Power Skills Aren’t Soft: Level Up Your IT Career With The Skills That Matter Most

The term "soft skills" never sat right with me. It feels like an insult in disguise. It’s the kind of phrase that makes these skills sound optional, like a garnish on the plate of your career rather than the main course. But let’s clear the air right now: these skills are not soft. They’re hard. 

Hard to develop. Hard to teach. Hard to do consistently when deadlines are looming and inboxes are overflowing. That’s why it’s time to give them the respect they deserve by calling them what they truly are: power skills.

These are the skills that take you from being a technically skilled contributor on a team to an indispensable asset to the company. Let’s break down what power skills are, why they’re critical to leveling up your IT career, and how you can start sharpening them today.

Forget the old clichés about soft skills as being friendly or being “good with people.” That oversimplified view is a thing of the past. And it doesn’t do justice to what these skills actually are, or how crucial they’ve become in today’s IT landscape. 

Power skills are about impact. They’re the connective tissue between your technical expertise and the humans relying on you to make sense of it. Without them, even the most brilliant solutions can fall flat.

Deborah Monroe mentioned to me once that the reason we called them “soft” is because we did not think that we could quantify and measure them. And perhaps that’s where it all started. But we have been able to do exactly that for more than 20 years. It’s time to stop using this as an excuse.

Can you take a complicated technical problem  — say, the great CrowdStrike outage of 2024 – and explain it in a way that doesn’t make the person on the other end of the call feel like an idiot? Or worse, glaze over in confusion?

Great communication means meeting people where they are. It’s knowing your audience, whether you’re talking to a stressed-out application manager who just wants to know how soon they’ll be able to close the books or an executive who needs to understand why they should approve a budget increase for your project. 

If you can’t explain what you’re doing in terms that resonate with others, your work risks being misunderstood — or undervalued entirely.

Truly effective communication involves listening. Understanding the other person’s concerns, priorities and context. When you can demonstrate that you understand and empathize with others, you’re building trust — a bigger deal than most people realize.

IT is sometimes a thankless role. When people come to you, it’s often because something’s broken, which is frustrating. Empathy is what stops you from rolling your eyes when someone opens a ticket labeled “urgent” because their printer isn’t working. You don’t wan’t to be Nick Burns, Your Company’s IT Guy.

The ability to see beyond the surface of a problem and understand the person behind it is a huge asset, and inevitably results in a better support experience. Why is this printer issue so urgent? Maybe they’re running late for a big presentation. Maybe they’re just overwhelmed and having a bad day. Recognizing that, for this person, their issue feels like the most important thing in the world.

One technique I recommend to people who like solving problems with people is to create a visual, either in real life or in your imagination, of you standing shoulder to shoulder as a team pointing at the printer and you’re all upset! Because this thing is stopping you from using those awesome metrics to prove a point and make our company more profitable.

When you approach interactions with empathy, you’re solving human problems, not just technical ones; and that’s the kind of thing people remember.

If there’s one constant in IT, it’s that nothing stays the same for long. That tool you spent months learning? Outdated. The process you just perfected? Rewritten (or work-arounded). Adaptability is more than the ability to stay ahead of the constant changes, but actually thriving in that ever-fluctuating environment.

You have to know how to roll with the punches when the technology you’ve relied on for years suddenly gets sunsetted, or throws a bug in an update. Figure out how to integrate new tools into your workflows without missing a beat. And stay calm when the inevitable chaos of a system outage or surprise deployment rollback throws everything into disarray.

True adaptable professionals see change as an opportunity to grow, not a threat to resist. And that mindset is invaluable.

The good news about power skills is that they’re not some mysterious, innate talent that only certain people are blessed with. These are skills you can develop, refine and improve — just like learning a programming language or troubleshooting a network. It takes time, effort and, most importantly, intentionality. Think of them like muscles: the more you use them, the stronger they get.

Let’s break down some practical, actionable ways to grow your power skills.

This is a tough one. Most of us cringe at the idea of someone pointing out what we could be doing better. It’s uncomfortable, even humbling. But if you want to develop power skills, you have to flip your mindset about feedback. Instead of seeing it as criticism, start treating it as data — valuable input that helps you improve.

