It certainly would not be an exaggeration to say that these are times of uncertainty. While there appears to be a light at the end of the Covid tunnel as more people get the vaccine, the economy has been severely disrupted. There has been a tremendous upheaval in the workforce as more people began to work remotely and many others lost their jobs.
In times like these, steady leadership, working together and supporting each other become even more important. And so the soft skills needed to do these things become more important as well. Here are five of the most essential to cultivate to handle these turbulent times.
What Soft Skills Do You Need for Any Job?
1. Empathy
This is the ability to put yourself in the place of another person, to try and understand their problems or their perspective. Workers have been under a great deal of stress during the past year dealing with the upheaval caused by the coronavirus. Empathy means showing concern for what they have had to endure and supporting them.
This quality is especially important for managers now to give their workers as sense of hope, to provide a stable environment and a sense of optimism.
2. Communication
In times of turmoil and crisis, communication becomes crucial as well. Managers need to be open and honest with their workers. A lack of transparency only breeds mistrust and fear, which directly affect people’s ability to do their jobs.
Conversely, communicating openly and honestly helps to build trust and confidence among employees in the company and company leadership.
3. Collaboration
In today’s complex, technologically-advanced economy, teamwork is essential. People need to be able to work together. Here again, empathy is important. Workers need to be tolerant and understanding of the views, beliefs and backgrounds of others if collaboration is to work.
4. Adaptability
The only constant today is change. And change is occurring ever more rapidly as knowledge grows and society progresses. As a result, being able to adapt to change is more important than ever. Adaptability means keeping an open mind and constantly learning and growing as a person.
5. Problem solving and creativity
These skills are now among the most sought after by companies. Because of the complexity and fast-changing nature of today’s business environment, the ability to see connections and patterns, causes and effects, and piece them together to solve problems is highly valued.
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If you are looking for work in the Northwest, Opti Staffing can help you. We have staffing agencies in Vancouver, Washington, temp jobs in Portland, a temp agency in Tacoma, and a temp agency in Seattle, among other cities. Give us a call today.
