adminNyaradzo Mavindidze Motivation for Success
SEVERAL people have walked up to me and asked me what I do for a living and every time I tell them that I am a management consultant specialising in soft skills training I have to explain in detail what I actually do.
I have since realised that the best way to do this is by explaining the difference between hard and soft skills.
Hard skills are specific abilities and usually related to professional knowledge, tools or techniques.
For example, the ability to use software programmes, analyse data, operate specific machinery, or being a certified professional in any field can be considered hard skills.
Soft skills aren’t as easy to define. They include business etiquette, time management, customer service, emotional intelligence communication skills, creativity, leadership, adaptability, attitude, etc.
Soft skills are usually handy in cases where two or more professionals have similar technical skills.
In such cases interviewers tend to use soft skills to determine who they should hire. In other words, while hard skills help you to secure an interview, it is the soft skills that will get you the job. An advanced proficiency in soft skills can really accelerate your career!
There are several key aspects that are critical in soft skills.
Skill 1: Prioritise accurately
The ability to prioritise is usually ranked as the most important. An average person might prioritise their projects based on the order they were given — first in, first out. Or they will move from project to project, depending on which project is wanted irst.
However, you will enjoy more career success if you are able to look at your projects and know which are most important as you are implementing them.
This requires understanding how each project maps to the company’s goals. It requires having a good grasp of the business you are in.
It requires the ability to ask the right questions and offer solutions. It also requires one to manage their manager’s expectations.
Skill 2: Communicate effectively
I’m sure you can guess my answer to what soft skill is most important! For me, in-person communication still matters most. An average person doesn’t think about how his message will be received on the other end. They will text or email because it’s faster and more comfortable. They will prepare a presentation at the last minute because they don’t understand its importance.
You will definitely experience more career success if you understand when a face-to-face is needed and how to prepare for in-person communication. For example, if you work from home, do you make regular visits to the main office? Do you know how to communicate with members of different generations?
A text might be most effective to communicate with an intern, while a conversation might be better for an engineering manager.
Skill 3: Demonstrate Social Savvy
Although the first two skills I have mentioned might be predictable, this next one may not be: social savviness (that’s social media savviness). To be clear, knowing how to post on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are hard skills that nearly everyone entering the job market knows, however, it’s the social savvy that’s important.
For example, do you understand how to manage your online reputation?
Do you know how to separate your personal persona from work?
Do you know how to use Twitter to start and engage in professional conversations?
Do you know how to creatively use social media to engage prospects and customers online?
The list goes on and next week we explore more on how to get you ahead of the pack.
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