7 most desirable Soft Skills in the workplace

Do you wonder that even being a technical expert isn’t helping you succeed in the workplace? Well, to succeed in your profession, hard skills are not the only set of skills that you need. You need to apply soft skills in the workplace to succeed and progress in your career.

Realising this skill-gap and to address this problem, many organisations are incorporating regular soft skills training programs and workshops in their workforce’s professional development plan to up-skill them for an enhanced and productive workplace.

And why so, you may ask?

According to a research, as published in the National Soft Skills Foundation and conducted by a group of prestigious institutions – Harvard University, Carnegie Foundation and Stanford Research Center, 85% of importance is attributed to Soft Skills for success in a career while only 15% is ascribed to Hard Skills.

Each one of the skills listed in this blog, in the words of Seth Godin, are nothing but ‘Transversal Competencies’ which are highly desirable and demanding at the workplace. You need to adopt them because these are indirectly related to the task you’ll be assigned at your job that usually involves a deeper level of understanding of Soft Skills (a mix of personal–cognitive–skills and social–behaviour–skills).

And as per a study, “It is not good grades, but a “grounding in soft skills” that give people who went to independent schools their edge, a former public school has argued.” So, a strong foundation in critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making can help you become a person desirable. It is advisable if you’re pursuing higher education that you hone these skills to advance in your career, be prepared from the beginning.

But first things first. What are Soft Skills?

Soft Skills are unquantifiable, intangible skills or simply put, the social skills – the way we interact with people and our immediate environment – that are required in day-to-day life while we’re interacting with people inside or outside of our organisation.

Please note that there’s no agreed upon definition of Soft Skills, as there are umpteen versions of describing social skills, the importance of each skill is perceived differently by different people.

Soft Skills circumvents an array of skills that are important for not only our professional development but also for our personal well being, these skills help us bring harmony at the workplace and it also helps us maintain the work life and personal life balance that many of us find hard to maintain. However, owing to their importance in our work life these are sometimes referred to as Employability Skills.

Now, that you know what Soft Skills are, you might be curious as to why do you need them?

Companies are not hiring people on their academic score or their technical know-how, they’re willing to have people with emotional and social intelligence on-board.

It’s a proven fact that recruiters are highly likely to hire a person who is a great team player than a person who can do his/her task individually and isn’t able to contribute as one of the team members. The core belief is that individuals’ skills in a group must help them achieve the envisioned goal. Hence, it is important that people are agile, compatible and flexible in order to work as a team. And that’s what a recruiter is looking for.

So, read on to find the 7 most important soft skills that you need to shine at your workplace.

1. Interpersonal Skills

   Let’s face it, we deal with people. And to get things done, when in a team or otherwise, we need to possess a certain skill set which can help us coordinate and get things done smoothly without any conflict. Interpersonal Skills consist of a subset of skills that are required in this age at workplace more than ever and these are:

• Communication Skills – Putting it simply, communication is an act of conveying information to a person who desires it. And you must possess the following four skills to communicate effectively: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.

Each one of them has their own importance in the professional world.

Hack: You can check if you’re communicating effectively by a simple thumb rule, and that is “5 C’s” – Clear, Complete, Concise, Concrete and Courteous. Just apply 5 C’s to anything you’re communicating and you’ll know if you’re good to go or you need to take a look and improve.

Besides these direct forms of communication, there’s another set of communication skills which you need to master in order to excel in the workplace and those are ‘Non-Verbal Communication Skills’ – Body Language. To perfect this, you should be mindful of your body posture, the way you approach a person, your gestures and hand movements while you communicate with them. You might not be aware of it but your body might be sending some mixed signals that can become a potential threat to communicating effectively.

• Emotional Intelligence – At the end of the day, we’re emotional beings. Aren’t we? Hence, we need to be a little sensitive. We need to work on understanding and handling our emotions and to respect and understand their feelings so as to interact with them effectively.
• Ability to work with the team – Cannot be stressed enough. It’s never an individual, it’s the team always, bear that in mind! We should be more flexible and agile when it comes to working with a team. This skill can do wonders to your professional profile if you’re able to demonstrate the same.
• Negotiation Skills – The art of negotiation, persuasion, and influencing is extremely important while dealing with people. You should know when what and where to engage people in a negotiation and persuasion. It may make you sound desperate or smart, depends how deftly you’re using this skill.

Why is it important? In a business environment, effective communication and ability to work in teams are extremely desirable.

