Why they’re important & how to get better at them.
Hard skills are great. We need people who code and design. We need people who construct buildings.
But we also need more people in business with these soft skills.
Hard skills can be taught with relative ease. Soft skills? Not so much.
But you can absolutely improve.
Skill 1: Engagement
Why is it important?
If you’re not engaged, you’re not really living. You’re just sort of existing. And I don’t want to float through life. I want to actively partake.
When I first started my job, I hated it. Soon enough I realized the problem was me. So I decided to engage. 12 years later and I’ve built a career I enjoy.
How to Increase it:
- Solve problems within your scope. Don’t be a complainer.
- Look for ways to improve the company. Every role can have leadership built into it.
- Partake in events, sign up for committees, take lead on a presentation.
Skill 2: Leadership
Why is it important?
Without leaders, nothing gets done. But leaders aren’t built via title, they’re built via character.
Leadership should improve efficiency and help achieve goals. It’s also about making the mission bigger than yourself.
How to Increase it:
- Understand you are a servant of your people.
- Take time to care about people and get to know them.
- Seek to understand psychology, philosophy and the building of systems. Good systems lead to good outcomes.
Skill 3: Communication
Why is it important?
You don’t exist in a bubble. You accomplish nothing of significant value without others’ help.
Even this- writing on Medium- feels like a ‘Me’ job. But I didn’t create this platform. I didn’t get better at writing without reading other writers. And without an audience…