THE VALUE OF GOING SOFT SUPPLY CHAIN SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE

How to squeeze a dollar out of 10 cents? Irrespective of industry or market, worldwide we are constantly faced with the dilemma of getting more for less in the face of rising costs of goods and services. Whether we are starting out in our first job, continuing professional development, or changing career paths, soft skills are essential for long-term employability. So how do we develop our soft skills?

Our early childhood memories are filled with being told to ‘play nice in the sandbox.’ Early childhood educators inadvertently develop our first exposure to heterogeneous social networks within the classroom through activities advocating inclusion and diversity from a young age. In fact, market researchers have proved that lack of cooperation and trust lead to lower economic results because there is limited-to-no unity and collaboration among (team) members. As a result, soft skills in communication, collaboration, and creativity are ongoing and essential to transition from technical roles to managerial positions.

Retaining And Attracting Talent

Organizations are recognizing the importance of soft skills in the workforce, given the global dynamics within the market. Recent HR industry reports indicate that there is a shortage in highly skilled talent worldwide which is negatively impacting the intangible capital of organizations to retain and attract the proverbial ‘best and brightest’ while preventing burnout, as well as from fallout due to the so-called Great Resignation within the current labour force. That gap comes from the lack of formal training in skills that focus on multinational teamwork, critical thinking, and problem solving within tertiary institutions. Therefore, the talent pipeline is struggling to keep pace with cross-training interpersonal skills to develop managerial capabilities in tandem with technical skills to replace the demographic changes caused by various socioeconomic factors.

In the LinkedIn Global Talent Trends Report 2022, employees say that they are prioritizing organizations that offer upskilling. This is because the likelihood of employee retention for more than three years increased from 45 per cent to 64 per cent if given the opportunity of an internal promotion or lateral move. Modern-day managers need to develop team camaraderie, given the challenges of hybrid work environments and the complexities of global team dynamics.

At the same time, technology enables real-time connectivity, and leaders need to have purposeful interactions both top-down and laterally to foster the open and honest sharing of ideas. Employees work better when engaged and empowered but a productive team is developed through genuine and mutual respect for each member. Soft skills are the foundation for establishing and maintaining a highly functional business unit.

Unprecedented Change

The uncertainty of the present economy is driving change at an unprecedented rate. There are numerous studies that support the cost to hire right the first time and the lost productivity from high-employee turnover and low-employee morale. The infamous quote “hire for attitude, train for skills” by Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines, reinforces that importance of interpersonal attributes that are unique to each person. The longevity of a successful career is largely dependent on 15 per cent technical knowledge and 85 per cent personal qualities and traits that influence a compatible and positive work attitude. Therefore, the development of soft skills for career success should be viewed as a continuous and lifelong journey.

Although, soft skills are not customizable, there are steps that can be taken to cultivate them. These steps focus on taking accountability and responsibility for identifying any specific soft skillset that needs to be improved through exploring subjective bias with humility and through the guidance of a mentor, manager, or trusted colleague.

This first step is in itself a sign of emotional intelligence. Having emotional intelligence (EI) means that you are self-aware and motivated to critically analyze internally where there are areas for improvement within how you self-manage, as well as how you manage others.

Here are five steps that you can take on this journey:

Step One: Complete a self-assessment or ask for feedback.

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Step Two: Self-register for courses, webinars, or podcasts.

Step Three: Volunteer or seek opportunities to practice.

Step Four: Give back, coach or mentor others.

Step Five: Re-evaluate and ask for feedback.

The focus on personality traits that characterize a highly adaptable mindset with transferrable skills in communication, public speaking, conflict management, time management, teamwork, coaching, decision making, and professional ethics are in demand for the sustainable future. Supply chain professionals should develop these skills going forward, to benefit not only their own performance but that of their teams and organizations.

BY MICHAEL POWER