In today’s companies the skills landscape it’s changed a bit.
They have taken on much more importance soft skillsEnglish terminology to identify skills as opposed to hard skills. The latter are linked to qualifications and are learned during the years of school, university or even with professional experience.
If hard skills can be attested and certified, the list of soft skills can only be demonstrated by knowing people.
In personnel selection procedures in the companysoft features are increasingly sought after and requested just as much as the others. People who possess these personal skills make work more productive, blend better within the group and bring their value throughout the company.
What are the most important soft skills? Which ones should be developed by candidates and preferred by companies? And, above all, how can they be developed effectively?
In this article you will find the answer to all these questions, but if you want to delve deeper immediately by analyzing your specific situation I have an offer for you. Click the button below and book your first free consultation coaching with me.
With my coaching program I will help you grow your business by strengthening the areas that need it most. Often one of these is the productivity of the team which also passes through the soft skills useful for development and change.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills represent the personality traits.
They are the individual skills and behaviors you use to interact with people and deal with situations in the workplace.
Therefore, they are those qualities that influence your ability to relate to colleagues, to the boss, to work effectively together with your group and to take on work challenges with the right spirit.
In Italian they are called transversal skills because they are and must be applied transversally in all sectors, regardless of the role you have in the company. They are not linked to specific professions, as hard skills are. This is why they are difficult to learn during study or work experience, but they are highly transferable.
They can be passed on by employers and learned by employees collaborating within the same group. They can be innate and come naturally, or can be developed and learn over time.
These personality traits represent individual strengths that go beyond the specific skills needed to tackle the job.
The question that arises is: Are they really that important?
Let’s find out right away.
Why are they important?
Soft skills show that a candidate not only has experience for their role but that they can bring to the company a series of advantages intangibles that have growing potential over time.
Within our globalized, rapid and highly competitive market, they have become a crucial differentiating factor for both candidates and companies. In fact, these skills are increasingly relevant within the healthcare landscape digital transformation which requires the ability to change and flexibility for every type of business.
Another important aspect to consider is that these skills cannot be replicated by artificial intelligence precisely because they are specific to humans.
As stated by IDC Perspective “soft skills are the silent heroes of digital transformation”. This is why they are the list of skills sought by companies in candidates but also vice versa. People prefer jobs that look to the future and companies, if they want to grow, must adapt to changes global.
The relationship, collaboration and adaptability skills of those who work in the company lead the companies themselves towards cultural and operational change. This makes the suitable and competitive businesses in today’s market.
Let’s see, therefore, what are the soft skills that are talked about so much.
The list of the most requested soft skills in the company today
Soft skills are difficult to define and, above all, to measure. In any case, it is necessary to have a set of personal skills and abilities to deal with any type of work today.
Let’s see it right away list of the main soft skills sought:
- Communication: being able to talk and relate to people, whether they are customers, colleagues or employers;
- Critical thinking: involves the use of logic and reason to identify a problem and find a series of useful solutions to resolve it;
- Emotional intelligence: it is the ability to understand and control emotions, one’s own and that of others. Fundamental for harmonious relationships that make work more productive;
- Adaptability: being able to embrace challenges, learn through experience and apply what has been learned to professional situations;
- Collaboration: being able to work in a group, cooperating with colleagues, filling their respective shortcomings with the aim of arriving at a higher shared goal;
- Positive attitude: create a favorable working environment that stimulates creativity and innovation. Have a constructive approach in every project to find successful solutions;
- Time management: knowing how to manage your own work while also considering the work of others, which often depends on the individual’s. This is a crucial skill especially in remote working mode;
- Leadership: that is, the combination of a variety of transversal skills. This is the main skill that entrepreneurs must have and that they must bring throughout the company.
Each soft skill on this list can be possessed naturally or developed over time.
But the questions I am most often asked are: “Do my collaborators need to have them all?”, “What is the right number of soft skills for each person?”, “Are there some more important than others?”.
Let’s find out the answers together.
The 3 essential soft skills
The truth is that there is no minimum number of soft skills that your collaborators must possess. It depends a lot on the role held in the company and the type of responsibilities they have.
If you are the team leader of your company, the best thing you can do is make sure you build a team made up of members who have complementary skills to each other. It means that each member of the group works in synergy with the others and the sum of their skills leads to more successful results.
Always remember that the growth of your business it depends for a significant percentage on the people who work with you and on your ability to manage them in such a way as to make everyone give their best.
That said, they are there 3 soft skills considered fundamental. If your collaborators have them it will be an advantage for the harmony of the work environment and for productivity.
1. Have the ability to communicate
Communication is an increasingly important skill in the world of work and business.
In fact, knowing how to communicate means having the ability to converse with colleagues, superiors, employees but also with customers. Being able to have a conversation also means having the ability to listen to your interlocutor.
THE’active listening it is the first fundamental requirement to fully understand what the other person means and to also grasp what they are not saying openly. This is the healthiest and most beneficial form of listening. Not only do you show interest in the discussion but you prepare yourself to understand its meaning.
Create this type of relationship with people it is essential to work well without generating misunderstandings and wasting time. Furthermore, it is favorable in relationships with customers: only when you really understand what your customer needs will you be able to close advantageous negotiations.
Successful communication is the key to successful professional interactions.
2. Be collaborative and adaptable
Flexibility is the ability to embrace change and knowing how to adapt to situations.
This applies both to addressing small daily problems and considering the broader context of innovation needed within companies.
The unexpected events in the workplace they may be commonplace but it is important that the company leader and his team members are able to manage them while remaining calm. The goal is always to find solutions, to do this you need energy and a positive attitude.
Furthermore, since the modern work environment is constantly evolving, having a high level of adaptability to reorganizations and internal changes is an interesting asset for the development of the entire business.
The moment your collaborators are able to collaborate with each other and help each other to fill their respective shortcomings, you will find yourself achieving more satisfactory business results.
3. Approach work proactively
There proactivity at work it allows the individual to reason and analyze their work individually and within the entire context. Developing an overall vision allows you to prevent future situations or problems and to plan appropriate actions in advance to achieve the objectives.
This is a very appreciated soft skill because if each team member thinks both for himself and for the good of the group, improvements will be seen in the entire management and in the results.
How can you be more proactive?
Don’t just look at your work but also that of others, ask questions to understand the dynamics of the processes and the needs of each project. Evaluate, reflect and act without passively waiting for others to tell you what to do.
How to teach soft skills to collaborators
Luckily, soft skills are highly trainable.
This, however, does not mean that they magically develop on their own over time. These skills need to come transmitted by the leader to his collaborators and that they are transferred horizontally within the group itself.
As?
One way to facilitate this type of learning is rely on an expert coach. Business Coaching is the path for entrepreneurs and managers who want to strengthen their business while also improving personal skills.
By collaborating with a professional coach, i.e. with someone who experiences or has experienced the same difficulties as you, you will achieve your goals in less time.