In today’s blog, I’ll be covering the 5 soft skills that everyone should master before doing anything in life.
Soft skills are the skills that are developed in people as they grow. These are the skills that are the most difficult to master and can take years to reach perfection.
These are the skills that set an individual apart. And that’s the reason every interviewee has to go through the HR round, no matter what the job profile is. As the company believes, a person can be taught the skills required for the job position in a few months, but it is difficult to instill soft skills in them in such a short span of time.
Soft skills are the skills you will use the most when working in a team. It is not just important for students and job seekers to master soft skills but it is equally important for every individual, as soft skills are the only skills that we incorporate daily into our lives.
So without any further ado, I’ll be telling you the 5 soft skills that one should master before doing anything in life.
Communication Skills
Communication skills are one of the most important soft skills. You cannot have an exchange of ideas and thoughts without communication. It is impossible to even spend a day without using communication skills.
There is a widespread misconception that communication skills are only concerned with speaking. But that’s completely untrue. Listening skills are equally important as speaking skills for communication. It is even observed that good listeners are better communicators, as they listen to the whole conversation before reaching a conclusion.
Communication skills are not just limited to verbal communication skills. The nonverbal communication that you are involved in all the time through your body language, your gestures, and your voice tone plays an equally important role.
You'll be surprised to learn that nonverbal communication accounts for more than half of all communication. And nonverbal communication is difficult to hide, as most of the time we are unaware of it. People who master nonverbal communication skills increase their chances of being successful in life.
Conflict Resolution Skills
Conflicts are nothing but disagreements or clashes of interests or opinions. They are an inescapable part of our lives. These conflicts can be constructive or destructive. They can arise at work, between family members, or be intrapersonal.
Conflict resolution skills refer to the ability to resolve conflicts constructively and reach a solution that is acceptable to all parties involved in the conflict. This is one of the most difficult skills to master and is highly valued in an individual. Individuals who are good at resolving conflicts can face any situation in life.
Conflict resolution can help strengthen human relationships. A conflict resolution expert would always embrace conflict and try to reach a win-win solution. This person would never see a conflict as something destructive or negative that should be avoided but would embrace it and try to resolve it. Companies are on the lookout for such conflict resolution experts to handle their public relations teams and managerial positions.
Leadership
Nobody is born a leader. They are built over time.
Leadership is a skill that everyone is capable of, but only a few possess. Leadership comes with responsibility. A true leader would celebrate success with his/her/their teammates and take the blame for failure alone. A true leader is a good communicator, conflict resolver, and self-actor.
Being a leader is difficult, as you're not just responsible for yourself but for your whole group. It is the task of the leader to keep the group united and motivated.
To develop leadership skills, one has to incorporate discipline into their lives. One needs to be focused towards their goals. A true leader is not a quitter. Even if the whole group quits, a true leader would keep working towards the goal.
You need to be a self-actor to develop leadership. Motivation should come from within; it should not be something that needs to be given frequently to keep you focused on the goal. The combination of discipline, focus, self-motivation, perseverance, and determination with good communication and conflict resolution skills can make you a true leader.
Time Management
Someone rightly said that time only values those who value it. Time cannot be recovered once it has passed. And those who value time become masters of their crafts. Time doesn’t wait for anyone. It is up to you on how you utilize it.
Everyone has 24 hours. But some people produce more results in the same span of time than others. How? Simple! They know how to manage their time. If time is managed properly, it can skyrocket productivity.
Time management is nothing but the planning and management of time based on the prioritization of work. It is a skill that, if mastered, can increase one's productivity in life. Using time management, you work smarter rather than harder.
The famous time management principle used by billionaires and entrepreneurs is Eisenhower’s Decision Principle. According to this principle, you divide your work into four categories.
The first category is urgent and important. The second category is urgent but not important. The third category is neither important nor urgent, and the fourth category is urgent but not important. The general priority is :
Urgent and Important > Urgent and Not Important > Important but Not Urgent > Neither Important nor Urgent
Dividing your tasks into these categories can help you better prioritize your work.
Another time management principle is the 80/20 rule. According to this rule, you have to identify tasks that take 20% of your time but produce 80% of the results and then prioritize them. This rule can help in focusing on vital tasks that produce maximum results.
Self Management
Self-management is the ability to manage behaviour, thoughts, and emotions under any circumstances. It is the ability to stay calm and composed even in difficult situations. Self-management is a broad skill that requires complete control of oneself. One can start by managing their emotions and stress.
Emotion management is the act of managing and regulating emotions in overpowering situations. It is important to keep emotions in check and not act impulsively on them. Acting on emotions can lead to drastic decisions that may turn destructive. Channeling emotions helps in making the right decisions even in difficult circumstances. Those who master emotion management face difficult situations easily. The emotional quotient helps in analysing a person’s emotion management skills.
Stress can be defined as a mental pressure or an emotional worry caused by an imbalance between situational demands and the person’s ability to handle them. Stress is not always bad. Yes, you read that right! Eustress is a type of stress that is positive and arises due to an adrenaline rush. If used to its advantage, eustress can turn out to be beneficial. The sudden surge of energy before the deadline is this adrenaline rush, or "eustress."
Stress management is the ability to manage stress and channel it to one’s advantage. People who manage stress have been known to become more productive in life. To regulate stress, one should maintain healthy habits in life. Meditating and deep breathing also help in relieving stress. If you manage stress, you manage life.