By Francis Bao | Associate Fellow
Many technical communication professionals think that technical skills are the only skills they need to look for jobs or to accomplish projects in their workplaces. However, they may have ignored some other very important soft skills that can affect their ability to perform a job better. Soft skills are interpersonal skills used to describe your approach to life, work, and relationships with other people. Unlike technical skills, these are not professional job-specific skills, such as writing, editing, and graphic design. Soft skills mostly are not taught in school, but they are often acquired through real-world practice. These skills include communication, listening, time management, problem solving, teamwork, interpersonal ability, creative thinking, and motivation. Soft skills will help you stay ahead of the competition and perform your work significantly better, as well as improve relationships with your co-workers and clients in the technical communication profession.
Communication is a written and verbal skill that enables you to clearly express the message while also considering the tone and delivery. This skill is very important for technical communication professionals who need to communicate with employers, colleagues, and clients, especially in a project environment. Being well-versed in communicating in a simple and easy-to-understand manner allows technical communicators to effectively address client needs and avoid misunderstanding.
Listening is a crucial factor that will help technical communicators accomplish projects successfully. In a project situation, a technical communicator needs to interview a client to gather technical information for producing documents, such as user guide, software manual, or promotional brochure. During the interview, the technical writer needs to listen carefully to catch all vital information. In addition, asking questions and soliciting feedback from the client will help clarify information for the project. A technical communicator with good listening skill will always accomplish jobs more effectively.
Time management is the ability to use your time effectively and productively. In the field of technical communication, a project manager should plan and prioritize tasks or activities accordingly. Time management will help technical communicators avoid feeling overwhelmed and get projects completed despite the pressure and tight deadlines. At the same time, the skill will also help them eliminate distractions which can affect the progress of projects and speed up the workflow.
Problem solving is a soft skill that will enable technical communicators to identify a problem and resolve it with logical, timely, and relevant solutions. This skill allows a technical communicator to handle different challenges or difficult situations in a workplace as well as in a project environment. It is very important to target an issue and then plan and select the best strategies to resolve it. Problem solving also helps a project manager test and evaluate whether these strategies are working or not.
Teamwork and collaboration are vital components of a team’s success in the technical communication profession. Employers want their employees to be team players who can work with other people well. An excellent team player is able to demonstrate leadership, collaboration, and effective communication. These skills are especially significant for working in a project environment. The success of the projects depends on how efficient its team members communicate and handle tasks together. Teamwork in a technical communication workplace will build trust among co-workers so that they can share knowledge and achieve their goals.
Interpersonal ability is essential for professional success. People in the technical communication field with strong interpersonal ability can share ideas, points of view, expertise, and information effectively. Interpersonal ability helps build relationships with others. Also these professionals should be able to demonstrate interpersonal skill while engaging in any verbal or non-verbal communication. Strong interpersonal ability is considered a valuable asset in a workplace or in a project environment. The benefits of this skill include the ability to work with others such as employers, colleagues, and clients, as well as in navigating complexity, changes, and everyday tasks. It is one of the most in-demand soft skills that many corporations look for during the hiring process. If you are a technical writer applying for a position, consider what interpersonal ability means in your job role; try to make every effort to acquire the skill and gain a competitive advantage.
Creative thinking is the ability to come up with unique and original solutions. This is a valuable soft skill in the technical communication profession. Creative thinking is also about developing innovative solutions to problems, which improves practices and processes. It is a very important skill for a project manager who can brainstorm not only a large number of ideas but also the variety and aspects of them. Once the manager brainstormed the ideas, the members of the project team will experiment with them by looking at these ideas from multiple perspectives and examine how their solutions fit into the scope of what they are working on. Creative thinking in the technical communication profession requires a project team to hold an interactive brainstorm to gather initial thoughts on a project, evaluate a current process, offer suggestions on how to improve it, and develop innovative ways to reach out to prospective clients.
Motivation is another soft skill that will help technical communicators handle difficult situations in a stressful environment. Motivation can be defined as actions or strategies that elicit a desired behavior or response from a stakeholder. When a team is working on a project, they may meet various obstacles. The project manager should address these problems and provide rewards for desired outcomes. Motivational skill can impact the results significantly in a workplace. Positive motivation will give team members confidence and courage to reach their objectives. It also will lead to growth for both employees and the company.
Training in soft skills can support success in the technical communication profession. Soft skills may not be tangible as technical skills such as writing, editing, and translating, however, developing soft skills training is just as important. Since companies recognize the significance of soft skills in the workplace having the right blend of technical and soft skills is essential for building effective, collaborative, and dynamic project teams. Toward the goal, employers should establish training programs that include coaching, mentoring, workshops, and eLearning programs that support soft skills in the workplace. These programs can improve and impact the performance of employees, and attract more clients and potentially generate more revenue for companies.
Soft skills also help establish good relationships with your co-workers and help you make positive contributions to teams and organizations.
Francis Bao is a technical writer and translator in the Chicago area. He has been a member of the Society for Technical Communication Chicago chapter since 1997. Has published a number of articles on Intercom, STC Blog, and SIG newsletters. He has won many technical communication competitions sponsored by Chicago Chapter and APEX. He received his Associate Fellow rank in 2015. He also has been a leader of the Chicago Chapter for 20 years. He is currently a member of the Chicago elearning and Technology Showcase committee.
