5 Soft Skills You Must Develop To Succeed In Life
85% of our success depends on our soft skills and 15% on our technical skills and know-how. Yet we give too much importance to that 15%, neglecting 85% in the success equation.
I repeatedly emphasise the importance of developing soft skills to gain success in work and life, to the point that I risk being hackneyed. Yet, it is true that the only distinguishing factor you may have from others is that you developed soft skills. When you look around your small circle of relatives, friends, and acquaintances and try to ascertain who is successful, whom do you zero in on? In most cases, the person will be someone with well-developed soft skills.
It is said that 85% of success comes from soft skills developed over time. This does not mean skills like technical knowledge and know-how are less important. Acquiring a technical degree is important, but it is only 15% of the success formula. We give too much importance to the 15%, neglecting the 85%. Your technical or other core knowledge may fetch you a job, but to hold on to that job and deliver successfully, and climb the success ladder, you need to master soft skills.
The irony is, no course or university degree can teach you to master the soft skills required to succeed. Our education system is built around imparting hard skills. Soft skills can only be acquired on the go with plenty of practice, consciously at the beginning, till rehearsing it becomes an unconscious habit, your second nature.
You may be a talented person with a high level of skills, but you will never climb the success ladder if you do not have the soft skills to help you in your journey of success, which is full of treacherous bends and potholes.
To succeed, you must work with the people around you. You cannot succeed alone. You must work as a contributing team member to make a difference and achieve success. To connect with people around you, you need well-developed soft skills.
So, here are a few tips for you to focus on developing your soft skills.
Communication: Communication is an inherent human skill. We communicate without even realising that we are doing it. But very seldom is our communication effective because of a lack of clarity. Instead of saying vaguely that we need to meet, say, “Let us meet at 2 pm to discuss and decide on X”. Be as specific as possible while you communicate for the most effective results. To learn more about being effective communicator, read A Few Lifehacks To Be A Better Team Player And Effective Communicator.
Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence is being aware of your surroundings. Look around you, gauge the mood of the people in the room before you speak. Your ideas will fall flat if people are not ready for them. Saying the right thing at the right time, in the right way, is a skill not easily developed. It requires a lot of emotional maturity, which can only be formed with long and conscious practice.
Adaptability: Adaptability is mastering the art of being flexible to the right degree at the right moment. Being rigid in your opinions will lead to failure when dealing with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Be like a bamboo, flexible, supple, yet strong enough to withstand a storm and not break, unlike an oak that is rigid, strong, but cannot withstand a storm and break. Every storm, difficult time is an opportunity to learn. Learn to survive today to fight your battle tomorrow on your terms.
Active Listening: Listening is an important aspect of communication skills, and important enough to require a separate mention. Active listening is different from ordinary listening. In active listening, you listen to understand, not to respond. Refrain from responding, which is our instinct. Instead, put your energy into understanding what is being said. Take notes, if necessary and focus on understanding the meaning by going in-depth.
Conflict Resolution: The most important soft skill you need to develop is the ability to manage conflict resolution. Conflict is a part of our lives. The better you learn to resolve conflicts and interpersonal issues, the more successful you will be. Learn to settle the problems by building personal relationships with people around you. Approach people and speak with them instead of sending angry messages through email.
Remember, to succeed, you need both the hard and soft skills. Both complement each other rather than exclude each other. Your technical skills may land you a job, but the right soft skills will help you get promotions.
For further reading on soft skills and how to acquire them, read:
Enhancing Soft Skills Is The Only Way Forward For New Job Aspirants
and
A Few Hard Truths About Soft Skills
All the best.