Technical-minded people can sometimes come across as unapproachable or intimidating, making it challenging to build rapport and connect with others without the intention of making the other person feel awkward. Yet when being considered for a promotion, the skills you need require a balanced combination of social and technical skills to create a good discussion.
Unsurprisingly, most technical professionals are drawn to career fields that require analytical skills to help solve issues and discover new solutions to improve the world. Naturally, interests in science and math are often prerequisites to entering a technical career path. While analytical traits make you a great technician, they do not always coincide with the social skills needed to propel your career forward.
Technical professionals often focus so much on their technical skills that they neglect other critical skills, such as communication, teamwork, and leadership. Relying on their technological know-how alone can often make it challenging for them to be managers and to work effectively with others.
Social skills create influential hidden factors that often control your career, and with awareness, your chances for a job offer or promotion could be higher than what you can achieve. The marketplace is a global community made up of cross-functional, diverse teams. Your ability to interact socially counts more than ever.
One of the blind spots often created by using technical skills alone to generate attention from senior leadership and move your career forward is the likeability factor that sends a perception that you understand soft skills. Don’t Be The Office Jerk: Evaluating The Likability Factor (forbes.com)
Technical professions are often vulnerable to the notion that analytical skills alone equal job security and advancement. The stronger your knowledge in a specific field using technical principles, the more likely you will be in demand from your employer. From a logical standpoint, this makes sense. However, interacting with people is often based on rapport-building.
Success in your career requires combining strong technical and soft skills. Possessing a high IQ will open doors for opportunity and will often be the caveat in why decision-makers hire you. However, demonstrating high EQ emotional intelligence will open doors for future growth.
Daniel Goleman, author and psychologist specializing in brain sciences, wrote in his NY Times bestselling book, Working with Emotional Intelligence, that “emotional competencies were twice as important in contributing to excellence as were pure intellect and expertise.” Understanding emotions is important because the most emphasis on education and training is on acquiring purely technical knowledge.
The hidden ingredient that social interaction creates is often called the “likeability factor,” The more likable you are with colleagues, customers, and hiring decision-makers, the greater your chances for promotions.
When human resource professionals are asked what keeps talented people from moving up in their careers, they often cite personality, the perception of inflexibility, and poor people skills. Some people tend to unintentionally sideline their careers by focusing on skills requiring expertise but lacking the likeability factor. When their name is mentioned for a promotion, it is common to hear them described as being too critical, abrasive, or rigid in their interactions with others.
How do you develop the likeability? You start by being aware of those around you and paying attention to small acts of kindness, such as greeting your colleagues, showing gratitude, and helping others. It is not always the big wins, such as landing a huge contract or the efforts in completing a project, that create likeability but rather the everyday small acts that add to being an approachable colleague ready to listen and respond. Make Yourself More Likable: 11 Simple Ways to Change Your… | The Muse
Here are some ways that likeability can help boost your career:
- Catch those around you doing good rather than pointing out their shortcomings or what they could do better.
- Be patient with those who may not have your technical expertise, and listen before responding.
- When differences arise among colleagues in solving problems, step back and focus on the solution rather than personalizing disagreements.
- Always be ready to step in and help another department or colleague solve problems. Goodwill towards helping others makes good business sense.
- Be aware that understanding technical concepts might be easy for you, but it may take more time for others. Communicating complex concepts takes patience with an approachable attitude.
How would you describe the hidden power of likeability? What makes it essential when leading others?