Do you know that hard skills contribute only 15% to one’s success, whereas 85% of success is based on soft skills ? Hard to belief but it’s true.
What are soft skills ?
Soft skills are people’s skill. The ability to connect and bond with each other, share a good attitude, problem solving, be a team player , an excellent ability to communicate with others, negotiate, influence, managing your time well,understanding of others, work ethics , corporate etiquette, these are all the quality that are termed as soft skills.
Why are they so important ?
I will say it’s just not soft skills but are soft powers they enable you to lead , grow and raise great teams.
Soft skills are not just for work place they are required within the family, in society and greater community.
Without these soft skills we will not be able to learn the interpersonal skills, we will not have empathy and apathy towards others, we will not have the ability to listen , the ability to connect with people & we will fail miserably.
In business, sales growth ,just does not depend on the quality of the product but also depends on the quality of packaging, selling techniques , after servicing & building customer loyalty . These services are set up through soft skills. Which of the soft skills you think are involved in the process of sales ? Well its the art of communication, which is used in the packaging , it contains vital information about the product which the customer should know and presented in a way that is attractive to the customer. The later 3 services, selling, after sales service, and customer loyalty require people skill, to understand the need of the customer, provide honest information, motivate them to like your brand and keep using it.
Where do we learn the skills?
learning concept with education elements
In our Basic education system there is no focus on soft skills they are expected to be learnt as we study with our fellow students and teachers mastering the hard skills and the Academics. So where do we learn about these skills? It’s wise to know soft skills are a bunch of skills that are a combination of social intelligence, emotional intelligence and people’s skill. The soft skills makes us good and ethical human beings and we are taught these skills right through however the awareness is not there ,it’s only after graduation and during Masters study mostly these skills are taught , categorized under soft skills and are made aware to the students . Most corporates also train their executives on soft skills. But there are courses and coaching and mentoring on soft skills that are available for those who are focused to learn.
Be a Business owner, employee or a job seeker ,and be it in any industry , soft Skill is absolutely needed.
Best thing about the soft skills are that these skills are lasting .Where as hard skills especially in the technical industry always needs to be upgraded every 2 years,or even earlier looking at the span of technology upgradation that is taking place in the 21st century.
The soft skills with more practice gets better, the benefits of the experience and expertise of using soft skills improves the leadership qualities in a person, better communication, better body language and Etiquette increase confidence thus creates a WOW personality.
The visible Signs of, the lack of soft skills;
You may have observed seniors when they lack interpersonal skills makes you feel uncomfortable around them, Have you observed a colleague who behaves awkwardly? Team members not able to keep dead line bcoz they don’t know how to do time management.Conflict between your senior bosses going Unresolved?
Most of you are busy aquring hard skills , which is of course required but simultaneously soft skill enhancement is also needed. Both the skills compliment each other. If not ,the moment will come when you realize that inspite of high grades and industry Trainings you are unable to succeed for job interview or after years of toil the promotion due is not happening to you or going for the job is always a burden .
It’s never too late , you can hire a soft Skill coach to train and mentor you. What do you expect to learn from a soft Skill coach?
9 key areas, Improved communication, Your ability to work with a team, building a positive mental attitude, learn how to take challenges, problem solving , Networking, your ability to manage time. An improved health and relationship.
Each of these learnings have bigger impacts and benefits in your life , so do not hesitate to learn and hire a Soft skills Specialist.
The Author ,is a soft Skill specialist & Director at GETCRR LLP, she is a NLP International Professional Certified Coach ,Certified Hypnotherapist &EFT Practitioner. Posses over 25 years of experience of working abroad, has expertise in several key areas including Turn Around Strategies.
