Today’s business leaders concur that soft skills are critical to fostering employee retention and creating a meaningful workplace culture, according to Deloitte’s 2016 Global Human Capital Trends report. Unlike hard skills which are gained through education, certification, on-the-job training, etc., soft skills are interpersonal such as communication skills, adaptability and the ability to manage and…
Category: Soft Skills
The Servant Leader
“Everyone is going to draw lines for you, especially when they think you should have achieved something or proved something or become something by a specific time. But it’s your job to reimagine these lines — to cross them, to jump them, and in some cases to ignore them altogether.” Academy Award-winning actor Benicio del…
Soft Skills for Success Series—#2 Communicating Effectively
In today’s complex business environment, more and more companies are focusing on soft skills to meet the demands of being both interconnected and flexible. Whereas hard skills encompass skills gained through education, certification, on-the-job training and similar programs, soft skills are interpersonal—people skills. Soft skills include the ability to manage and control your emotions, communication…
Soft Skills for Success Series—#1 Controlling Negative Emotions
The formula for building successful teams was previously predicated on each member’s work experience and technical expertise in order to collectively execute a defined plan. Today, policy experts, trade groups, business coalitions and academics are citing soft skills as critical to both team and individual performance. In fact, a University of Michigan study revealed that soft skills training…
Five Phone Interview Questions Candidates Can Count On
Considering the costs of traditional onboarding, many organizations are opting first for phone interviews. Here are five questions candidates can count on. How does this position align with your long-term career goals? This question is frequently asked not only so that the candidate can explain how the role fits into career goals, but also to determine…
The Servant Leader
This week I was visiting with a company whose third-generation leaders aspire to increase employee engagement by developing the leadership skills of their 70+ mid-level leaders. With that context, I was asking workplace culture questions to better understand where they had been and what might be challenging in their future. During the discussion, a statement…
Turn Off Notifications to Turn On Your Ultimate Potential
Warning—by the time you’re done reading this article, you will have been presented with the option to resist, or respond to, your smartphone. In fact, Americans check their phones on average once every twelve minutes according to a study performed by global tech protection and support company Asurion. This means that they’re checking 80 times per…
Three Reasons Soft Skills Matter as Much as Smarts
Soft skills are represented by a cluster of productive personality traits including leadership, self-awareness, communication skills and emotional intelligence. While all are important ingredients for professional success, EQ, or emotional intelligence is the focus of this article. Essentially, while IQ or a person’s intellectual ability to manage ideas, knowledge and thoughts may get their foot in the door, their…
Three Habits that Heighten Your Personal Productivity Potential
Both successful and unsuccessful people have 24 hours each day, however how those hours are optimized is the key differentiator. Here are three ways to accomplish more in less time. Set daily and startup activities. As author Charles Duhigg explains in his book, The Power of Habit, following routines increases productivity levels. Regardless of your role or rank, there…
Five Ways to Engage Employees on Earth Day
Earth Day is on April 22nd and an ideal time to engage employees in a teambuilding activity. If your organization doesn’t have anything formal planned, don’t fret. Even simple activities can connect and energize employees. Celebrating Earth Day not only benefits the planet, it’s good for employees too. Here are five ways to engage employees in…