Why There is a Need for Soft Skills Enhancement at the Workplace

Soft Skills are important not just to help you in the various aspects of your life but also to help you excel at your workplace. When we talk about skills there are various skills that one can master.

When we talk about skills which are required to help you grow professionally then we first must talk about soft skills because our soft skills will help us grow professionally and give us the promotion that we crave for.

In this article we’re going to tell you the various soft skills and the reason why enhancing them is going to help you excel at your workplace or when you work from home.

What are the various kinds of skills?

Skills can be categorised into 6 various types which individuals have to learn based on their profession and some of these skills are learnt over the course of our lives.

1. Life Skills – When we talk about life skills we’re talking about the use of cognitive, interpersonal and technical skills. We require these skills to carry out essential or complex job functions and activities that are essential for the normal functioning of a person in our society.
2. Social Skills – As functioning humans who live in a society, we’re expected to follow certain rules and regulations laid down that we’re expected to follow. We create relationships and social rules that are changed and created in a non-verbal/ verbal way.
3. Labor Skills – Labor skills are generally required by those who work as electricians, brewers, carpenters, masons,etc. and usually require the use of physical labor.
4. People Skills – We are social beings and through the course of our lives we form many friendships, relationships. We sympathize as well as empathize with people, we place our trust in them and all of these are categorised as people skills.
5. Soft Skills – When we combine communication skills, social skills, interpersonal skills we get what are known as soft skills
6. Hard Skills – Also known as technical skills, these skills are mostly concentrated towards the fulfillment of a particular situation or a task. To achieve this skill you’ll have to be either professionally, technically or academically skilled.

How important are soft skills for professional growth?

Over the years as our work environment progressed so did our outlook on things in the corporate world. While certain rules such as a strict dress code were relaxed at some places, some made it absolutely mandatory for employees to follow a strict dress code.

All these things have changed and laxed in the last year and half ever since the pandemic as people started working from the comfort of their homes. With the pandemic, the economic state of many offices and corporate sectors changed. They went from being profitable every month to running huge losses and with that came strict rules for its employees.

Suddenly all those who weren’t adhering to the strict office norms were asked to leave, those whose work wasn’t upto the mark were asked to leave and many were forced to work the same amount for minimum wages which is why learning soft skills are no longer considered a bonus to learn but has become more of a necessity.

But what exactly are these soft skills and how do they help you professionally?

Soft skills are skills which include communication skills, interpersonal skills, our ability to empathize with others qualify as life skills. Listed below are a few soft skills which will definitely help you and your career –

1. Time management – Being able to perform multiple tasks at once with efficiency means that you’ll be able to maintain a healthy work life balance which is important. In order to do that employees must have a proper hold of how they distribute their work amongst all the various tasks and still be able to finish tasks on time which require your undivided attention.
2. Conflict resolution – When more than one person works together with someone else in a group, conflicts are going to occur due to everyone’s varying natures. Your ability as an employee to resolve conflicts between other colleagues and maintain a healthy working relationship so that the office environment remains healthy will determine your position in the company.
3. Adaptability – Being able to adapt to uncertain situations, adapt and change our existing ways shows how adaptable we are and will ultimately help us grow in our careers and in life as well.
4. Teamwork – We don’t always work alone, when we work in organisations, we’re working with other people who may or may not have opposing views as you. Our ability to work with them together as a team for a particular project shows our teamwork ability.
5. Observational skills – Data without the proper means of interpreting it means nothing. A colleague’s ability to study, learn patterns, observe them closely and provide effective solutions will determine how good or bad their observational skills are.
6. Communication – Because we live in a society and humans are social beings, verbal, non-verbal and written forms of communication are how we communicate with customers, traders, colleagues, etc will help build strong relationships. Distinct communication skills are necessary to allow others and yourself to understand information. Effective communication skill tools include phone calls, face to face communication, video calling, emails and other modes of communication.
7. Problem solving – Employers are always looking for employees who will manage a crisis as and when the need arises. Employees who provide quick, easy and effective solutions as well as those who have the ability to foresee any future problems will always be given preference over those who don’t.
8. Work ethic – Employees who have a strong work ethic will always be seen as ideal employees in the eyes of the employer. An ideal work ethic includes being punctual, meeting deadlines, etc. it shows that you can receive and give orders whenever necessary.

In Conclusion –

Soft skills are highly required and are looked at with high regard in the eyes of the employers. Given how uncertain these times are, the more employees learn to adapt and learn new skills the better equipped they’ll be at either retaining their current jobs as well as find new ones. All these skills are important for the healthy growth of individuals in the personal as well as professional space.