We all know the importance of technical skills and experience, but what may be even more important is those “soft skills” that make up the person behind resume. It is easy to underestimate the importance of these personality based skills, but it is these skills that allow for harmonious collaboration amongst team members. Possessing technical abilities is just a small piece of the puzzle, which cannot be employed without the proper soft skills. Below we composed a list of the most effective and useful soft skills that everyone, from new employee to CEO, should learn the value of. Each one reflects a way to turn ideas into actionable steps which will get the most out of your employees.
1. Understand values and atmosphere. Every company has its own vibe, ethics, priorities, goals and atmosphere. Often we don’t think about how our priorities, values, etc. align with those of our company. When our feelings unknowingly do not line up with those of our company, it results in tension and frustration when we feel like an outsider within our own place of work. Spend some time devising a list of these key attributes. What values do you prioritize in a workplace? What goals do you believe a company should emphasize? What type of atmosphere should a company have? Casual? Professional? Then devise a list answering the same questions on behalf of your company. Devise a list of ways your employees might answer these questions. By being aware of these differences in point of view between you, your company, and fellow employees, you will more easily understand the frustrations of you and your employees. In order to work on this incongruity, try adapting your company’s goals, priorities or atmosphere to be more accommodating for your employees. If you are an employee yourself, try to find tasks and goals to work on which better mesh with your priorities.
2. Know how to convey your message. Years ago, studies by Albert Mehrabian developed the classic 7%-38%-55% rule. The rule explains what people actually pay attention to when you talk: concluding that they put 38% importance in the tonality of your comment, 55% in the body language you use, and only 7% in what you are actually saying. It is thus important to remember that what you are saying to people is far less important than the way you are saying it. An employee will actually be left with a more positive experience if you give them constructive criticism with positive tonality and body language, than if you compliment them using a flat affect. Thus, it is important to remember how your comments are actually being interpreted. Work on your tonality and body language when providing constructive criticism, and your employees will be far more receptive and eager to improve.
3. Know what questions and topics to discuss. Whether you are in a meeting or writing an email, know how to pose questions and topics in the most positive way. Each question should be geared towards finding areas of commonality and collaboration amongst your team. For instance, let’s say you are trying to reformulate your company’s webpage. There are multiple ways you could pose this to your team.
Example 1: I’ve decided to change the header of our website to a larger font. Is everyone okay with this?
Example 2: I’m working on ways to improve our website’s homepage. For instance, I think it would be useful to increase the font of our header. What are your thoughts? What other ideas do people have?
Example 3: I’ve decided to change the header of our website to a larger font. What does everyone think about that idea?
The first version, while still attempting to be inclusive, does not truly aim at collaboration. It is posed as a yes/no question, and seeks for a quick resolution. The second version attempts to engage the group, genuinely valuing each person’s suggestion, making the second example better than the first. The third example is less optimal than the second; however, it is still an improvement over the first example. This third version elicits a less lengthy group conversation than the second example. Thus, it still aims for a quick resolution, but is more inclusive than the yes/no question in example one. By learning to optimally phrase questions, avoiding yes/no phrasing, your team will feel more comfortable voicing concerns and questions. This will overall create a more positive and effective workplace, in which your team can more easily reach agreement on new ideas.
4. Self Management. Be efficient with the time you have, set clear and concise goals. Each of us are given the same amount of time in a day, and often it is easy to be overwhelmed with the amount you have to do. When we become exhausted by our amount of work, it is easy to coast through, accomplishing the bare minimum and using time ineffectively. By setting goals for yourself, you will work more productively and feel more rewarded at the end of the day. By transforming your job into goals you set for yourself instead of goals your company sets for you, you will end up feeling more accomplished at the end of each day. Incidentally, taking this initiative will lead to greater success for your company.
5. Be a “Big Thinker.” Stop focusing on small errors, and start focusing on the big picture goals and accomplishments for your company and team. If your project hits a bump in the road, focus on the ways your end goals or timelines have changed, not the error that caused it. If you have an employee that is continuously making errors, work on coaching them through these challenges. By setting an example for your team that it is more important to focus on the big picture than smaller mistakes, it will lead to an increase in professionalism throughout the workplace and change the way people innately react to a seemingly negative situation.
6. Negotiation Skills. Often times when one party begins to negotiate, it results in conflict as the other party resists. The first party feels like they are not being heard, and that no one is trying to accommodate their concerns. When negotiating with employees, try to actually understand and care about what they are saying. Listen to each point they make, getting to the heart of the problem, not just the requests they are making. Make sure your employee knows you want to help, even if you can’t. And remember, that negotiations require compromise on both sides.
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