How To Develop Your Soft Skills Today – Basics Of Soft Skills
Soft skills are vital in today’s workplace. They are the skills that you can’t learn from a textbook or a class. They include things like communication, empathy, teamwork, and problem-solving. These are all necessary to be successful in any job position today. Do you want to learn how to develop these soft skills? Then keep reading.
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What you will learn in this series
In this article series on Soft Skills, we will cover such discussions as:
- How To Develop Your Soft Skills,
- Best Soft Skills To Develop Today,
- Soft Skills Vs Hard Skill,
- The Importance Of Soft Skills Today.
As the economy becomes more automated with many industries now using artificial intelligence in their operations, the workplaces as we used to know them have dramatically changed. That is also true with our interpersonal relations in the families and on the street. That is why today’s article, how to develop your soft skills is important so you can better engage with people, both in the workplace and in your personal life.
Personal story and reflection
Yesterday morning, I was outside in Verona city where I went to have a coffee and I meet an old friend we have not met for quite a while. And this is despite the fact that Verona is a small city of a little above 250, 000 residents.
With our expresso in-between us on a small wooden table in the coffee bar, I asked my friend: “You have been away from work now for over 6 months due to the covid19 pandemic, offices are under lock and key when you eventually return to work, how do you think you will feel in the first few days?”
My friend tried to laugh, he nearly pours the hot coffee on his body while sipping from it, and then he said: “You are worried about the abandoned offices. When this lockdown is over, I am going to be a stranger in my workplace”.
For a while, I reflected on what my friend said and I think he is right. We should be concerned about the people who at the end of this lockdown are going to become strangers in their workplaces.
Of the current economic disruption or transformation, if you like, there is something to be said. Usually, the disruption in the economy, whether you are talking of the industrial revolution of the 1700s and 1800s, the Great Depression of the 1900s, or the big Digital Revolution of the 2000s, people have often seen the disruption as a work in progress.
I mean, they go to work as usual and they see what they used to know changing in front of them and a new way of doing things emerging. They return home, talking about the changes and making necessary adjustments to fit in. It is usually a working economy. But this is different. Can you feel it?
Millions of people as of the time of writing this article are lockdown in their homes and they are busy watching the television. But what kind of world is waiting for them at the end of the lockdown, when covid19 would have been defeated?
So, as my friend has said, we need to worry about us who will likely become strangers in our workplaces and that is not all. Sorry to say that not all workplaces will be able to reopen and that can be very bad to realize if we do not quickly retrain our skills so we can find a new opportunity in the market. That is at the center of this article series on The Basics Of Soft Skills.
This is a very hard and rough time for everyone and I do not have the intention of sugar-coating it for you. So, prepare yourself.
The best way to be certain of the future is to design it yourself. Now, let’s consider some of the things you can do right away to start developing your soft skills because those are the best instruments we have right now.
Connect Your Mobile Phone to the Internet
I really do hope that this current lockdown comes to an end before you read this article. And if that happens then part of the problem is already solved. If you happen to be out of a job through this problem that is not your making, look for another one to hook up with as soon as possible, because you need to pay your bills and eat and the end of the day.
Then turn on your mobile phone to acquire knowledge where you might be lacking because there will always be jobs for the mind that can add value to the marketplace.
I see a lot of people wasting their time on the internet, just flipping through other people’s posts. Listen, you cannot do that because by so doing you are not building any equity with your time.
Behind the unspecified walls of the Internet, are pools of useful information you can use to add value to yourself, but that information no matter how valuable it might be will never come out looking for you. You really need to think about that.
Instead of wasting your time on Facebook, scrolling through posts, and consuming information that will not take you anywhere, why not start learning how to start your own business online? Learn how to write so you can freelance for different companies in the comfort of your own home, and get paid in the process.
Don’t know where to start? Check out our Content Creation Tips with several useful articles to get started.
Don’t limit yourself. With the infinite resources now available on the internet, you won’t find it too difficult to get even free information that you can use.
The internet is absolutely one of the most important inventions in the whole of human history. AClasses Content Academy and our online training classes are available for you. Are you ready to take advantage of it to educate yourself? Well, the choice is yours.
Develop soft skills in your workplace
Another way to develop your soft skills is through the work you do or in your workplace. In fact, that is one of the best advantages of working in an established organization because they have many things to teach you.
In one of my recent podcast interviews, a guest shared with me how much she learned Business Mindset, working in the corporate America. The podcast episode about Entrepreneurial Mindset with Deborah Crowley is available on YouTube and in all other platforms where you can listen to Obehi Podcast.
While the organization may have trained you to do a better work for them, no one will ever take away the skills you have learned. Those are yours to keep and they are the keys to your better future.
Ok, I am not saying that the salary is not good. But let me be honest with you. If salary is the only thing you are truly gaining in your workplace, then you are cheating yourself. Of course, it is not possible, except the company you are working for is hiding inside a rock.
As I have been saying since the first publication in this article series, soft skills revolve around interpersonal relationships, a good level of communication, and attitude. By nurturing these skills, you can greatly increase your efficiency whether you are working for a company or for yourself.
I want to repeat this for this last time: develop your communication, and strengthen your interpersonal skills because you absolutely need them to better navigate through this fast-changing world.
Some strategies to develop your soft skills
While everything is about the mindset as you will hear me say often, it’s also about strategy. Strategy is about making decisions on how to act and how to react, in the face of uncertainty. It’s about anticipating what will happen next, and how you should respond and in this case about develop your soft skills.
Here are some recommended strategies to develop your soft skills:
- know the skills you want to develop,
- learn something new and get outside your comfort zone,
- Ask for feedback when you need,
- Improve your writing skills,
- Make use of self-reflection,
- Find where to learn online,
- Take on some leadership roles,
- Learn to improve your critical-thinking skills.
Talking about the strategy for developing your soft skills, it’s also important to note that it’s not just about making decisions but also about measuring them and learning from them. This means that strategy includes the process of evaluation, which can be used as input for future decision-making.
It’s important that you have a feedback loop where you can measure your success at achieving your goals and make adjustments when necessary.
Your key takeaways how to develop your soft skills
It is important to work on developing your soft skills. Improve your ability to make good judgments and be thoughtful about decisions. This will help you improve in areas such as communication and decision-making over time.
Soft skills are a range of interpersonal, intangible, and practical skills. They are developed over time through experience or through a coaching program. Communication is a key part of soft skills, so it’s important to hone this ability by being discerning before reacting to others.
These abilities will help you stand out from other job candidates in your field and more easily navigate your career path.
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