Do soft skills matter more in software?

Being a great communicator will allow you to put more of your hard skills to good use.

But it will not make up for a lack of technical ability.

You need both because they enable each other.

When you look at your teams, you’ll see that you have people of every seniority in each category of soft and hard skills.

The key is to identify what each individual lacks and in what order they should train their next skill.

That needs to be aligned with what they want and what you need.

To identify your needs, you must have a vision for your team.

What level of technical abilities do they have? How good are they at communication? How well can they follow orders? How independent are they? …

Bonus:

There’s a common misconception that introverts are bad communicators. However, if you create the right environment, introverts can be fantastic communicators.

Put them on the spot and watch them retreat. Give them space, and you’ll get a well-researched, high-quality email.

It’s useful to know how to work with each team member to get the most out of them.

Do that well, and you’ll build a better team than the sum of its people.

P.S. I’m currently actively looking for a Fractional CTO position. If you know a growth-focused company that needs strategic tech leadership without the full-time commitment send me an email or book the free intro call here: https://calendly.com/taj-pelc/cto-service-intro.

Best regards,

Taj Pelc