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The importance of soft skills
It is often said 'People don't underperform due to lack of technical skills but because of their lack of soft skills.' In my career, I have seen quite many guys not going up to the ladder although they had the required skill set relating to their field. This is really pathetic, isn't it?
It is first necessary to know the difference between hard and soft skills. When it comes to skills in employment, the first line of emphasis is typically towards
abilities, training and knowledge of specific skill sets. These are referred to as hard skills. For example, if you an accountant, accounting skills are your hard skills. Similarly, if you are a software engineer, your hard skills are your coding ability and knowledge relating to tools and technology relevant to your designation. On the other hand, soft skills include our ability to listen well, communicate effectively, be positive, handle
conflict, accept responsibility, show respect, build trust, work well with others, manage time effectively, accept criticism, work under pressure, be likable, and demonstrate good manners. Our personal qualities, habits, and attitudes influence how we interact and work with others. Companies value soft skills because they are often linked to job performance and career success. Soft skills may mean the difference between who
can do the job and who actually gets the job.
Now question is: why soft skills are so important? Well, you need it because you can't work alone. Either you are working in a team or with a team. You are reporting to your boss and you are dealing with your team members, subordinates and other teams. If you can't communicate well, you might not know what is expected from you and what you are expecting from
others. There are so many different types of people work within a company that you need to know how to deal with them to get the best possible outcome. You can't treat everyone the same way, so your personal qualities and attitudes are important.
Research shows that individuals with good interpersonal and selfmanagement abilities have better career success and contribute far more to their organizations than people with only excellent technical skills. Top companies are best in the business simply because they put more emphasis on soft skills of their employees. Hard skills can be trained but if there is a serious gap regarding someone's soft skills; it's quite possible for him/her to progress in the career path smoothly enough. If career path is compared to water flow, bad soft skills are like stones that hinder the flow of water and make the progress slowed or stopped.
More often than not, the key to successfully hiring candidates is to evaluate how well they fit into the company and its culture. The way someone interacts and communicates with others can make or break the efficiency of work on the job. And even after hiring, continuous nurturing and
polishing is required to make them contribute in the best possible way.
Finally, I would say that soft skills should not be termed as soft skills anymore - employers as well as employees should take these skills more seriously and should even prioritize them over the so called hard skills.
The writer is a motivational speaker & Corporate Coach. He's one of the co-founders of optiMA HR Solutions.
M MURSHED HAIDER