Nobel Prize winner William Butler Yeats shared his million-dollar thoughts by stating this great line.
“Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.”
Having knowledge is good, i.e. itself is not enough, we need to communicate it to others effectively.
By successfully getting our message across, we convey our thoughts and ideas effectively.
This is where the Soft Skills comes into the picture in a bigger way.
Soft skills are character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person’s ability to interact effectively with others.
Psychologists may use the term “soft skills” to describe someone’s emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) as opposed to intelligence quotient (IQ).
According to Wikipedia, Soft skills, also known as power skills, common skills, essential skills, people skills, or core skills, are skills applicable to all professions.
The word “skill” highlights the practical function.
The term alone has a very extensive meaning and describes a particular ability to complete tasks ranging from easier ones like learning how to kick a ball to harder ones like learning to be creative.
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History Of Soft Skills
Going back to history, it was in the late 1960s the term “soft skills” was created by the U.S. Army.
It refers to any skill that does not employ the use of machinery.
The military realized this category, and understood, that the social skills is necessary to lead groups,
Emphasized more on the social skills which were necessary to motivate soldiers,
and encompassed that this very social skills were much needed to win wars.
Concept Of Soft Skills
The concept of Soft Skill is very simple and easy to understand even in this age of AI
Soft skills are personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively. These skills can include social graces, communication abilities, language skills, personal habits, cognitive or emotional empathy, time management, teamwork and leadership traits.
A definition based on review literature explains soft skills as an umbrella term for skills under three key functional elements: people skills, social skills, and personal career attributes.
And you should be not get confused with the common term referred as Skill set.
A skill set is the knowledge, abilities, and qualifications required to perform a job.
Commonly, skill sets combine hard skills (also called technical skills) and soft skills (also called people skills).
Advantages of Soft Skills
- Soft skills allow an individual to evolve and adapt to change in the workplace.
- Soft skills become sharper and more enhanced as individuals move up the hierarchy.
- Soft skills are common to every organization and highlight an individual’s hard skills and technical knowledge.
- In addition, soft skills reflect an individual’s personality, behavior, traits, and attitude.
Disadvantages of Soft Skills
- Soft skills cannot make up for hard skills or technical proficiency.
- Having proper qualifications and accolades to work in a particular field is crucial.
- Soft skills enhance an individual’s performance but aren’t as competitive compared to expertise.
- Soft skills are qualitative skills, so they cannot be calculated unless exhibited or proved.
Examples of Soft Skills
Different types of soft skills are relevant to different industries. Some examples of soft skills pertaining to different industries are as follow:
- Customer Service: Communication, positive attitude, listening abilities, empathy, taking responsibility.
- Healthcare: Work ethic, teamwork, flexibility, time management, receptive attitude.
- Digital Marketing: Curiosity, willingness to learn, creativity, honesty, accepting criticism.
- Education: Written and oral communication, stress management, patience, enthusiasm, motivation.
- Design: Visual communication, active listening, attention to detail, aesthetics, verbal communication.
- Web Development: Open-mindedness, adaptability, critical thinking, confidence, time, and project management.
Importance of Soft Skills
A recent survey by LinkedIn found that 92% of talent professionals believe soft skills are equally or more important than hard skills when it comes to hiring the right person for the job.
Soft skills are also uniquely human. In a workplace and job market changing at high speed because of technological advancement, they are the type of skills that cannot, thus far, be replicated by artificial intelligence (AI). This will only increase their importance in the future.
Below are some of the fundamental reasons why soft skills are important.
- Career progression and promotion.
- Improves workplace productivity.
- The modern workplace is interpersonal.
- Customers and clients demand soft skills.
- The future workplace will rely on soft skills.
- Build professional relationships.
- Soft skills are hard to automate.
- Soft skills are in huge demand by recruiters.
- Complement your hard skills.
- Increase your self-confidence.
Types of Soft Skills
Soft skills include the personal attributes, personality traits, and communication abilities needed for success.
Soft skills include:
- Adaptability
- Communication
- Compromise
- Creative thinking
- Dependability
- Leadership
- Listening
- Work ethic
- Teamwork
- Positivity
- Time management
- Motivation
- Problem-solving
- Critical thinking
- Conflict resolution
- Negotiation
How to Develop Soft Skills?
Development of soft skills has two parts.
One part involves developing attitudes and attributes, and the other part involves fine-tuning.
Unlike hard skills that are learned, soft skills are similar to emotions or insights that allow people to “read” others. In order to develop Soft Skills one can take up the following:
- Job Training Programs
- On-the-Job Training
- Education and Volunteering.
How to Improve Soft Skills
There is a very thin line when it comes to improving your soft skills in connection to developing your soft skills. Below simple steps will help you on how to improve your soft skills.
- Be open to feedback
- Communicate often
- Emphasize teamwork
- Build positive relationships
- Get outside of your comfort zone
- Get ready to learn
- Adapt to workplace changes
- Observe others
- Work through conflict
- Take on a leadership role
- Arrive at work on time
Conclusion
To be successful in any role, one need a combination of relevant hard skills and soft skills.
And that is why it is important to have both hard and soft skills.
Hard and soft skills are both crucial for personal and professional success. They play distinct role yet complementary.
A balance between hard and soft skills is essential for success.
Combining hard skills with soft skills creates well-rounded professionals. It allows them to excel in their roles.
A blend of hard and soft skills allows individuals to adapt to changing situations.
There is no one-size-fits-all ratio for hard skills to soft skills, as it heavily depends on the industry, job role, and individual career goals.
As you move ahead in the journey of your skills, the career path also plays an important role.
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