{"id":8100,"date":"2023-02-07T14:10:43","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T14:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/presspay.ng\/news\/?p=8100"},"modified":"2023-02-07T14:10:46","modified_gmt":"2023-02-07T14:10:46","slug":"5-pivotal-soft-skills-essential-for-success-in-todays-global-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/presspay.ng\/news\/5-pivotal-soft-skills-essential-for-success-in-todays-global-market\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Pivotal Soft Skills Essential For Success In Today\u2019s Global Market"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Some business leaders still believe imposed pressure, iron-fisted leadership and punitive criticism build the organization and the company\u2019s bottom line. Plus, they think if leaders require employees to work longer and harder, the business gets a bigger bang for its buck. I spoke to a CEO of a major corporation who said he was glad his employees were not taking all their vacation days because it saved the company money. What he failed to see was his outdated practices don\u2019t increase profits; they increase stress, which in turn undermines engagement and profitability; whereas, soft skills decrease stress and increase engagement and profits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lingering Myth Of Soft Versus Hard Skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A lingering myth links soft skills\u2014such as compassion, trust, empathy, connection and kindfulness\u2014with weakness and ineptness, stigmatizing them as irrelevant and less valuable than hard, technical skills. Experts say that tough business leaders who prioritize hard skills to prevent soft skills from undercutting profits are opposing themselves. They mistakenly think putting pressure on employees will increase performance and profits when it increases high levels of stress that carry a number of costs to both businesses and employees. Hard science<\/em> demonstrates that there\u2019s nothing soft about soft skills <\/em>and that they are the foundation for job engagement, performance, employee well-being and the company\u2019s bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A survey of 5,164 talent professionals and hiring managers by\u00a0LinkedIn\u2019s Global Talent Trends Report<\/a>, reported that 80% of respondents said soft skills are increasingly important in today\u2019s business world, 92% said human capabilities and soft skills matter as much or more than hard skills, and 89% of said when a hire doesn\u2019t work out, it usually boils down to a lack of soft skills. Deloitte predicts that soft-skill intensive occupations will account for two-thirds of all jobs by 2030 and grow at 2.5 times the rate of jobs in other occupations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the real myth is that we have to choose one over the other when the key is a balance of both hard and soft skills. \u201cWhile hard skills may get a candidate\u2019s foot in the door,\u201d admits Lydia Liu of Global Talent Trends, \u201cit\u2019s soft skills that ultimately open it.\u201d Cynthia Germanotta, President of Born This Way Foundation agrees. \u201cYou can make tough business decisions, be productive and<\/em> have strong profits and do it with dignity, kindness and compassion. It\u2019s a tool, not just some fuzzy word.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five Pivotal Soft Skills In Today\u2019s Global Market<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

#1. Self-compassion<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/em>Research shows that self-care and self-compassion reduce job stress and fuel job performance and achievement. Brain science shows that self-compassion isn\u2019t just about liking yourself. It\u2019s a tool for career success\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>failure. If you can approach yourself with kindness and curiosity, it prevents the flood of stress hormones when you\u2019re under the gun. According to expert Dr. Kristin Neff, author of\u00a0Fierce Self Compassion<\/em>, \u201cIt helps us gain success, and it helps us deal with failure, which helps us succeed,\u201d she told me. \u201cThe way you grow and learn is by dealing productively with failure. If you go into shame mode after failure, it\u2019s not going to allow you to grow or take risks. You can be vulnerable, learn\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0grow if you have your own back with self-compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2. Trust In The Company.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>Behavioral economists<\/a>\u00a0show that trustworthiness leads to higher economic gains and increases information sharing, openness, fluidity and cooperation in the workplace. Data from\u00a0Deloitte<\/a>\u00a0show that trusted companies outperform their peers by up to 400%, directly correlating with the bottom line. Customers who trust a brand are 88% more likely to buy again. And 79% of employees who trust their employers are more motivated to work and less likely to leave. The winning formula to build trust is\u00a0Honesty + Transparency,\u00a0<\/em>according to Deloitte. When companies demonstrate\u00a0humanity<\/em>, workers are 1.5 times more likely to defend their employer after someone\u2019s criticism. When they show\u00a0transparency<\/em>, employees are 1.5 times more likely to positively review their employer on a public website. When they show\u00a0capability<\/em>, employees are 33%\u00a0less\u00a0<\/em>likely to look for another job. And when they exhibit\u00a0reliability<\/em>, employees are 1.5 times more likely to recommend their employer to a friend, family member or colleague.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#3 Empathy.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Studies show that the expression of empathy has far-reaching effects. When CEOs and team leaders learn to hold judgment at arms length and try to walk in employees\u2019 shoes, it can boost workplace morale, team performance and productivity. Research shows that empathy is positively related to job performance and that bosses view managers who show empathy as better performers in their jobs.\u00a0A Catalyst study\u00a0<\/a>of 889 employees showed that those with empathetic leaders, compared to those with less empathetic leaders, were more likely to be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n