Mastering Soft Skills: Insights from Our Recent Poll and Practical Tips for Improvement
As we recently shared, today’s fast-paced and highly competitive world requires a level of human /soft skills. Despite their importance, mastering these skills can be quite challenging. Recently, Relatus conducted a poll to identify which soft skills people find hardest to develop.
The results were enlightening:
Asking Open Questions: 63%
Active and Present Listening: 13%
Asking for/Offering Assistance: 25%
Something else? Comment below: 0%
Whilst we cover these in detail in our training programs, its worth sharing here the importance of learning how to improve each area and ways you can do it.
According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, employees who ask more open-ended questions tend to build stronger relationships and achieve better outcomes in negotiations, so let’s start there!
Why It's Challenging: Asking open questions requires a mindset shift from giving information to seeking it. It demands curiosity, patience, and the ability to frame questions that encourage expansive answers rather than simple yes or no responses (or even worse, assumptive leading comments).
Tips for Asking Open Questions:
Practice Active Listening: Before asking questions, focus on truly understanding the speaker's message. This is hard, so check the next tips on this.
Use the 5 Ws and H: Frame questions using who, what, where, when, why, and how to encourage detailed responses.
Avoid Leading Questions: Ensure your questions are neutral and don’t suggest a particular answer.
Did you know that research from Harvard Business Review indicates that effective listeners are more likely to be seen as leaders and more effective in their roles.
Why It's Challenging: Active listening involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and then remembering what is being said. It's a demanding skill that requires the listener to be fully present in the conversation. Who has time for that right! You’ll be surprised by what this can do for your relationships when done well.
Tips for being an Active and Present Listener:
Eliminate Distractions: Put away devices and maintain eye contact with the speaker.
Show Engagement: Nodding and using verbal acknowledgments like "I see" or "Go on" can show you're engaged.
Reflect and Clarify: Repeat back what you've heard to ensure understanding and ask clarifying questions if needed.
This last one is not discussed as much as the first two, yet affects 25% of our voters and has a big impact on relationship development. I’ve noticed that people shy away from asking for help, yet when asked, say they are happy to provide assistance. If only we could have the confidence to ask for more/ offer more help along the way.
Why It's Challenging: Asking for or offering help can feel vulnerable. It involves admitting a need or recognising someone else's need, which can be uncomfortable in many professional settings.
Tips for Asking for/Offering Assistance
Cultivate a Supportive Culture: Encourage a workplace environment where asking for help is normalised and valued.
Be Specific and Direct: Clearly articulate what assistance is needed or what you can offer.
Show Appreciation: Always thank those who offer help, reinforcing a positive feedback loop.
Having covered tips for all three challenges, I’d like to point out that these are all learnt skills., so if you find them hard, it’s a matter of practice and training to help improve.
As AI and automation take over more technical tasks, the human touch remains irreplaceable. Our poll results highlight the challenges many face in developing crucial soft skills. By focusing on asking open questions, active listening, and effectively seeking and offering assistance, we can enhance our interactions and professional relationships.
Investing in soft skills training is not just beneficial but essential for creating a dynamic and resilient workforce. Let's continue to learn from each other’s experiences and strive towards personal and professional excellence.
Get in touch with Relatus to learn the most updated and relevant human skills and develop a plan aligned to your role /career.
Happy relationships,
Julia
Julia Palmer a respected Relational Strategist and Chief Executive of Relatus, helping you develop your relational capabilities to give you the human advantage.
Comentarios