soft Skills as a Supervisor or Manager
 Supervisor or Manager
 Now a leader, coach, mentor
 Direction, strategy
 Goals and objectives
 Working guidelines and processes
 Communication up, down, across for all
 Delegation and motivation
 Effective feedback
 Difficult people and interpersonal situations
 Remote and multicultural employees
 Appropriate style
© 2011 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.

8. Why Learn Them
 Use of strategic thinking
 More effective and appropriate communication
 Increased ability to discuss difficult issues
 Greater inclination to see the other person’s
perspective
 Less conflict through discussion and negotiation
 Development of leadership skills
© 2011 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.

9. Why Learn Them (continued)
 Opportunities
 Greater responsibility
 Learning, new skills
 Visibility
 Promotion
 Salary increase
© 2011 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.

10. So Why do IT Professionals Need Soft
Skills?
 To get the job
 To keep the job
 To advance
 To grow as a professional and as a human being!
© 2011 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.