Model-Based System Architecture

Chapter 20Soft Skills

The fact that good communication and collaboration is crucial for a successful project is truly nothing new. It is the essence for any successful organization. A prosperous enterprise brings people together and creates an environment of good cooperation and appreciative togetherness. Especially, in times of ever-increasing complexity and globalization, humans and their collaboration are often the decisive factor for success or failure.

These are all truisms and known for decades. And also since decades, the creation of a collaborative environment for people is one of the major challenges for any organization. People are different regarding their personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, education, and friendliness. That means: in addition to the occupational requirements of a job, which are often called hard skills, there are other important skills a person should have that are related to the interaction and communication with others. These so-called soft skills are significantly influenced by a person's knowledge of human nature, socialization, feelings, emotions, empathy, personal insights, and cultural factors.

There are numerous publications and books about soft skills, discussing its importance and suggesting ways how to improve those skills. It is not the purpose of this chapter to cover this topic to its full extent, but it provides a broad overview about some essential parts. In this chapter, you also will learn ...