Expertise is good, social skills are better

Google has spent 4 years studying the productivity of their workforce and their discoveries were fascinating.

Check out this article from the Washington Post.

We see that of the top 8 traits of successful employees, technical prowess came in last. The top seven traits that lead to longevity and promotion were all soft skills such as empathy, coaching ability, and communication.

Google went on to study the most productive teams and made similar discoveries. Some of the most important ideas came from teams that were not the strongest in technical expertise, but had dependable, safe, and meaningful environments.

For many of us, soft skills come naturally. Some are wired to be empathetic, caring, learning, and patient. Others may find that knowledge is easy to obtain, but exercising relational skills is a challenge. Employers may be dazzled by the expert, but all the intellect in the world becomes useless if it can't work with others, communicate its ideas, or invite constructive criticism.

The good news, soft skills can be learned. It's not always easy, but it is possible. If we take the time to learn our motivations and try and discover the motivations of others, we take our first steps to empathy which creates a path to better communication, conflict management, and collaboration.