Why Should You, as a Software Developer, Learn Soft Skills?

Here are several reasons:

1. We work in teams.
   The better we know how to communicate with people in a team, the better we will be. Remember, your whole company is one big team.
2. We use programming languages to communicate between each other.
   Hardware doesn't need a programming language to process our intentions. All languages compile at the end in machine code. Programming languages are here to help us communicate ideas. The cleaner(more readable) code you write, the more understandable it will be to other developers. This leads to more maintainable software.
3. Soft skills usually apply to your private life, making you a better person.
4. The root of the word Software is Soft :o
   These days, teams create great and successful products, not one person. Learn how to be a team player.

Where can you start? Here are several subjects that are very important:

1. Learn how to listen. Learn active listening. This is one of the most essential skills to learn. And it applies to more than work. You can (and should) use this skill in your private life.
2. Learn about leadership. Everyone is a leader in some sense. Google "Simon Sinek" - he is an excellent resource for this subject.
3. Learn about ownership. The best workers are those who own the work assigned to their team.
4. Learn about empathy. To understand how people around you feel like.
5. Learn about assertive communication! You probably know about this. If not, ask your HR! They just love this subject. ;)