Soft Skills Give You A Happy Advantage
Do you possess the soft skills needed to stand out? Yes, it’s the soft skills that naturally give you the edge! They are the skills leaders need to truly succeed!
Hard skills may require education, training, or practice. In some cases, you may need a degree, certification, or to prove your knowledge in a specific area. In other words, it’s fairly easy to verify whether or not you have a particular hard skill.
Just a few examples of hard skills would be…
- Operating machinery
- Fluency in a foreign language
- Programming languages
- Analyzing data
- Accounting
- Knowledge of a specific software
- Project Management (PMP)
- Medical, engineering, or teaching skills
- Graphic design
- Video editing
Soft Skills
Soft skills, on the other hand, play a key role in how well a person interacts with others, manages themselves, and navigates the complexities of the workplace. These skills are more difficult to measure, because they are behaviors – personal attributes, habits, and social skills that have a crucial impact.
Soft skills enhance a person’s ability to collaborate and contribute in a successful way. They are more important and more sought now more than ever.
Ponder this:
- 92% of US executives agree that people skills are more important than ever. (Future of Work Report 2023)
- 69% of US executives say they plan to prioritize hiring candidates with soft skills according to LinkedIn Global Talent Trends 2024.
- Communication is the top skill demanded across all job postings in the US. LinkedIn
- Adaptability is the top skill “of the moment.” LinkedIn
- Aneesh Raman, CEOO at LinkedIn, predicts that people skills are going to come more to the center of individual career growth and people-to-people collaboration is going to come into the center more for company growth. For leaders, you’ve got to start with communicating clearly, compassionately, and empathetically with your teams.”
- 69% of US executives say they plan to prioritize hiring candidates with soft skills according to LinkedIn’s 2024 Global Talent Trends.
- According to the Future of Jobs Report, emerging technologies such as generative AI are reshaping workforce demands, and employers are placing greater emphasis on “soft” skills. These skills allow companies to respond to change and are resistant to automation. Even if a person has impressive hard skills., their lack of soft skills might just cost them their job.
- 90% of top performers attributed their success to their EQ (emotional intelligence) – not their IQ.
I’ve highlighted just a few bits of information to show you the necessity of soft skills as well as the value of proactively developing your soft skills and encouraging your team to do the same.
Here’s a soft skills check list for you. Click on it to download a copy.
It contains links to many of the soft skills I previously addressed to help you gain new insights and begin to improve.
Take a moment to assess your own soft skills, then seek feedback from others.
Let’s dive in and take a closer look at five soft skills I’ve not previously talked about.
1. Adaptability & Flexibility
The world is far from stagnant! The pace of change is rapidly speeding up, so being able to adapt quickly and easily to those changes gives you the edge! What other soft skills work in tandem with being adaptable and flexible? Learning and resilience!
When these skills are lacking, we tend to be more rigid, resist change, and experience greater stress, not to mention getting left behind.
How do you handle change? Are you optimistic in the face of change or does fear prompt you to dig your heels in?
2. Teamwork & Collaboration
With the surge of non-face-to-face means of communicating like texting, email, Marco Polo, and even Zoom, many lack the necessary skills needed to interact with humans face-to-face. Those that are able to connect, work well with others, and collaborate have a distinct advantage.
Like other soft skills, this one is closely related to communication skills, conflict resolution, EQ, having a positive attitude, self-awareness, communication, and more!
Teamwork is often lacking, which is why many employers regularly assess ones ability to work as a team as a part of performance reviews.
Knowing when to take the lead, when to follow, and how to express your thoughts and ideas diplomatically are all a part of teamwork and collaboration. A few other aspects of this essential soft skill: reliability, respect, a willingness to help others, and the ability to spot the strengths that others bring to the table – especially if it’s an area of weakness for you!
Teamwork and collaboration in a nutshell: playing nice with others!
3. Negotiation & Persuasion
Many shy away from negotiating out of a distaste for sales. The reality is that we all negotiate every day! It’s not just a skill you bring to work, but a skill you use every day in life!
The best teams are able to discuss issues from an assortment of angles, heartily share their views, and then ultimately arrive at a superior solution. That means that you have to be able to share your point of view in a palatable and calm way and disagree respectfully.
When it comes to sharing your thoughts, ideas, and wrestling with problems, are you able to do it in a winsome and compelling manner that actually persuades?
Negotiation and persuasion skills are closely linked to problem solving, communication, curiosity and learning, EQ, among others.
4. Integrity
Dictionary.com defines integrity this way:
Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
Indeed fleshes out integrity as being gracious, respectful, honest, trustworthy, helpful, hardworking, taking responsibility, and practicing patience.
A few areas that require integrity in the workplace:
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- Dealing with gossip
- Being trustworthy with confidential information
- Work ethic
- Attributing credit where credit is due
- Making complex and difficult decisions
- Taking responsibility for mistakes
- Interacting in respectful ways
- Being an example or role model
- Showing up on time and working hard
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As a believer, the standard is even higher when it comes to conducting yourself with integrity.
5. Critical, Strategic, and Innovative Thinking & Problem Solving
Some people are truly gifted in this area! Their brains not only see problems, they are able to zero in and come up with creative and innovative solutions. Problem solving doesn’t have to be your superpower for you to grow in this area. Like many soft skills, this skill goes hand-in-hand with other soft skills like curiosity.
What hinders your ability to solve problems or think strategically?
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- Being hesitant to ask questions, share your opinions, or respond proactively.
- Not taking the time to thoroughly think a situation through or explore
- Stress and/or fear.
- Being unsure how to evaluate data properly.
- Prone to making assumptions which prevent you from seeing the possibilities.
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Be willing to step out and exercise your thinking muscles, take risks, and be willing to make mistakes. Overtime, your ability to solve problems will improve!
Take Your Soft Skills To the Next Level
Finally, here are five ways to take your soft skills to the next level:
#1 Ask For Feedback
Don’t shy away from asking for feedback. Those you work with or live with you day to day are the ones who know best where you shine and where you need work! If you are a leader, asking for feedback is a great way to set the example and demonstrate what a healthy feedback culture looks like.
#2 Read Up on Soft Skills
Here are a Just few books you might want to consider:
The Hard Truth About Soft Skills by Peggy Klause
Bridging The Soft Skills Gap by Bruce Tulgan
Integrity by Henry Cloud
How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
The Positive Dog & Soup by Jon Gordon
#3 Attend A Conference
This is a great way to immerse yourself in great content. Just be sure to examine what you’ve learned and proactively incorporate it. A few suggestions:
US Christian Chamber of Commerce
#4 Work One-on-One With a Coach
Working one-on-one with a coach enables you to address the areas you would like to address and naturally reveals your blind spots too! If you want to maximize your efforts, hiring a coach is a great way to go! In fact, why not schedule a Coffee Chat now and let’s explore the options together!
#5 Join The LAB
What if you aren’t sure exactly what needs attention, but you know there is room for improvement? The LAB is a fantastic place to make life-changing discoveries right alongside others who are also eager to learn, grow, and develop themselves in a safe faith-based atmosphere. You will appreciate the support of the community, the chance to interact with me, and the fact that you are able to move through the content at your own pace. The bonus: it’s a bargain too! Learn more about The LAB here.
Now, there are no excuses! Get to work on your soft skills and see how it gives YOU a happy advantage!
