The practice of systems engineering is a highly technical and domain-knowledge-intensive discipline. Mastery of the technical aspects of the field and application are necessary but not sufficient for program success. This short chapter gives an overview of a set of so-called soft skills that are part of success for a large complex project, typical of major space or ground based astronomy.

The sections are introduced in no particular order - none of these skills is primus inter pares - so an effort must be made to achieve a level of proficiency in all of them.