How do I master this skill? Make sure you know the person well in order to communicate with him or her effectively. Catch your colleagues during tea or coffee breaks, talk about something besides work, be friends with them – don’t pretend, it will help you win over clients and people at your workplace.

2. Problem Solving & Conflict Resolution

   When we work in a team, it is highly likely that you are going to face problems. Crisis situations and occasions like nothing-can-be-done-about-it might arise. But remember, there’s always a solution to any problem. Such problems need to be addressed and the conflict is to be resolved for effective management of the task assigned to you or your team.

Why is it important? – It is an extremely important skill which is highly desirable because often a situation (crisis or otherwise) arises which becomes a hindrance to a team’s goal.

How do I master this skill? – First and foremost, understand the problem, try to address and discuss it with your team or your manager. Brainstorm on possible solutions and make an informed decision which involves minimal or no risks.

3. Time Management

   Be mindful of the time you’re spending on a task. It might take you all day or just a few hours to complete it. So, plan your day, mark your calendars for important meetings and deadlines for deliverables. Chalk out your tasks and set a time-bound goal for each one of them.

Why is it important? – Most of the industry (read all) projects are time-bound and if we’re not delivering on time it can have an adverse effect on the overall progress of the project.

How do I master this skill? – Set time-bound goals; be vigilant if you’re able to accomplish them in that stipulated amount of time.

4. Empathy

   “It is important to put yourself in the shoes of other,” we know that you’ve heard this umpteen number of times from your family members or your teammates. It’s more than just a saying. When we replace a person in crisis with our own self then we realise the gravity of the problem. With this, we are able to recognise their concerns. So, always empathise with others. Don’t judge or merely offer your sympathy. Just understand them and get the problem or conflict resolved.

Why is it important? – We tend to overlook the genuine problem which any of our teammates is facing. All it takes for us is to understand what he or she is facing. It can help you maintain an everlasting and cherishing professional relationship with your team.

How do I master this skill? – Understand the concern, hear your teammate out and try to help him or her as if you yourself were stuck with the situation in which they are.

5. Adaptability

   Challenges are part and parcel of human life, be it in our professional or personal life, we always face an uncomfortable or let’s say unfavourable situation. And often we feel that there’s no way out. In such situations, our mind has a tendency to ‘fight or flight.’ But someone who takes his or her time in understanding the situation and tries to adapt to it is the one who can handle it and emerge out as a winner. Why is it important, adaptability? For circumstances can’t change but you can. And you can, by changing the way you perceive the situation and your attitude towards it.

Why is it important? – Adaptability/Flexibility is the most desirable skill. Your employer is going to look for your ‘breaking point’ and that is nothing but an uncomfortable situation. It depends on how you react or respond to it.

How do I master this skill? – Try to adopt a different perception of the situation. Remember you can only change yourself and no one else. You are in control of yourself and you can’t control people or situations. Bear that in mind and you’re all set to be an adaptable and flexible person.

6. Leadership Skills

   Who doesn’t want to become a leader? Each one of us has the desire to be praised as someone who guided the team throughout the project, right? But it takes more than just dreaming to be a team leader. The mark of a leader is that he or she leads from the front. Owns responsibilities, is accountable and the first one who takes any criticism when his or her team is questioned.

Why is it important? – Each project in a profession is in itself a huge responsibility, so a team leader is identified who becomes the focal point of contact for that particular task. And if you happen to be one of those responsible ones identified, you need to have this skill.

How do I master this skill? – Try taking up the lead in small projects or in smaller groups. Make sure you’re leading your team and effectively reporting to the higher management. Check for yourself if you’re able to do it or not. That’s the best way to identify if you’ve got a leader in you.

7. Learning from Criticism

   Do we need to state the obvious? We think, we do. Because people tend to defend themselves when questioned. Always bore in mind that constructive criticism is helpful for you. You need not be on guard always. Be welcoming in criticism and discussion if you’ve genuine concerns related to the criticism offered.

Why is it important? – To progress in life and to learn from the collective experiences (read mistakes) of others, you need to welcome criticism.

How do I master this skill? – Best is that you be your own critic. And if you’ve got an external agency critiquing you then hear them out. Process the information and don’t jump to conclusions. Discuss how your or their input can help take a collective and informed decision.

Now that you know the most desirable soft skills in the workplace, you should try to invest your time in honing these skills to embark on your next career opportunity with confidence.

Wishing you great success in your career!