Importance of soft skills at workplace

Soft skills are the basic emotional and intellectual skills possessed by an individual. They are not something acquired from any technical knowledge but something natural and inbuilt in an individual. Skills like communication skills, interpersonal skills, personality skills, attributes of navigating their surroundings to work well and accomplishing their goals and objectives and also some basic social and emotional intelligence quotients are the different aspects of soft skills and define what personality or trait an individual has. They are generally helpful in our career and work environments.

The following are some of the major soft skills that an individual must grow and develop to get the best out of him/her and how important they are at our workplace:

Communication skills (Verbal and Non-verbal)

Our ability to communicate effectively is the key to success for both, our personal as well as professional relationships. In fact, not only words but our non-verbal cues and our body language also speak about us. The speaker's message should be very clear to the receiver whether they are colleagues, seniors, friends or boss. Communication being a two-way process also includes effective listening along with speaking. A speaker needs to be a good listener too and also be able to decode or interpret the message correctly. People with very good communication skills (in whichever language) are more likely to get hired for jobs.

Self-motivation

Self-motivation is the ability to do things which are needed to be done without any outer influence or situations. It is a force that comes from within the individual to do things. It keeps us going even in challenging situations and to take up opportunities to achieve our goals. Understanding and developing self-motivation skills will help us to take initiatives in different situations. It makes us confident about ourselves and can help us take control of various aspects of professional life.

Leadership

Leadership is an important tool in management which helps to increase efficiency in work while working as a team. A person should possess leadership qualities in order to be a successful leader. He/she must be able to guide his/her subordinates to perform their duties effectively and efficiently. A good leader has a strong team with subordinates who have good coordination and synchronisation.

Responsibility

Being responsible can maximize one's work efficiency. When a person is assigned with a particular task, he/she is expected to complete the task with full responsibility in order to achieve certain results. A person who is responsible can be relied on and trusted. So in a workplace, responsibility should be given to those who are capable of doing the work on time and also consider themselves responsible for their own actions and decisions.

Teamwork

In an organisation, we are required to work alongside others. The most important skill is teamwork. It is the ability and the capability of an individual to work well with others while meetings, team projects, during conversations or collaborations. Working as a team will produce creative and unique perspectives which will give rise to effective solutions. It establishes a sense of trust among individuals of the team so that they can rely on and encourage each other.

Problem-solving

This skill is defined as the process of acquiring solutions to a doubtful and difficult situation or matter. Possessing such a skill helps us face and encounter all the problems on a daily basis. It can be seen that due to poor problem-solving skills, businesses might go down. Every company or organisation has a goal and to achieve that goal there will be barriers. Problem-solving includes resolving and overcoming those barriers that result in the immediate achievement of a particular goal. So an individual should always try to solve the problems and produce alternative options instead of just avoiding them. 

Decision making

A person who has good problem-solving skills might have effective decision-making skills. When there are different solutions for a single matter, someone has to choose the best and the most efficient decision which will produce the best results. It might be a good decision for others as well. In an organisation, the management is given a number of alternative solutions so they have to critically examine which decision will have the best outcome. This skill is important in the fields of planning, controlling, directing and staffing.

Time Management

Time management is an important soft skill especially for those who are working in a company or an organisation. Companies generally prefer candidates who can multitask and are punctual. They expect people can complete multiple assignments by the given deadline. A person has to be quick in managing the time allotted to him/her so as to complete the assignments without any inconvenience. Following a regular schedule might help individuals manage time properly.

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

An individual who might be a leader or a team worker or a subordinate should have this skill apart from the others. For example - while working in a team, one might have good teamwork skills but there are also variations in the opinions of different team members. Sometimes conflict might arise due to that. So it is important to look for solutions by which the conflicts can be resolved. It should be used as an aspect of creativity. Negotiating with others will help in getting a perception of the other individuals. So be constructive and have patience.

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All the soft skills play a very efficient role in defining who we are and what we are capable of by doing things out of our comfort zone. It enhances a person's personality and brings out the best version of him/her. We all want to have a good personality so that in the future when we will be at the verge of making our career, our soft skills will only help us in making it a success. It's very important to polish the skills we have.