Top 5 Reasons Why your Team needs Soft Skills Training
Imagine your favorite meal neatly laid out in front of you, it looks so tempting that without further delay you dig right in and take a bite. Sadly, its appearance and taste don’t match. One small and seemingly insignificant ingredient made the difference- salt.
Hard/technical skills and soft/people skills can be understood by the same analogy. Your favorite meal being your dream job, its appearance corresponding to technical skills and Salt being the Soft Skills. Hard skills do help you in landing a job but in order to make the dish palatable or to keep your job in the long run, one needs to pay attention to the Soft Skills too. Humans are social animals; from the time we are born till we bid goodbye to this world. Other people play a crucial role in our survival and hence human relationships assume centrality. The Corporate space is no exception. It heavily relies on a certain chain of command and breaking down tasks to be handled by specific teams. Numerous studies have shown a positive correlation among soft skills training, productivity and ROI.
Here are the top 5 reasons why Soft Skills are indispensable for your team:
o Communication- The inability to convey one’s thoughts, needs and wants is not only a frustrating experience but can lead to misunderstandings which result in undesirable consequences. Communication binds teams together, without it the team lacks efficiency, harmony and the ability to pull together in a crisis. Inefficient communication can have a snowball effect, starting from your team and negatively impacting the organization as a whole. Training in Soft Skills results in better communication, whereby individuals can adjust their style and tone according to their audience, comprehend and act efficiently on instructions, and explain complex issues to colleagues and clients alike.
o Problem Solving- Challenges and hurdles are inevitable for a team. Apart from Analytical, Creative and Critical Thinking, a particular mindset is needed for Problem Solving. Those who can approach a problem with a cool and level head will often reach a solution more efficiently than those who cannot. The ability to know who can help you reach a solution, and how they can do it can be of great advantage.
o Inter personal skills, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution- when working as a team, we must understand its team members, each with his/her own identity. Expression of this individualism often leads to difference of opinion. To be an adept negotiator is to know how to be Persuasive and exert Influence, while sensitively seeking a solution which will benefit all parties. Similarly, Conflict Resolution depends on strong Interpersonal Skills and the ability to establish a rapport with team mates and customers alike.
o Ability to work under Pressure and Time Management- stringent deadlines accompanied by high stakes is a situation teams are well versed with. Amidst this, having a decisive attitude, an unfaltering ability to think clearly, the capacity to compartmentalize and set stress aside is highly valued. Time management, often called the backbone of efficiency is closely related to the ability to work under pressure, as well as within tight deadlines. Teams which can successfully prioritize and organize tasks stand out and push their way through demanding times and naturally contribute consistently to the organization.
o Leadership- it is a misconception that leadership is associated with people who directly manage others. Irrespective of the position, this leadership skill is appreciated and desirable. Leadership is a broad term which encompasses taking ownership of one’s actions, taking an initiative, being able to adapt to unprecedented circumstances, knowing when to guide others and when to follow. Leadership is a beautiful and highly productive result of soft skills training, it not only ensures that the team has a direction but also recognizes, and effectively utilizes individual strengths of team members.
Emotional intelligence- a term coined by Peter Salavoy and John Mayer, popularized by Daniel Goleman is mainstream knowledge now.Academicians placing it at par with, or even above IQ is something most are unaware of. EI is the essence of soft skills and the 5 reasons mentioned above are offshoots of the same. Strong soft skills in a team ensures a productive, collaborative and healthy work environment, all vital attributes for organizations in an increasingly competitive world.
Original Source: Top 5 Reasons Why your Team needs Soft Skills Training