Throughout these blogs, we have been asking the question: What causes people to be successful in their careers? The answer we provided was the achievement of people skills. We showed evidence of this position through research from leading universities. This research showed that much more than half of job success comes from people skills. We also noted that much of what we call people skills is effective communication.

Communication as a Premier People Skill

In our first blog, we used the model developed by Robert Bolton in People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, and Resolve Conflicts to show that certain attitudes support a person’s successful efforts at effective communication, attitudes that produce good relationships before formal communication even starts. These attitudes are genuineness, respect, and empathy.[1] We will refer to this paradigm as the “Bolton Model.”  

Let us review where we have been. In Part I, we asked the question: What causes people to be successful in their careers? I stated that I believe that understanding and developing “soft side skills,” and not just technical skills, will provide the best opportunities for a successful career. We reviewed evidence from leading universities that much more than half of job success comes from people skills. Many people who pursue a professional career think of their “work” as their technical expertise, but as one moves up in an organization, it becomes clear that dealing with people is of at least equal significance.

Communication as a Premier People Skill

We also noted that much of what we call people skills is really effective communication. We demonstrated how communication thinking and communication skills drive success in the legal field as well as business.[1]

Let us review Part I. We asked the question: What causes people to be successful in their careers? I provided my own answer to that question. I believe that those who understand and develop their “soft side skills,” not just “technical skills,” will be the most successful. Clear evidence exists that career success stems as much from people skills as from technical skills. In fact, we noted that researchers at Harvard, the Carnegie Foundation, and Stanford Research Center have all concluded that 85 percent of job success comes from people skills—only 15 percent comes from technical skills and knowledge.[1] Perhaps this percentage is overstated, but there is no question that there are no professional jobs where communication excellence does not contribute to life success. Many people who pursue a professional career think of their “work” as their technical expertise, but as one takes on more and more responsibility, it becomes clear that managing or dealing with people is of equal significance.

Communication as a Premier People Skill

We also noted that effective communication represents one of the most significant elements in what are called the people skills. One-on-one conversation, coaching and mentoring, team leadership, group discussion, public speaking, persuasive writing, visual communication, and nonverbal body language are just some of the many elements that constitute effective human communication. Recently, the Internet has introduced entirely new forms of communication, such as tweeting and blogging.