There’s a never ending list of tools you can try to master, programming languages you can learn, and there certainly is and endless amount of knowledge you can try to acquire.

Don’t let this come at the expense of working on your human skills.

A trend I’ve noticed in our data and tech industry is that we too often focus on hard, technical skills at the expense of developing and improving those qualities that makes us uniquely human and set us apart from others.

This week, that’s the thought I want to share with you because it’s a topic I am hugely passionate about.

1) Become a better communicator

My communications skills are what I need most in my job every day and a lack communication is the reason for so many misunderstandings and problems that exist all around us.

Think of a suspenseful movie you’ve watched recently. Do you find yourself sitting there thinking “why don’t you just say <the thing> and all the drama and heartache could be avoided!!!”? I certainly do as I shake my head at the screen.

People not saying what’s on their mind, people not talking about their worries or about the things they struggle with – that’s at the core of relationships ending, marriages failing, deals not going ahead and projects not being delivered well and/or on time.

So what can you focus on when you want to become a better communicator?

  1. Become a better listener. As they say “we have two ears and one mouth for a reason”. It can be hard to not talk and just listen but that’s when you learn about stuff you didn’t know before. A great book on the topic is by Kate Murphy and is called “You’re not listening”.

  2. Take complex and complicated topics that you understand (e.g. query optimisation, database architecture, calculation syntax or automating your data cleaning processes) and break them down into easy-to-understand concepts. Share those with people who are interested and with a wider audience, e.g. on LinkedIn or Medium. Being able to simplify complexity is an underrated skill.

  3. Work on your public speaking skills. No matter how small or large your audience, it’s invaluable to gain confidence in front of a group and finding the courage to publicly stand behind your ideas. The confidence you’ll gain over time and the benefits you’ll experience throughout your professional careers are immense.

2) Take charge of your priorities and your time

Being organised isn’t as much about getting more done and being super efficient, but rather feeling more in control of your day and the workload you’re facing.

I recommend reviewing what’s on your plate regularly. If you’re feeling overwhelmed (as I do several times throughout the year), it’s helpful to have a strategy you can fall back on to focus on what truly matters and remove the unnecessary things that cause extra stress.

Questions you can ask yourself include:

  • What’s truly important at work right now?

  • How many meetings are in your calendar and which of those can you decline, because either you don’t add anything to the conversation or you don’t gain anything valuable from being there.

  • What can you delegate or outsource? I recognise this is a privilege to be able to do, but that makes it no less valuable or valid. If you can afford to have someone take tasks off your list (e.g. cleaning your home), do it. In return for your money you’ll get time back and that’s the most valuable and finite thing we have in life.

  • What’s the worst that can happen if you don’t do <task x>?

You get the idea and there are many more questions you can come up with. Use this list to get started and assess how you’re spending your time and whether it feels right.

Being great at your job isn’t just about having the right skills and working hard, it’s also about knowing what needs to be done and when and developing a strong focus on those things.

3) Build meaningful relationships

The further you progress in your career (regardless of the direction you take or the detours and scenic routes you explore), the more important and valued your relationships become.

Building meaningful relationships is more than an activity or a habit, it’s a behaviour and a skill and I recommend to focus on it constantly.

I don’t mean networking events and conferences and business dinners – although those are great ways to meet people. I also don’t mean working on constantly growing your network, that’s good too but it’s not about the quantity of connections.

When you build relationships, what makes a huge difference is nurturing your connections with the individuals. Sending them a thoughtful message for their birthday or work anniversary (not a pre-written ‘congrats’ on LinkedIn like 79 others). Meeting someone for a coffee without an agenda – just to catch up and give each other a life update. Offering your help to people, even if they haven’t yet asked. Whether that’s helping with their CV for their job search or sharing your experiences from completing a Masters degree part-time while working full-time.

Those relationships can become life-long connections and even friendships. What you offer and give to people now will come back tenfold when you need it. A bit of good karma also doesn’t hurt :-).

In our 2023 data and tech world it’s easy to become a highly skilled technical expert that no one wants to be around because they never cultivated the qualities that makes them a nice human being, good colleague and business partner.

Yes, technical skills are important but make sure you invest in your human skills because they will stay with you throughout your career, regardless of the software and programming languages you’re working with.

Have a great week!

Eva