The table provides data on the importance of various communication skills, both external and internal, in 1997 and 2006. Overall, most skills show an upward trend over this period, indicating that communication became increasingly essential in the workplace.
Focusing on external communication, “dealing with people” was consistently the most valued skill, rising from 60% in 1997 to 65% in 2006. Similarly, the knowledge of specific products or services increased from 35% to 41%, and advising or caring for customers went up slightly from 36% to 39%. In contrast, selling a product or service was the only external skill that saw a small decline, from 24% in 1997 to 21% in 2006.
Regarding internal communication within companies, all listed skills experienced growth. The most notable increase was in listening carefully to colleagues, which jumped from 38% to 47%. Other skills, such as instructing or training people, persuading or influencing others, making speeches or presentations, analyzing problems with others, and planning the activities of colleagues, all recorded moderate rises over the period, with increments ranging from 1 to 6 percentage points.
In summary, the table highlights that while external communication remained critical, internal communication skills gained even more recognition between 1997 and 2006, reflecting a broader emphasis on collaborative and interpersonal abilities within the workplace.