There’s nothing “soft” about soft skills

Another name for soft skills is "people skills" or "interpersonal skills." These terms are used to describe the personality skills, communication abilities, and social aptitudes (EQ) that help individuals interact effectively and harmoniously with others in both personal and professional settings. Soft skills include traits such as communication, teamwork, adaptability, problem-solving, and empathy, Unlike technical or hard skills, which are job-specific and can be easily measured, soft skills are more difficult to quantify but are equally important for personal and professional success.

Back in 1936, Dale Carnegie’s famous self-help book ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ was published. His work, with a staggering 30 million+ sold, actually does not use these words, but has been used as the holy authority to soft skills.

“Soft” doesn’t do justice to what these skills actually entail. To many the word soft means being a pushover. In the world of sports, it means you are a “flopper”. When I think about it (outside my work), it means easily caving to pressure, having no voice, and the Pillsbury dough boy. He’s certainly cute in his little baker’s hat as he gets poked in his adorable soft belly, but his character at work is waaaaay less than desirable.

Winning friends and influencing people are skills that are anything but soft. These skills require excellent communication abilities, being skillful at reading people, and dealing with negotiations in a thoughtful and practiced way. Thankfully, we are seeing more and more employers hiring people based on whole people (cultural fit, communication skills, self-awareness, and willingness to change) at the same time recognizing that “hard skills” can be easily picked up later.

Soft skills do come more easily to some than others, but they are also transferrable and can be taught. I have witnessed multiple executives learn soft skills through hard work. It has improved their professional AND personal lives.

Let’s call them powerskills. 71% of employers value emotional intelligence over IQ, reporting that employees with high emotional intelligence are more likely to stay calm under pressure, resolve conflict effectively, and respond to co-workers with empathy.

Do you need help on your power skills? What would happen if your team worked on their Power Skills?

I am here to help. I focus on personality types with the Enneagram and the Power Skills that each type has, as well as how to effectively leverage your power skills using the 4 Dynamics of Communication, Conflict, Feedback and Goal Setting.