The Human Touch

Personal skills for professional success

By (author) Philippa Thomas, Debra Paul, James Cadle

Publication date: 13 Dec 2012

All professionals need strong interpersonal skills as they are a fundamental requirement in any business environment. The importance of these skills cannot be overstated in today’s business world particularly in the light of current economic conditions. Numerous books cover interpersonal skills, but none specifically address their application within professional job roles, in particular those within the IT industry. This book fills that gap, providing guidance on all of the key skills and forming a comprehensive reference manual that will be relevant to a huge variety of situations. Topics include: building rapport; team working; leadership; negotiation; written communication; managing conflict; presentation skills; coaching and mentoring; problem solving.
Philippa Thomas is Director of The Celyn Group and has specialised in learning and development for twenty years. Debra Paul and James Cadle, both of Assist Knowledge Development Ltd, are the authors of the bestselling BCS publications Business Analysis and Business Analysis Techniques.

Dimensions: 244x170mm

Print ISBN-13: 9781906124915

Ebook ISBN-13: 9781780171388

256 pages

Imprint: BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT

List of figures and tables
Authors
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
1 THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL SKILLS
2 BUILDING RAPPORT AND SUSTAINING RELATIONSHIPS
3 TEAM WORKING
4 NEGOTIATION AND CONFLICT
5 LEADERSHIP
6 INFLUENCING
7 WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
8 PRESENTATION SKILLS
9 COMMERCIAL AWARENESS
10 COACHING
11 MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
12 FACILITATION
13 CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING
Index
In today’s world, technical excellence is no longer enough to succeed. Whether you work in IT or any other part of your organisation, knowing what makes people tick is essential. This book does an excellent job of describing how people work together and what motivates them in practical ways that can be put to work immediately.

Donald H Taylor
Learning and Performance Institute

This book provides a practical insight into the complex interfaces and relationships between people, technology, and the changing business landscape. It is a useful guide for managers and employers alike because without the 'human touch' nothing is possible in the world of work

Ann Brown
Capgemini