In a high-IQ job pool, soft skills like discipline, drive, and empathy mark those who emerge as outstanding.

– Daniel Goleman, Psychologist & Author

To emerge as outstanding, it is not enough to just be highly educated; it is of equal or more importance to have impeccable soft skills. What are soft skills? Soft skills are defined as, “Personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.”

Today, when many important aspects of our lives are dealt with on virtual platforms and our daily interactions are mainly online — be it with colleagues, friends, or even family — it is essential to develop good interpersonal relationships in order to maintain effective communication with everyone.

A study conducted by Deloitte in 2017 showed that amidst numerous automated jobs, “…soft skills, which cannot yet be replicated by machines, have become more important… Soft skill-intensive occupations will account for two-thirds of all jobs by 2030 and hiring employees with more soft skills could increase revenue by more than $90,000.” The importance of soft skills for the future of work couldn’t be louder and clearer!

What are the Key Soft Skills that Every Individual Needs?

Along with being technologically advanced and on top of the game, every organization must focus on improving the soft skills of all their employees in order to stay abreast of or ahead of the competition. People assume that soft skills are universal, but in reality, they are not. Some might be better at it than others, while some may not have them at all. That is where a next-generation personalized Coaching platform like ours can step in. If you are looking to improve your soft skills as an individual or would like your employees to work on theirs, check out the various Coaching options provided at Connect4myCoach.

And if you still feel that your specific job does not need soft skills, think again. Any time you interact with a colleague or customer, your soft skills come into play, and the better they are, the more effective your communication and relationships will be.

TOP TEN Soft Skills that Employers Look For:

1. Emotional intelligence
2. Integrity/Work ethics
3. Adaptability
4. Motivation & Leadership
5. Teamwork
6. Communication & Presentation
7. Time management
8. Conflict management
9. Critical thinking
10. Networking

Of these, let’s explore some that are in high demand in today’s work environment. Empathy (emotional intelligence) is essential because only when you care about your team and your customers/clients equally, can you increase your productivity. Empathy has two friends that tag along, self-awareness and good listening skills, which when put together make a person friendly and approachable. With empathy also comes mindfulness. Being mindful can help you stay focused, aware of changes, and be prepared with the right responses to those changes.

According to Warren Buffett, it is essential to look for integrity in an employee. Integrity and work ethics can take your career a long way because only when you are ethical, will you be honest and only an honest person can be forthcoming about their drawbacks or mistakes, and be ready to learn and improve.

Adaptability is another important characteristic that employers look for because in this fast-changing world, only a person with the ability to change and adapt to new situations can implement new ideas successfully. Similarly, people who are motivated and have a direction in life tend to take on initiatives and responsibilities and eventually make good leaders.
These are a few important soft skills that we think can help you be successful at your workplace, college, and even in your personal relationships. If you would like to learn more and explore the myriad Coaching options that we provide to help you hone your soft skills, visit connect4mycoach.com.