Skills, everyone has them! But do you lend enough attention to those that aren’t physical or academic? What about your ability to work well as a team? Or empathise with people? Those are called soft skills, which, to the surprise of many, are all very important factors in any job role. Some, in particular, are more important than others and are often essential to forge a successful career, here’s what we deem as important.

Soft Skills to Focus On

Two hands holding puzzle pieces
  • Communication – Being able to communicate well is essential for many reasons. Being able to adjust your tone and persona to suit who you are talking to is vital when in the workplace. As well as this, communication in leadership is important, being able to delegate accordingly is the difference between a good and great leader, and as we all know the effectiveness of a leader makes up how success the team will work together.
  • Problem-solving – By problem-solving we mean those that can remain calm in a high-pressure situation and work with others to achieve a solution. This is a much-desired skill that employers look for.
  • Listening – Being a good listener is not only an excellent asset to hold in the workplace, but in life in general. It’s an underdog characteristic! Too many people fail to fine tune their ability to not only give in a conversation but to listen to what the other recipient has to say and respond accordingly.
  • Adaptable – The ability to easily adapt to any situation you’re thrown into is very important. Think of it in the sense of a wild animal. In order to survive they must adapt well to the environment they’re encountering, a sink or swim situation. Now, we’re not saying you should be prepared to battle in a life or death situation, but knowing how to comport yourself according to your surroundings goes a long way.
people in suits having a meeting and two people shaking hands
  • Approachable – This, in my opinion, is one of the most powerful characteristics to hold. The way other people perceive you can get you many places. If people feel they can approach you with ease then you’re likely to forge lasting, genuine relationships within the workplace. If you’re of management level, this can be very beneficial. If the leader is approachable, it encourages the team to give maximum effort. After all, if someone feels able to express themselves and appreciated, they’re going to want to do more than what is required.
  • Time Management – Being able to manage your time is not only an essential element of working life, but is a great indicator of your character. If you’re punctual and putting in the effort to get your work out on time, it shows that you’re an organised and dependable person, which is what an employer wants.

Why Do They Matter?

So, why are soft skills really important? Because how we interact with others defines who we are and how we do business. If we can build strong relationships within the workplace, then we have an advantage when it comes to bettering ourselves and gaining progression in our career. Why not lend some time to training up your soft skills by taking on board some of the points above – it’s sure to make a difference!

How We Can Help

As well as having top class soft skills, you need to have a keen eye for anything that could improve your company, processes that will make your lives easier – this will leave a lasting impression on senior management. This is where we can help you, why not consider our Cloud based ERP, there’s no doubt that it can improve your retail business, but not only that, it can be accessed from anywhere! So get on board with our revolutionary ERP on the go and see your business soar.