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It's so funny, I was just having a conversation about this topic a few days ago with my girlfriend, and today I stumble upon this article that solidified my views.

Communication skills, not coding skills, are a developer's greatest asset in a bear economy

This is so true. It is so important to be able to communicate effectively with your employer, co-workers, clients, etc. You would not believe the countless stories I hear about the issues of poor communication in the IT and Development field.

Today's developers must be equally effective in the conference room as in their cubicles. They must be fully engaged, not merely in the software design and implementation process but in the business itself. For many programmers, that means learning not just a language but a whole new set of skills.

Unfortunately, this is also true, most programmers these days are horrible in the social environment, and I truly believe that is what separates the average code monkey from the successful IT industry leaders.

Software development doesn't need more typists, secretaries, intermediaries, or middle managers. What it needs are more skilled, engaged, communicative, responsive, assertive developer-analysts -- the kind who can understand, influence, and guide development efforts, rather than simply taking dictation. The shrinking economy makes this need ever more acute -- so for those who can fill the bill, the opportunity has never been greater. For those of you who are still trying to decide which language to learn next, on the other hand, I don't envy you.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

Read the full article: http://www.infoworld.com/d/developer-world/coder-your-days-are-numbered-849