Soft Skills – what are they?
July 23, 2010 by Hannah McNamara
Filed under Articles
The term ‘Soft Skills’ is used to refer to an individual’s ability to connect with other people effectively. A measure of a person’s soft skills is their Emotional Intelligence Quotient or EQ.
A person’s soft skills become more important as their climb the organisational ladder and by the time they reach a senior management level, they are often more important than their technical skills.
The types of skills normally referred to as ‘soft skills’ include:
- Leadership skills
- Management skills
- Conflict management
- Establishing rapport
- Decision-making
- Problem-solving
- Time management
- Motivating others
- Communication skills
- Delegation
- Being strategic
- Office politics
- Personal impact
The list goes on.
For more senior personnel and executives who need to develop these skills, sending them on a course is not always appropriate and can occasionally undermine their status and self-esteem. An alternative is for them to work with an executive coach or mentor.
This allows them to work on their soft skills in a private environment away from the prying eyes of their staff and peers where they can practice, brainstorm and get the support they need.
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Related article: How to choose an Executive Coach
