Soft skills matter

I am not sure whether this list of statements actually do come from people in the workplace or are mere comedic lines meant to be funny.

• When my boss told me this is the fifth time I’m late, I smiled and thought to myself, “This is great. This means it’s Friday!”

• As I have gotten older and wiser, I discovered that there are six things that I really love about my job. Payday, lunch time, quitting time, vacation time, holidays, and of course, retirement.

• Interviewer: What do you make at your current job? Me: Mostly mistakes and inappropriate comments.

Now, read this story from a businessman. He says: “Late one night I stopped at one of those 24-hour gas station mini-marts to get myself a fresh-brewed cup of coffee. When I picked up the pot, I could not help noticing that the brew was as black as asphalt and just about as thick.?“How old is the coffee you have here?” I asked the woman who was standing behind the store counter.?She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve only been working here two weeks.”

What is wrong with these people anyway? Perhaps there is an answer to this question.

According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report studies; “they have determined that across the globe, 85 percent of employees are either not engaged or are disengaged at work, which estimates approximately $7 trillion in lost productivity.” And it has been said that, companies around the world are not performing as well as they could. They are leaving money on the table. And why is this so?

Rick Miller, writing and publishing on Forbes.com says, “But the problem is not with financial capital—it’s human capital, where too many companies are missing a key component of the growth equation. And in my experience, looking at an additional, little-understood ‘horizontal’ approach can deliver huge returns. Research supports what I have experienced personally. It starts with the understanding that any employee can impact the engagement of every employee in a group.” Miller calls this ‘viral engagement.’

When I read his article, it simply fortifies what I have suspected all along and thanks to Miller, he provides additional proofs of his findings. Miller says: “A foundational study by James Fowler and Nicholas Christakis out of the University of California and Harvard, respectively, demonstrated that cooperation spreads from person to person.

Significantly, and to the surprise of many, they found that positive emotions spread further—from person to person to person to person—up to three degrees of separation, even among people who are not acquainted.

But it’s the breakthrough work of another researcher who proved that positive emotions spread from person to person in a work environment. Specifically, Yale researcher Sigal Barsade authored the study that linked the spread of positive emotion with improved cooperation, decreased conflict, and increased task performance in the workplace. Miller concludes: “When you understand that viral engagement is possible—and that it happens when you shift your focus from top-down to side-to side—you have the power to fill in the missing piece and unleash a whole new paradigm in your organization.

At this point, I will ask you some questions:

1. Do you have a set of corporate values and have you taken the time to articulate them, emphasize them and train your people to understand and apply them? Or are they mere ornaments in your web sites neatly printed in small fonts behind your employee’s ID’s expecting them to apply them by default?

2. Have you invested and provided soft-skills training for your people?

There was a time when soft-skills were scoffed, mocked at and considered as a waste of time and money by hard-nose old-school managers and bosses that still believe that they can push their people around without losing them to the competition and insist that management by intimidation and coercion still work in this current time.

3.  Have your leaders been sent to leadership seminars that provide them with current, pertinent and effective information and lessons that can update and upgrade their leadership skills?

Soft-skills training matter

CEO Chris Jones of City and Guilds UK says: “Unfortunately, some people believe that soft skills aren’t that important. However, almost every employer I’ve ever talked to about this disagrees. In a world where job roles are changing rapidly, soft skills will be one of the few constants…”

Neil Carberry, director for employment and skills at CBI says: “Business is clear that developing the right attitudes and attributes in people – such as resilience, respect, enthusiasm and creativity – is just as important as academic or technical skills. In an ever more competitive job market, it is such qualities that will give our young talent an advantage and allow existing employees to progress to higher skilled, better paid roles.” 

Soft skills are not “soft.” They demand more respect and attention. On the bright side of things many of my corporate clients have been investing in soft-skills trainings and they are now seeing positive results that has reduced conflicts, lowered attrition and have contributed to business growth. Author Peggy Klaus says: “Soft skills get little respect but they will make or break your career.” And I totally agree.

(Experience two inspiring days of leadership training with Francis Kong in his highly acclaimed Level Up Leadership seminar-workshop on Feb. 19 and 20 at Makati Diamond Residences across Greenbelt 1. For registration or inquiries contact April at +63928-559-1798 or register online at www.levelupleadership.ph)