The 15 Most Important Skills for Workplace Success

It’s natural to feel sufficiently qualified within your job role, but if you don’t know any different, the chances are you have hidden potential you’re yet to unlock.

Extensive experience and highly tuned technical skills are useful, but there are so many soft skills that will help you reach new pinnacles of productivity.

Many people think that becoming a corporate trainer is a difficult task, however, with the proper certification, it can be quite easy to overcome the challenges. Not to mention the benefits of becoming a certified corporate trainer are many, including; increased job satisfaction, improved communication skills, better time management skills, and the ability to train others on a variety of topics. In addition, certified corporate trainers also have access to exclusive resources and training materials. These materials can help them become more effective in their jobs and provide them with the knowledge they need to be successful.

People are often undervalued, though online training software can fundamentally develop the inner workings of a team. There are various individual attributes that enable teams to collaborate effectively, skills can’t always be measured but are crucial nonetheless.

These skills are largely based on an employee’s ability to interact with their peers, to communicate in a fashion that contributes to smooth, effortless workflows.

Though soft skills are commonly perceived in a ‘you either have it or you don’t’ fashion, in today’s digitally liberated learning environments online training software will help you develop soft skills. You must choose the right training software mind you, even if it means investing time in researching one that suits your individual circumstances.

Though online training software is a great way to sharpen your skills, sometimes a simple lack of awareness can hold people back. Lacking desirable soft skills can boil down to not knowing how to conduct properly.

That’s why we’ve decided to bring you 15 of the most important skills to be effective in the workplace:

Relatability

If you’ve ever been in a position where you feel like someone isn’t relating to your viewpoint, you’ll appreciate the importance of relatability. By simply showing an understanding of your fellow employee’s position, you’ll signal respect for their viewpoint, helping them feel valued, respected and appreciated. Relatability can unite a motivated workforce.

Patience

Patience can help you overcome otherwise difficult and stressful situations. The ability to deal with heated moments in a level-headed fashion can help you diffuse issues rather than adding fuel to the fire. Nothing good can come from losing your cool, which is why it’s important to express your feelings in a calm and collected manner. I guess the old saying patience is a virtue couldn’t ring any truer.

Communication

Arguably the most fundamental people skill of all, communication drives your ability to resonate with colleagues, to get along with and influence staff to adjust to new perceptions. Being articulate is a highly sought after skill, one which will propel your ability to interact at a high level, and in a way that heightens the experiences of those around you.

The importance of communication is backed by research, where one study showed a 47% higher return to stakeholders in companies that communicated effectively.

Consequently, effective internal and external corporate communication strategies are the key to professional performance and directly affect successful sales and revenue growth. Employers and managers who invest time and energy to create an effective communication system find it easier to build trust with their employees, increasing their productivity and also supporting every step in the buyer’s journey. Training and strategies for professional communication help companies identify the barriers in workplace communications and develop sales communication strategies that fit the company culture and workflow.

Trust

Cultivating a climate of distrust is ill-advised, especially when you’re looking to progress in your career. Untrustworthy individuals tend to get left behind, which is why it’s important to be honest and transparent throughout your working endeavors.

Active Listening

Many tend to ‘hear’ someone else talking as opposed to actively listening. Ask yourself, how many times have you started to formulate a response to someone’s comments before them finishing their point? Active listening means listening without interruption, then subsequently taking time to form a response.

The difference between great and average listening is a huge determinant of a company’s success.

Flexibility

Likeability is very much dependent on the context of the moment. What’s most important is you can adapt and adjust your approach according to the situation at hand. You should always act based on what the context calls for, tapping into a deep well of communication options that are open to change.

Empathy

Can you put yourself in someone else’s shoes? Seeing things from other people’s perspectives is a vital skill, otherwise unnecessary friction can develop between colleagues. Empathy will help create relationships, delivering insight into the motives for people’s behaviors. This information can be used to formulate positive responses.

Judgment

Good judgment is a direct consequence of learning. Learning from people, learning from online training software, and learning from your own experiences. To heighten the collective skills mentioned throughout, it’s critical you use the best employee training software to elevate your functionality. Good judgment can mean paying attention to your gut or learning from worldly observations.

Honesty

Honesty is essential to build trust with fellow employees, meaning honesty truly is the best policy. Once trust is lost it’s difficult to recover, so honesty is a pivotal foundation of any business relationship.

Persuasion

At some point in your career, you’ll be asked to persuade others, whether that’s selling ideas, services, products, etc. Forming a strong, convincing argument is critical if you’re to persuade others to support your viewpoint, a skill that applies to everyone from frontline workers to leaders.

Negotiation

Internal and external discussions require great negotiation skills, whether you’re pitching an idea to coworkers or communicating with vendors. Negotiation skills are largely dependent on personality traits, negotiation styles, etc. This is supported by a 2008 study where 28% of performance variations were linked to individual differences.

Successful negotiation requires persuasiveness, alongside the ability to present facts that influence the listener toward your way of thinking.

Humour

Laughter is a great diffuser in any given situation. Overcoming tension and conflict will help you thrive in your job, where sometimes laughter is the best medicine. It can be a balancing act, but it’s important to retain some lightheartedness in an otherwise serious business world.

Genuine Interest

People are aware of when you’re genuinely interested in them, which is where thoughtful questioning is crucial. You should consider colleague’s answers, take care to remember names, and ultimately do whatever you can to appease and show support for those you work with.

Open-Mindedness

A willingness to keep an open mind is everything. You should respect other people’s perspectives, because not only will you learn, but you’ll incentivize others to grow. Being approachable creates an easier work environment.

Leadership

Motivating a team is essential, but leadership isn’t easily grasped. Some people are natural leaders, whereas others may require online training software to sharpen their skills. It might take some work, but if you can encourage others to work at a high level, you’ll unlock the potential of your team, plus remain in line for promotions.

Final Thoughts

Soft skills are essential if you’re to thrive in today’s robust, evolving digital business landscape, where a lack of communication can hold your company back. In a world where you must be flexible and readily willing to adapt to change, which can be achieved by embracing the skills outlined in the article.

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Ehsan Memari is a blogger for SkyPrep, a provider of leading online training software for organizations to train employees’ partners and customers. Ehsan is a regular contributor to blog posts related to knowledge sharing, L&D, and eLearning. Follow him on Twitter @ehsanmemari.