BUSINESS
A hard look at the value of soft
The importance of soft skills in the workplace by Erin Saunders, ON Services Have you ever had that person on your team who was just a great person to work with? They always
Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash
UAC MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020
While cognitive skills are important, they are becoming increasingly less predictors of how people succeed at work.
28
need to manage change, help resolve conflict, and work well with all types of personalities and team members. is one of the most important soft 4Attitude skills. Those with a positive attitude demonstrate
had a great attitude, you knew you could count on them to pitch in no matter what the task, and they were excellent at getting along with the rest of the group.
two characteristics that make them valuable team members: confidence and adaptability.
Imagine what it would feel like to have a whole team of people like that. Those people have the technical skills they need to do their jobs, but what you really value them for is their soft skills.
>
> The confidence is less about technical
confidence, but more about a “can-do” attitude. People with confidence are open to trying new things and to learning. They are comfortable risking failure, because they are confident they will learn and grow from the experience. Adaptability is demonstrated by being open to change. People who are adaptable understand that change is a constant part of maintaining a successful and adaptable business. They are easily able to be flexible and help others understand the need for change.
is another critical soft skill. There 4Leadership are many attributes people attach to leadership,
Research has shown that 85% of our success at work comes from soft skills—things like communicating effectively, working as part of a team, collaborating effectively, and navigating conflict. (Deming, 2017). Yet, as we hire people and even as we think about our own development, we tend to focus on the technical or cognitive skills. While cognitive skills are important, they are becoming increasingly less predictors of how people succeed at work.
but one of the most important is empathy.
> Empathy is the ability to truly understand
how another person may be feeling, and to try to understand their point of view. When you are able to put yourself in others’ shoes, you can understand their motives and connect with them on a personal level. The Communication Guys explain, “Leadership is servanthood with vision.” (Barrett, 2020)
intelligence in the office is another 4Emotional key soft skill. It requires that you have self-
What are soft skills? Soft skills are things like attitude, leadership style, emotional intelligence, creativity, flexibility, and communication skills. They are the less technical, but still very teachable skills people
awareness, situational awareness, and people awareness.
>
Self-awareness is about understanding yourself—your strengths, weaknesses, what motivates and de-motivates you and what you value in your life. Self-management is the ability to use the self-awareness you have to better manage your weaknesses.