The key is to actively seek it out. Don’t just wait for your annual review to hear what you’re doing right or wrong. Ask your teammates, your manager, or even your users things like:

● “How did I handle that situation?”
● “Was my explanation clear?”
● “Is there anything I could do differently next time?”
● “What can I do to improve?”

And don’t just hear the feedback — act on it. This is where most teams drop the ball. Implement what you’ve learned, and then check back in. Did it make a difference? Feedback is usually part of a loop, not a one-time event. Your cycles should not only capture, but leverage feedback in effective and scalable ways.

The great thing about working in IT is that the opportunities to practice empathy come at you daily. Every human, ticket, hallway conversation and frantic Slack message is a chance to flex your empathy muscle.

The challenge is to slow down and think beyond the solution on the surface. When someone highlights a problem that seems trivial to you, pause and ask yourself: Why might this be challenging them? Do I understand the problem and urgency fully? What’s the bigger context I might be missing?

Be curious. You don’t need to know everything, but you are going to do your best to help!

Empathy often starts with asking better questions. Instead of assuming you already know what the user needs, ask open-ended questions like:

• “What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing with this issue?”
• “What’s the ideal outcome for you here?”

And many of your successful colleagues are experts at this. Because they’re adapting. Some other tactics to explore if you’re interested in developing empathy in a professional setting:

● Active listening
● Acknowledge emotions
● Use positive language
● Personalization
● Show genuine interest
● Technical empathy
● Clear communication
● Problem-solving focus
● Continuous learning

Also, it’s amazing how often people feel heard just by being asked. And when they feel heard, they’re more likely to trust and collaborate with you in the future.

Here’s a challenge: pick a complex technical topic you know inside and out. Now try explaining it in three different ways:

● As if you’re talking to a 5-year-old (ELI5 IYKYK).
● As if you’re presenting to a financial executive who knows nothing about IT, but holds the budget.
● As if you’re brainstorming a challenging project with a colleague who’s just as technically skilled as you.

Each explanation will require a different level of detail, tone and focus. This kind of exercise forces you to step outside your own perspective and think about what your audience needs to hear — not just what you want to say.

 

Power skills are often learned through observation. Find someone in your organization who exemplifies the skills you admire. It could be a manager who’s a pro at de-escalating tense situations or a teammate who always seems to communicate ideas with clarity and confidence.

The beauty of shadowing is that you get to see these skills in action. Pay attention to:

● How they structure their emails or reports.
● How they navigate tricky conversations without burning bridges.
● How they adapt their tone depending on who they’re talking to.

And of course, don’t stop at observation — ask questions. Most people are flattered to share their “secret sauce.” Ask them how they prepare for high-stakes meetings or how they stay calm under pressure. Their insights might surprise you.

By the way, mentors don’t always have to be formal or hierarchical. Sometimes, the best mentors are peers or colleagues at your same level who just happen to excel in areas you want to grow.

 

Nothing builds power skills faster than getting thrown into the deep end. The next time an opportunity comes your way that feels a little outside your comfort zone, resist the urge to say no. Whether it’s leading a meeting, presenting to stakeholders, or mentoring a junior team member, these stretch opportunities force you to grow in real time.

Yes, it’s uncomfortable. Yes, you’ll make mistakes. But that’s how growth happens. Each experience will teach you something new about your strengths — and your blind spots. The trick is to treat every stretch opportunity as a learning experience, not a test of perfection.

Whether it’s power skills in general or how to apply power skills to your specific industry and situation, formal classroom training can be quite beneficial. Many of the courses I’ve taken include an element of role-play and phrases to practice using and some to stop using. 

If you’re working in the technical support industry you’ve probably already heard of some of the certifications and training that you can take. There are also formal training organizations, like HDI, and many more that provide training and resources to develop technical communication skills. There is also a large network of independent consultants who provide training and I can personally recommend several with a DM.

Technical expertise will always be the foundation of technical support. But power skills are the scaffolding that lets you build higher, adapt faster and connect deeper. If you’re serious about leveling up your career, don’t make the mistake of just chasing certifications or learning the latest tools.  

Take the time to invest in the skills that will make you a better communicator, a stronger collaborator and an adaptable professional. The real value of technology comes from how you connect — with people, problems and possibilities.