The World Economic Forum’s most recent Future of Jobs report found a surprising number of jobs would require strong soft skills in the coming decade. As technology evolves, workers will need to rely on critical thinking, creativity, and curiosity to match modern business needs. Essentially, today’s professionals need to be prepared to do what machines can’t: think flexibly, work together empathetically, and be self-aware.
McKinsey predicts that by 2030, there will be a greater need for more people skills. As a result, many business owners and managers are looking for tools and strategies to help strengthen soft skills.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are interpersonal skills and personal attributes that allow you to work well with others. Communication, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and creativity are soft skills. Other examples of soft skills relevant to business settings include time management, leadership, and teamwork.
Many soft skills are thought to be somewhat inherent, a part of your personality. However, with the right attitude and approach, you can improve your soft skills and develop new ones.
3 tips on improving your soft skills
The first step to improving your soft skills is to determine where you want to focus. Choose one or two skills to prioritize based on feedback or the skills most relevant to your industry. Ask your colleagues, friends, and mentors for constructive criticism of your weaknesses to figure out where to start.
Step 1: Create a roadmap
Once you’ve audited your soft skills, create a plan for how you’re going to nurture your weak points. There are tons of resources out there that can help you develop skills. For example, if enhancing your creativity is a priority, you might take an improv class.
Here are some other ideas to consider:
- Listen to podcasts. There are countless podcasts discussing themes such as leadership, communication, emotional intelligence, and motivation.
- Explore LinkedIn Learning. Yale has a list of LinkedIn Learning courses specifically targeting soft skills such as communication, dependability, critical thinking, and professionalism, among others.
- Watch online videos. YouTube is also a great resource for finding tips and guidance for developing your soft skills.
- Work with a business coach. Coaches or mentors can help you develop high-priority skills quickly, according to talent platform MBO Partners.
Once you identify the resources available to grow your specific skill, you’ll need to dedicate time to improving your abilities.
As technology evolves, workers will need to rely on critical thinking, creativity, and curiosity to match modern business needs.
[Read more: 7 Important Soft Skills to Grow Your Career]
Step 2: Set a schedule
Many soft skills are like muscles: if you don’t use them, you’ll lose them. Set some time aside each week to reflect and prioritize tuning into the resources that you identified in Step 1.
“It takes time and commitment to develop soft skills, so it's important to decide when and where you will work on your soft skills before starting. Even just a few minutes each day can add up and help you get better at a particular soft skill,” wrote Indeed.
The more you practice, the more natural your soft skills will become.
[Read more: Soft Skills: What They Are and How to Test for Them]
Step 3: Seek regular feedback
Proactively seek feedback from your colleagues and managers. This feedback can be on the fly or more formal. For example, Arnaud Collery, the Co-founder and CEO of Humanava, suggests asking for someone’s opinion by saying something like, “That was a great meeting and I am glad we’re on the same page with this project. On another note, I am interested in personal growth, and I want to develop my soft skills. Can you give me feedback on how I came across today? Is there anything I could be doing differently?”
Practicing regularly and asking for feedback will help you hone your soft skills and put them to good use. With the right guidance, you’ll be able to move the needle and see a difference in your work performance.
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