Numerous studies show that not only professional knowledge and skills are important for career advancement, but also additional psychological aspects of personality. And which of the people has such aspects better developed, as a rule, is more successful, both in professional and personal spheres.
We are talking about soft skills. And success in life directly depends on them:
- First, let’s look at the concept itself,
- then we’ll dive into its classification,
- Then we formulate when, where, and what soft skills are needed;
- and conclude with information on how to form and develop soft skills.
- In just 1-3 minutes you will know the most important things about such an unknown beast as soft skills. You will outline for yourself the way to develop important, vital qualities. But it will come in handy if you want to be successful in life. And if not, then this article is not for you, and do not waste your time on it.
Soft Skills: What Is It?
According to the definition, they relate not to professional, but to life knowledge. This concept is understood as a set of skills associated with a non-specialized activity.
Although soft skills are not directly related to a person’s work performance, they help to ensure higher productivity and more successful performance of tasks. At the same time, employers are more willing to hire people with flexible skills. However, none of the universities (at least in our country) consciously instills the discussed qualities in people.
Also, soft skills are difficult to measure, although most of them can be seen by an astute person at a glance. To intrigue you, even more, many people have soft skills as if they were born with them, and for them, such skills are very natural. And other people put a lot of effort to develop them, and not always they succeed.
This concept appeared in psychology in the middle of the last century and was associated with a new approach to the training of U.S. Army personnel. It is now popular in psychological practice. And numerous questionnaires and tests have been developed to recognize it.
And now we come to a more understandable explanation of the term. So, in the Oxford Dictionary it is explained as follows:
Soft skills – these are personal qualities of a person which allow finding a harmonious and effective interaction with other people.
Here, it turns out, is the secret of success!
What Kinds Of Soft Skills Are There?
All soft skills are divided into two big groups:
Personal skills. The list of soft skills includes responsibility, honesty, self-discipline, time management, creative thinking, optimism, etiquette, good manners, logical thinking, sociability, empathy, personal financial management, and so on.
Interpersonal skills. On the list of soft skills: the ability to work in a team, the ability to listen and hear other people, leadership, respect for other people, courtesy, empathy, the ability to argue your opinion, establish feedback with your opponent, and so on.
Who, When And What Soft Skills Are Needed?
Earlier we went over the components of soft skills only in general terms. And now let’s look specifically at what types of professions or activities will be the most relevant.
If a person works (or is going to work) in an area of work that requires creativity, then imagination and outside-the-box thinking will be important paraprofessional skills for him. It is this kind of worker who will succeed in his professional path.
And if a person has to work in a team, then a big plus to his professional knowledge will be such soft qualities, as the ability to be a leader, to build communications properly, and to listen to others.
In turn, if a successful person is engaged in financial activity, he will necessarily have analytical thinking, a structured mind, quick reaction, the ability to take responsibility, attentiveness, accuracy.
An important thing for a manager is initiative, the ability to make a positive impression on people, the ability to convince and emotionally deliver information.
How To Develop Soft Skills And Become More Successful?
One of the most successful and rich people on the planet once wrote down, “A prudent person thinks through his steps. If we take his advice into account, then a prudent person should understand what qualities he needs for a successful career or personal life, and try to develop them.
Today psychologists are ready to name ways in which soft skills can be successfully developed so that they, in the end, will also make a person successful.
Modern ways to develop soft skills come down to the following aspects:
- Self-development. It is necessary to read, listen, watch, but most importantly put into practice tips from articles, books, lectures and so on. But the result will be noticeable only if you have good self-discipline.
- Work with a mentor. In the above case, a coach or psychologist will work with you, allowing you to develop certain flexible skills. It is best to go with him not only in theory but also in practice. Also, simply working through certain brakes-barriers with a good psychologist has proven to be a good idea.
- Attending courses. Today there are many courses that allow you to develop those or other necessary qualities for a successful life.
It remains only to think about what soft skills you would like to develop in yourself to achieve your goals. Then you should analyze which of these ways of soft skills development suits you best, learn more about the psychology of a career. And then you need to act! Having developed soft skills, you can definitely become more successful in all areas of life!
Bio: Rebecca Carter works as an essay writer for an online writing company that provides college essay writing help for students. She has Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and thanks to her company Rebecca can write articles about her experience. In her free time, she enjoys being in the mountains, going to the gym, horseback riding, and volunteering.