A recent article in Fortune magazine notes that the skills employers value most are the ones MBA's lack. What are they? People skills.
I remembered the comments of a friend who had studied at Darden School of Management and thought that the 'soft skills' classes were a waste of time. That was, until he started his own business and discovered that those skills were the ones that he missed the most.
This thought was echoed by Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, when he was asked by a student at MIT's Sloan School of Management in 2005, "What should we be learning in business school?" Welch answered, "Just concentrate on networking - everything else you need to know, you can learn on the job."
Why are interpersonal skills so critical? Perhaps one reason is that business thrives on interdependence. The day when one man or woman could know or deal with all the various components of strategic implementation are long gone. Today, teamwork is critical for success at almost every level. And like all skills, teamwork needs to be learned and practiced to be done well.
Though many things can be learned on-line, people skills are not one of them. A degree is nice - but having a good network behind you is even nicer!