Working with managers in several different industries including mining, health and safety, manufacturing and health care the one common denominator for skills from the Executive Suite to the front-end office has been soft skills. Most managers agree that technological skills are taught in higher education or learned on the job.
Soft skills in this case refer to interpersonal communication skills, relating to others, being approachable, having a good attitude, being pleasant to work with, having cognitive or emotional empathy, and having harmonious interactions with others. Mastery of these skills enables a person to engage and influence others.
The person with great soft skills leads with confidence. They are also able to manage stress. Another attribute is patience- knowing when to take action and when to slow things down until the timing for a change or process is more fully aligned.
Having a good work ethic in terms of being present to the situation, with a willingness to learn something new for implementation is part of having well developed soft skills. Lastly engaging in appropriate business behavior that mirrors ethics and integrity is a key aspect of the soft skills tool box.
Marie-Helene Sakowski at info@effectiveplacement.com.
