Soft Skills Will Make or Break You: So Find Out What They Are

The polished apple gets picked, and management seems always to have the most polish or, better put, soft skills. You can hire someone with specific hard skills for the job needing to be done, but it isn’t easy to find people engaged with enough soft skills to fit into the organization.

We pick our friends, for the most part, based on their soft skills. But, of course, if something is broken in our house, we like the neighbor with the right hard skills and hope they have enough soft skills (caring, empathy, and concern) not to be offended. So, of course, a lack of soft skills is a bigger problem, but it should be mentioned in the job posting.

Hard skills vs. soft skills

The key differences between hard and soft skills are how they are gained and used in everyday life and the workplace. Hard skills are often achieved through education or specific training. They include competencies like how to use a particular machine, software, or another tool.

Soft skills are often seen as personality traits you may have spent your whole life developing. They are called upon when you manage your time, communicate with others, or talk about a problematic situation for the first time.

Soft Skills are People Skills.

Ability to work in a team

Ability to make decisions and solve problems

Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize

Ability to communicate verbally with people

Ability to obtain & process information

Ability to get along with others

Adaptability

Assertiveness

Attitude

Awareness

Body Language

Caring

Completing tasks on time

Communication

Communication Verbal

Communication Non-Verbal

Communication Visual

Communication Written

Critical Thinking

Collaboration

Cooperation

Competitiveness

Conflict Resolution

Creative Thinking

Courtesy

Dispute Resolution

Decision Making

Dependability

Dealing with Difficult People

Emotional Intelligence

Empathy

Etiquette

Ethics

Focused & Organize

Friendliness

Giving Feedback

Honesty

Helpfulness

Interpersonal Skills

Kindness

Listening

Leadership Skill

Loyalty

Likeability

Manners

Public Speaking

Punctuality

Perseverance

Persistence

Problem-solving

Positive Attitude

People Skills

Politeness

Resilience

Self Awareness

Self Confidence

Self-Motivation

Teamwork

Tolerance

Time Management

Trustworthy

Work Ethic

(And More)

I wrote a list of skills like this to address the statement and challenge in the title: Soft Skills Will Make or Break You - So Find Out What They Are.

It would be best to consider this: It is no coincidence that management and leaders today have the most soft organizational skills. But, as you ponder, think that this is why they tell you they value hard skills more in their job search skill requirements.

Being a Good Listener is a Soft Skill →

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“Be a good listener,” Dale Carnegie advised in his 1936 classic How to Win Friends and Influence People. “Ask questions the other person will enjoy answering.”

Rather than pushing your point of view when it is very different, the other person uses a curious approach to communication. An example would be meeting the other end of view with a question like: “I never thought of that point of view. What is it that leads you to that conclusion.”

Six things needed to be a good listener

• #1 Your thoughts have not drifted, and you are in the here & now.

• #2 Distractions don't get in the way of what the person is saying

• #3 You're excited and curious to hear what is said

• #4 You're sincere and open-minded about the questions and haven’t prejudged the anticipated answers

• #5 Your hearing, sight, and other senses are working

• #6 You ask the right questions.

“Hearing Aids Matter”

Preparation is a Soft Skill but it may require intuition →

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Soft skills require preparation, such as time management, interpersonal communications, team building, listening, and negotiation.

You must discern what is needed as you prepare, or you will find yourself “all dressed up with nowhere to go.” (Maybe even wearing the wrong coat for the terrain)

Intuitiveness, the ability to know or understand something because of feelings rather than facts or proof, is a soft skill, and it will happen when you research why you are preparing.

Holding the chalk right and having what your right with it readable counts ………………..

Soft Skills can be the deciding factor and can impact everyone and everything →

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Hard Skills are essential in finding and doing your job, but Soft Skills can make a critical difference even when you get a job.

Some say success is just a matter of showing up on time. If that is true, then soft skills made the difference because showing up on time is a soft skill. You can have all the hard skills in the world, but you're in trouble if you don’t show up or get along with people.

Your work ethic, attitude, communication skills, emotional intelligence, and a host of other personal attributes are the soft skills crucial for career success. With these soft skills, you can excel as a leader.

Which is more important Soft or Hard Skills? →

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In the customer age, soft skills have become more critical than ever. Problem-solving, delegating, motivating, and team building are much easier if you have good soft skills. Knowing how to get along with people and having a positive attitude is crucial for success.

Soft skills will make your hard skills more valuable. Hard skills are teachable and often technical, such as economic analysis, strategic planning, or design. Soft skills fall in the interpersonal realm and include listening, team-building, and leadership development. They are taught less than cultivated. More about soft skills at Connected Events Matter Career Development Section under Soft Skills.

There is an ongoing debate about the importance of soft and hard skills, both necessary and complementary.

Even so, some things bug us, and it is unclear whether it is a soft skill that will solve it or maybe just a hammer.