What are soft skills and why do they matter?

In working with employees, we look for specific skills sets in hiring, but what are soft skills and why do they matter?

Soft skills are essential skills in working with other people and performing well: communication, teamwork, critical thinking, time management and so on.  These are not skills targeted to a specific line of work (i.e., trade related skills requiring licenses or specific industry experience) but are more generic and vital for basically any/all jobs.  We need staff who have soft skills that include a good work ethic, a positive attitude, who can organize their work with time management skills and so on.

We tend to offer training on new tools/resources such as software or production needs, but how often do we seek to improve soft skills, which are just as critical, if not more so, than industry specific talents?  If you have someone who is an expert on a software product but has a horrible attitude, can they be successful in your organization (and do you even want them to stay)?

In this age of technology, we have a lot of great advances and exciting opportunities.  But we can’t forget the human aspect.  We need people to understand professionalism, act respectfully and responsibly, dress appropriately, be polite, and be adaptable in working through change and learning new processes without undue stress.  These skills are not inherently understood and practiced, but we rarely provide training in these areas.

Think about you and your staff.  Are there areas that need improvement, and could they be helped by providing some guidance and training?  Could/should you rehearse with your staff: practice communication through polite greetings, eye contact, listening without interrupting; practice time management by using a planner or collaborating on a calendar; practice professionalism in your industry by talking about the dress code, being polite, and not using overly casual communication.

There are plenty of things that can be done to enhance soft skills.  Think about how that looks in your organization and practice them with your team.

#positivity #softskills #managementsolutions #hrconsultant

We need to be constantly learning and encouraging staff to do the same!