Apart from the technical skills that are required for your work, you need soft skills. These skills are non-technical traits that may be used subtly but are highly relevant to your work. They include interpersonal skills and character traits like how you interact with your co-workers, how you approach and solve problems, and the methods you use for managing your work, etc. come under this umbrella term. Having these skills helps you to act harmoniously in your workplace.
Table of Contents
Examples of soft skills:
Soft skills characterise how a person interacts in his or her relationships with others.
These skills include several traits. They are –
- Adaptability
- Dependability
- Leadership
- Work ethic
- Teamwork
- Listening
- Communication
- Creative thinking
- Positivity
- Time management
- Critical thinking
- Conflict resolution
- Negotiation
- Motivation
- Problem-solving
This is not an exhaustive list either. There are many other soft skills examples, but let’s now discuss their significance.
Importance of soft skills:
By combining all the skills that are mentioned above, you can be very successful at work. But why are they important? Let’s understand the reasons behind its significance –
- Every employer seeks these skills:
All the people who are hiring employees search for these soft skills in the prospective candidates. So from the job perspective, these skills are critical. Almost every job requires some form of communication, engagement, listening and interaction. So, as a job seeker, you need to have these skills or develop them if you don’t. This will give you an advantage over others, and hiring managers are more likely to recommend you as you will be a better asset to the company.
- Soft skills are transferable:
Regardless of the job role, most soft skills are commonly required in the workplace. Candidates who possess this particular skill set are very adaptable. They make flexible employees who can help the employer to complete an operation in an hour of need. These are also essential for improving one’s in-job skills and positively influencing the rest of the team. A person with good skills can transfer them to the team, increasing the overall efficiency and productivity of the organisation.
- It helps in furthering your career:
If you are an employee with great soft skills, you help inspire the whole team to put in more effort. However, these are the same skills that can help in acquiring leadership qualities. If you are able to motivate others and get the job done in time, then you are likely to excel as a manager. Hence, you may get a promotion and continue to rise in the organisation’s hierarchy. But this success because of soft skills is not limited to the employee only. If you are a small entrepreneur, then these traits can help you in finding and retain clients by serving them well.
- No disputes at the workplace:
These skills not only help you to improve productivity but also help to hone your abilities in case you need to solve any problems in the organisation. Furthermore, with the necessary soft skills by your side, you are better prepared to help the customers and resolve their problems. This way, you can serve your clients better and build stronger business relationships with them.
- Soft skills help you to gain confidence:
The skills mentioned here are invaluable traits in the business world. These qualities help you run business operations smoothly and please everybody who is connected with you. Ultimately you will have a positive experience and make decisions without being scared about the outcome. Of course, it will also positively influence you as you will be able to make capable management decisions and help the teamwork.
How to acquire soft skills?
Usually, these soft skills are inherent to individuals, but that does not mean one cannot develop them. To do that, you need to work on them and gradually improve them through practice.
But you must be careful in how you approach acquiring this skill set. If you have an open mind and a flexible mindset, then you can work on it and get the desired results. Unlike hard skills that can be learned and improved, soft skills are like insights and emotions, and people should try to acquire them intuitively. Having said that, there are ways to develop soft skills; here are some examples –
- Job training programs:
Some employment programs do have a soft skill training course in place before the organisation hires you. Usually, they are a part of your internship program, and you need to perform well in it, as it will play a vital role in your final confirmation.
- On-the-job training:
If you have been employed for some time, you have developed some soft skills. For example, if you have been handling retail responsibilities, you are aware of how you must behave in a team environment. You also know how to handle unhappy customers and can find a way to resolve their issues. So you have acquired problem-solving skills and conflict-resolution skills. This is a great way to develop these skills, as you can test yourself in the real world.
- Educational program or course:
There are many training centers and schools that help individuals to develop these soft skills. The coaches there will teach you how to communicate effectively, adapt to change in the situation, and solve organisational problems.
If you need help developing a job-relevant soft skill set, you can enroll in Training Basket’s summer training program and get some excellent guidance on how to excel in your workplace. You will be guided on how to approach workplace problems, involve the right people to mediate the issue and solve any ongoing concerns.
Parting thoughts:
In the modern professional world, soft skills are indispensable. They are helping employees and entrepreneurs to stand out from the crowd. They are distinguishing businesses and helping them serve their clients better, run a smoother operation, and ultimately attain success.
