Technical Skills or People Skills in a Software Development Project?

Essay by wfieryUniversity, Bachelor'sA, March 2010

download word file, 5 pages 5.0

Abstract Developing software requires a lot of technology and a lot of people. When there are a lot of people, there will be management issues. In order to stay on track the lead manager must have the people skills to keep the team motivated and focused. They should be able to check their ego at the door and understand synergy within a team stems from its leader. Technical knowledge is fine but without the essential people skills, team dynamics doesn't exist.

Software Development Manager - People Skills Required A successful project team does not exist without a leader. The leader of the team may not be the most gifted technician but he or she has the essential skills to make the team come together and work like a well-oiled machine. The best leader knows how to deal with other people. It is critical to distinguish between the technical side and the leadership side to identify a promising leader.

According to Lee Hopkins, a management psychologist and EzineArticles.com expert author, there are eight essential people skills to effectively lead a development team. I'll use this criterion to show how critical people skills are.

People come into the group with different types of personalities - A, B and C. Type A personalities are the folks that are always in a hurry and come across as aggressive in their relationships. They are very competitive and show it at work. Type B personality types live in the moment and don't mind waiting for the time to take action. They are right brain dominant being intuitive, spontaneous and patient. Type C personalities are future oriented taking their time and weighing the pros and cons of the situation before making a decision. Understanding these personality types helps you communicate effectively with them in their own style.