Soft skills

You're a skilled researcher, steeped in the rigours of scientific enquiry and successful at your work. Your career, one might assume, will be smooth sailing? Not necessarily.

Even for a career anchored in scientific excellence, mastery of a discipline only accounts for a third of what is needed for success. You will also need organizational savvy and personal effectiveness.

Organizational savvy covers general business skills as well as the ability to navigate the politics of a particular work culture. Personal effectiveness covers the myriad ‘soft’ skills that, left unpractised, can derail the career of even the most accomplished professional.

With Deb Koen Careers consultant

If you have ever lamented your lack of budgeting experience, felt inept when negotiating a pay rise or found yourself in the political cross-fire of lab heads, then organizational savvy is the place to focus your energy. If, on the other hand, you are perceived as being aloof, or you have doubts about the strength of your communication skills, then personal effectiveness is where you should focus.

Start by getting feedback from people who work closely with you and are familiar with your style and contributions because they can serve as honest critics. If someone suggests that you work on your interpersonal skills, ask for specific examples to help frame a ‘before’ and ‘after’ picture. A final question to ask is: “What should I start doing, stop doing and keep on doing?” When you have collected feedback from a number of people, use your scientific know-how to look for patterns in the responses.

Next, devise a strategy for adopting new behaviour. Role models are everywhere; start by observing a few. Incorporate some of their good practice into your own repertoire. Supplement these efforts with relevant coursework such as classes in active listening or budgeting for non-financial professionals. As you study and adopt new skills, be sure to close the loop by getting back to your original feedback providers. Continue to monitor your progress, and celebrate your successes.