If you’ve been involved in the business world, you’ve no doubt heard of soft skills before. It may sound like other buzzwords such as “synergy” and “growth hacking” to you, but soft skills are quite important.
It cannot be easy to remember all the soft skills off the top of your head and you might be able to remember only one, like interpersonal skills.
Below, we’re going to give a quick recap of the seven different soft skills we think are the most valuable and see which one is the most important for you.
Flexibility
Yes, flexibility is a soft-skill as businesses are looking for people who can adapt and change their plans based on what’s currently happening. As Mike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
Being flexible is also about being able to wear more than one hat at a time and become a jack-of-all-trades for your company.
Problem Solving Skills
Are you able to identify a problem and find a solution to resolve it? Then you have solid problem-solving skills.
Even though you may be following the book, there are always going to be little bumps in the road and glitches along the way. You have to be able to search for solutions and help your company solve these problems.
Teamwork
Even freelancers should have solid teamwork skills. Those that work alone will eventually have to collaborate with others unless you won the lottery and can spend all day tanning on your private island.
It’s vital that you are able to show you can join forces with others to work in harmony and accomplish goals together.
Interpersonal Skills
Perhaps the broadest category on this list, interpersonal skills are also called “people skills” from time to time. It’s all about building relationships, establishing rapport, and being a sound negotiator and diplomat.
Interpersonal skills are important in not just the business world, but everyday life as well. They also involve being respectful to others and knowing when to listen and not speak.
Work Ethic
Everyone likes to say they have a “great” work ethic, right? But, is the proof actually in the pudding?
Even though you have a superior, no one wants to spend time micromanaging you and making sure you’re actually doing your job. After training is complete, you should be able to do your job without being reminded every so often.
Communication Skills
From the outside, communication skills seem to tie in closely with interpersonal skills but there are some key differences.
Communication skills primarily have five unique components: verbal, non-verbal, aural, written, and visual. It’s important to learn how each one can affect your daily tasks. Proper communication can clear up issues and resolve conflicts before they boil over into something worse.
Leadership
At the end of the day, companies want people who can stick around and end up leading and directing others. For some, leadership skills come naturally but for others, they come with learned practice and determination.
There is no perfect blueprint to being the ideal leader, so it takes some time to figure out your certain style and how you can better lead others.
Which One is the Most Important?
It’s almost impossible to pick the most important, but having solid communication skills can easily be the most beneficial for your career.
With proper communication skills, other skills can fall in line as you’ll learn and improve on your interpersonal skills, teamwork, and leadership skills.