When it comes to professional development, one popular question I often hear is “what skills do I need to learn to advance my career?” this is a question I have also asked at different points in my career.
And if you ever done any research on this, you may have come across words like “soft skills”, “hard skills”, “transferable skills” and interpersonal skills”.
I know how easy it is to experience overwhelm when trying to figure out which is which, and which one you need to start with.
For me, I believe in taking things one step at a time, so we will start with dissecting the relevance of soft skills.
So, if you’ve ever wondered or ever asked the following questions:
What are soft skills?
Why do they matter?
What is the difference between hard skills and soft skills?
Then this is the right post for you.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are the behavioural or character-driven skills that enables us to interact effectively with other people. They are interpersonal skills that complement our work.
They are also known as core skills or essential skills.
Why are soft skills important?
If hard skills are the coal, soft skills are the vehicle we use to transport that coal. So the quality of your transportation affects your ability to reach your destination without any mishaps.
While this analogy does not perfectly illustrate these concepts, I hope it at least provides some clarity.
Soft skills are basically the list of intangible skills that enable us to not only do our work better, but also live a much happier and fulfilled life.

Hard skills vs. Soft Skills
Hard skills are specific and teachable skills like technical or expert skills that are directly linked to a job description or business output.
For instance, I work as a fire safety consultant, and I have certifications in Health & Safety. These are technical skills as they are directly linked to the work I do.
What are examples of soft skills I can learn?
Now that you know how important soft skills are, here is a list of soft skills that can help in your professional and personal development.
The best part is that these skills are valued by most companies and a few of them are things that you can learn within a short period of time.
10 soft skill examples to develop today
- Effective Communication
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
George Bernard Shaw
Communication is a key part of running a business or organisation, and the quality of communication in any organisation can have an impact on its bottom line.
But this is also true in our everyday life. The story of Romeo and Juliet is one of the most popular reminders of how a lack of open communication can have tragic consequences.
What effective communication looks like:
- Knowing and understanding the needs of your audience so as to communicate in a way that highlights this.
- Practicing active listening
2. Problem Solving Skills
The ability to successfully navigate the challenges of the workplace is a superpower. But it is a superpower that can be learned.
Having a solution driven attitude to problems will help resolve issues at a much faster rate and with less consequences that those who are averse to problem solving.
This also requires a high level of critical thinking and analytical processing.
3. Time Management Skills
“If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got.”
Lee Lacocca
Time management is a powerful soft skill to learn as it enables you to prioritize tasks, limit procrastination, and achieve your goals more effectively while also increasing your productivity.
How to manage time:
- Increase your focus: avoid trying to do too many tasks at the same time.
- Limit distractions: your attention is an important currency, guard it at all costs.
- Prioritize your tasks: select your most important tasks (the tasks that will make a real difference to your work and/or your life).
- Curate your environment: to the extent possible, work in an environment that best suits your work style.
4. Situational awareness
Situational awareness is one of the building blocks of emotional intelligence. You have probably heard the phrase “read the room”. This is what situational awareness essentially means.
We know that about 55% of communication is non-verbal, which means there are many ques that are often ignored if we are not looking for it.
Building your situational awareness allows you to pick up on things others may have missed but would end up making a lot of difference.
5. Adaptability
One of the realities of life is change, and our ability to adapt and evolve with change will boost our output and increase the quality of our lives.
An easy example of this is artificial intelligence (AI).
AI is going to be a big part of the future of technology. Right now, there are discussions about artificial intelligence in the workplace and how companies can leverage this technology to increase their product delivery and revenue.
How much research have you done into this area and how willing are you to learn how to use and leverage AI in the work you do?
6. Empathy
Empathy is a powerful soft skill that was downplayed in the workplace until researchers like Dr. Brene Brown brought its relevance to the foe.
I think some people think empathy is being too soft or trying to be friends with everyone. As a manager, you may worry that being empathetic may mean those below you will take advantage of your kindness.
However, empathy makes you a much better leader as it reminds you at ultimately you are working with human beings with desires and not robots.
7. Teamwork
There is one phrase that almost every job description I have read in the last decade has, can you guess?
“Candidate must work well in a team.”
The idea of teamwork is so widespread that even universities have adopted this idea, often asking applicants to share stories of times they worked with others on a project.
Suffice to say, teamwork is a core skill. However, I believe there should also be a balance to avoid issues like groupthink.
8. Calmness and confidence
I didn’t realise how important calmness is until a recent incident.
So, I was speaking to a client – let’s call her Lisa – we had done some safety installation work for her a few weeks, so she called us on that particular day to express her displeasure of our work. She made some accusations and
At first, I was shocked but for some reason, I kept quiet (which is not always my go to mode), I am usually quick to counter allegations or an intimation about my integrity.
When she was done. I calmly apologised and addressed the issues she raised.
I could feel her anger deflate that when next she spoke, you wouldn’t have believed she was the same person.
Till date she is still one of our best customers and I believe how I handled that situation changed everything.
There is a proverb that says:
“A gentle answer quietens anger, but a harsh one stirs it up.
Proverbs 15:1
Our ability to stay calm in a conflict or during a challenging situation does a few things for us:
- It allows us to think clearly. Anger and anxiety hardly lead to the best decisions.
- It helps us dispel the tension, especially when the other party(s) is angry or frustrated.
- We are more likely to arrive at a workable solution much quicker, which often leads to a win-win for all parties.
Similarly, confidence is an important element in any career or role. This includes in belief in your ability to execute and achieve your plans.
9. Positive Thinking
Positive thinking improves your outlook and attitude at work and keeps you motivated long after the initial thrill of work or a project.
A positive mindset is also connected with a growth mindset, you are more willing to consider different perspectives and to learn new things.
In addition, a positive outlook can improve the work environment.
A report on a 2022 study found that “positivity significantly improves employee well-being, productivity and organisational performance.”
10. Servant leadership
This is the ability to inspire, organize, and persuade people.
According to Lind Tucci, servant leadership is a philosophy that believes,
“…the most effective leaders strive to serve others, rather than accrue power or take control.”
Incorporating SOFT SKILLs into your career skillset
So what do you think? Which of these soft skills do you already have?
Developing soft skills could be the difference between a mediocre career and an exceptional one where you not only enjoy what you do but also have a healthy relationship with those you work with.
I think that soft skills are more important now than ever before. The technology is changing at such a rapid intensity that a lot of companies are looking for that person that can work with others and show leadership.
Thank you so much for sharing this post, as I think that soft skills are so often overlooked and their importance is often underestimated.
i have been adapting a lot lately
This is a great article on a topic I had not considered before – soft skills.
Soft skills are pretty important for career growth in my opinion. A super practical read indeed!
As a manager for over 20 years, these are some important skills, but just adding them to a resume isn’t the only thing you should do! Focus on building these skills and putting them into practice. Thanks for sharing!
Soft skills are so important and we definitely need to improve that. Thanks for sharing!
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