Underrated Soft Skills for Tech People

Working in the tech industry requires essential soft skills as much as hard skills.

You already know the common soft skills that are most recognized; excellent communication, critical thinking, teamwork, time management, etc, and all for good reasons.

There are however some underrated soft skills that separate the most resourceful people from others, skills that set you apart and make you valuable anywhere.

I will try as much as possible to identify them in this article.

1. Creative Thinking

Creative thinking is the art of finding unique ways of solving problems.

Now with AI tools like ChatGPT, so many operational tasks (repetitive stuff) that formally used to be a major work flex are becoming redundant.

In fact, if you spend hours solving a repetitive problem, your manager would probably ask you “Why didn’t you just use ChatGPT??”

This is where those with creative thinking skills or those who are building the skill will likely shine!?

This is because you are actively working on your thinking capacity, coupled with your unique experiences (perspective to life) and the human touch that AI may not be able to bring to the table.

How do you build your thinking capacity?

• Go out of your comfort zone to try new things, new hobbies, see new places
• Even when you use AI to solve certain problems, look for blind spots and build on your findings
• Seek to understand your market: Customers, competitors, regulations, etc.
• Be inquisitive enough to talk to people from all fields, seek to know a little bit of everything
• Don’t be left behind on emerging technologies
• Ask a lot of questions, when there are new problems to solve?

2. Self-Leadership

Some people only work well when there is input from someone else, which isn’t totally bad but can be very EXHAUSTING.

If you feel micro-managed and you hate it, you might want to check if you are stressing out your manager too ??

Self-leadership entails taking initiative and holding yourself accountable to quality and excellence without any external push.

• People who are self-led have an ownership mentality
• People who are self-led are more proactive than reactive
• People who are self-led are success-conscious and make fewer excuses
• People who are self-led inspire others to do more

If you are someone who values recognition and career growth, this is a soft skill you should actively look to build.

3. Emotion-Regulation

There’s always a fine dance between logic and emotion when dealing with stakeholders.

?? Sometimes your anger is right but will only lead to increased tension

?? Sometimes your logic is right but will make you sound unsympathetic

The best leaders know how to regulate their emotions such that the work goes on without letting their biases or feelings get in the way.?

Not a lot of people have this skill, which is dangerous. Some companies have the most talented tech resources who have actually become blockers to their product’s success because they cannot get their emotions out of the way.

4. Curiosity

One of the biggest traits that helped me early on in my career is that people trusted me to figure things out. I once heard one of my bosses say “Even if she doesn’t know how to go about it, she is going to figure it out” and to me, this was such a big win.

It’s easy to crumble in the face of uncertainty if you do not build your curiosity muscle.

Here are a few pointers to make curiosity less burdensome:

• Know that everything is figure-out-able
• Do not be afraid to ask for help or to ask for time to go get help
• Ask lots and lots of questions (even when you’re the only one asking)
• Don’t over glamourize research - use Google, YouTube, ChatGPT as many times as you like (they are free)

5. Negotiation

This one is a game-changer, especially for folks in product management, project leadership, or any role where collaboration is key.

Negotiation isn't just about squeezing the best deal; it's about finding common ground and crafting agreements that benefit everyone involved. It's the secret behind turning a potential conflict into a win-win situation.

Here's how you can become better at negotiation:

• Know what you want to achieve upfront, but also be flexible and open to creative solutions.
• See things from the other person's perspective. What are their priorities?
• Focus on interests, not positions, don't get stuck on rigid stances.

If the other party is being persistent, they are probably seeing something that you might have missed.

• Clearly articulate your points and actively listen.
• Know your bottom line and be prepared to move on if a fair agreement can't be reached.

A good rule of thumb is to always point out what is in it for the other person, especially when they are putting in resources like time, money, or effort into a project.

6. Amicability

Being amicable is not about people pleasing, compromising, or flattery. It's about being deliberate about kindness and pleasantness.

Humans are emotional beings and thus, in social settings (workplaces being one of such) people are more drawn to those who make them feel good, respected, and comfortable - especially when it's genuine.

Tips to Cultivate Likeability

• Pay attention to what others are saying, ask clarifying questions, and avoid interrupting.
• Recognize and appreciate the efforts and achievements of your colleagues.
• Offer assistance to colleagues who are struggling or overloaded with work.
• Buy people food, everybody likes food ??

By honing underrated soft skills, you'll transform yourself from a good professional to a truly remarkable one. You'll build stronger relationships, navigate tricky conversations with confidence, and tackle problems with a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing.

Should we do a Part 2?

?? Stay Connected:

If you're passionate about growth, product management, and people, this newsletter is for you.

Subscribe to never miss an edition. ??

Feel free to share this post with your network, and I'm looking forward to connecting with you in the upcoming "Growth Notes" editions.

Keep Growing and Exploring!

Joke Shalom Akintara

Growth Product Manager | Curator of "Growth Notes"