What are Soft Skills?

Doug McElhaney, Business Consultant UGA Small Business Development Center at Clayton State University

UGA's SBDC at Clayton State University logo.

While recently meeting with employers in Atlanta, many human resource (HR) managers mentioned soft skills in job descriptions. So, what are soft skills and why are they important? Soft skills are intangible and difficult to quantify yet a necessity in today’s business world. Unlike hard skills, soft skills cannot be measured. For example, communication, teamwork, adaptability, leadership, conflict resolution and critical observation are all examples of soft skills. The business environment is changing due to technology and globalization. These skills are required now more than ever to manage employees, projects and bring value to the organization’s stakeholders.

Communication, teamwork and adaptability are important soft skills due to a demanding and dynamic business environment. Expectations must be set through effective communication and adhered to in order to reach optimal solutions. Teamwork brings diversification and experts to the project or corporate mission. Team diversity is productive and responsible for innovation and new processes. The only constant in business management is change. It is not if, but when a strategy, mission or idea will be altered due to external and internal issues. All managers need to have contingency plans. Building the right team with polished skill sets while communicating expectation and allowing for change will have positive organizational results. Effective communication, adaptability and a team environment will build continuity and a healthy corporate culture.

Soft skills enable entrepreneurs and employees to work together productively.

The last three soft skills we will discuss are leadership, conflict resolution and critical observation. Leadership is a common term used today in the business world. However, many organizations are not reaching their full potential with their management team. Leadership is about influence and serving others. Many organizations have turnover, quality and recruiting challenges due to inadequate leadership. Quality leadership can solve many issues within the organization. Conflict resolution is trying to make the best out of a bad situation or creating a winwin value model. All organizations have conflict. There are two kinds. The first is functional and the second is dysfunctional.

Functional conflict can bring innovation, ideas and sustainable solutions. However, dysfunctional conflict can cause short and long term damage to the organization.

The last soft skill we will discuss is critical observation. Analyzing and sorting data has become the new competitive advantage. Due to technology, we have more data than any time in history. Companies need critical thinkers who bring innovation, analytics, and continuous improvement while creating competitive advantages. Critical thinkers change the status quo.

There are a variety of soft skills that contribute to improving the abilities and careers of people in business settings.

In summary, soft skills are in high demand in all organizations. Knowing how to lead others while solving issues, creating value and adapting to the current environment will lead to success in organizations. Strong soft skills build relationships and create a conducive work environment where innovation is supported and new products are developed. Developing and enhancing soft skills is a journey and not a destination. There is always room for self- improvement in soft skills. Good luck on the journey.