Technical skills- how to make, fix or improve things are the baseline of any organisation. You need a mechanic to know how to fix your car. You need a financial expert to calculate company payroll. You need medically trained staff to diagnose and treat illnesses.
However it’s soft skills which are the mortar that hold the bricks of organisations, employees and customers together and ensure all can flourish, especially during a pandemic.
Regardless of where you are in your career journey, it’s soft skills that will help you secure roles and progress in your career.
This top 10 is my personal choice and chimes with the current time and circumstances we find ourselves in. They are focused more on supporting others rather than developing yourself. I’ll explore those separately in a future post.
1. Team players
People who put the team before themselves, are happy to cover for staff who are absent, help out at short notice and support less experienced colleagues. They enjoy collective success and contribute to staff feeling a sense belonging.
2. Enablers
Those who miraculously anticipate, often before you do, what you might need, ready to offer support, whether it’s organising events, meetings, documents or assisting with planning. Staff who often help us save face.
3. Gratitude
Staff who show authentic appreciation to individuals and teams who have gone the extra mile and who go out of their way to ensure you know they appreciate it.
4. Trust
A boss or colleagues who have your back create a two-way climate of trust and loyalty. In turn, you will do your best work for or with these people.
5. Innovation
People who are skilled at bringing others together to explore the bigger picture and collaborate to improve systems or processes. They look beyond their team boundaries and acknowledge the value of different views, expertise and roles.
6. Humour
The ability to diffuse stress and sometimes poke fun at situations so people are able to see the ridiculousness of organisational politics is a valuable skill. The ability to make people laugh is a great contributor to staff wellbeing.
7. Resilience and flexibility
I’ve grouped these two together as recent months have often required both qualities simultaneously. The ability to stay calm, a willingness to work differently and adapt to unprecedented circumstances are valuable skills. The willingness to support colleagues who are uncomfortable with change is an added bonus.
8. Curiosity
Those who are keen to experiment with new approaches or technologies, to get stuck in and encourage others has been critical during the pandemic as we have all needed to adapt to different circumstances and ways of doing things. Curiosity to keep learning and developing is a key skill.
9. Communication
When times are turbulent, the ability to communicate clearly, frequently and in different ways helps others to stay calm and ride the waves of change more easily. Knowing what’s expected and why significantly helps to reduce staff stress.
10. Emotional awareness
This is a broad heading but in this context it’s the ability to notice how people are feeling, especially in virtual meetings. Some people just seem to know instinctively when to check in with a colleague to see how they’re doing.
How have you supported your colleagues, customers and organisation during the Pandemic?
During the pandemic we have all had to work differently and will have used and developed our soft skills. It’s worth reflecting back on how you’ve used yours.
It can feel more challenging to ‘promote’ your altruistic skills. They aren’t necessarily big and showy. A kind word to a colleague, expressing gratitude and demonstrating new software may not feel as though you’re setting the world on fire. However, by contributing to staff wellbeing, the ultimate impact on your organisation’s bottom line is unquestionable. These are the skills that have helped people navigate and survive the pandemic.
Make sure you capture the contribution you’ve made with the skills you can demonstrate, whether you’re looking to progress in your career or simply updating your CV.
In times of adversity and change, we really discover who we are and what we’re made of.” – Howard Schultz
