Table of Contents
Top Skills That Will Change Your Future:
Soft skills are not associated with a particular specialty, but in many respects determine professional and personal success. We understand together with the expert: how to develop “soft” or “flexible” skills, which are called the main trend of 2020.
Photo # 1 – Soft skills: 5 skills that will change your future, and how to upgrade them
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Soft Skills:
According to the Northwestern University of the United States, it is soft skills that determine the successful career of college graduates. If you want to move up the career ladder or keep a job during this difficult time, you should think about developing these skills. What specific competencies are worth pumping? Says Victoria Snezhkova, Head of Soft Skills etiology.
Soft skill is a generic name for a range of skills that are highly valued but difficult to measure. They were talked about all over the world after the World Economic Forum held in Davos in 2016. Then the key skills that will be in demand in the labor market by 2020 were listed. Among these skills, for example, we can distinguish communication and self-presentation, emotional intelligence, goal-setting, and critical thinking. Davos speakers were not mistaken: LinkedIn called soft skills the main trend of this year. But at the same time, many people still do not know exactly how these skills can be developed. So, according to a Neurology study, almost 50% of respondents believe that they lack soft skills, and they would like to fix it.
Some people think that “soft skills” are innate qualities and it’s impossible to develop them. But this is not so. Any person can improve them: for this, there are books, articles, special courses, training, and coach programs. What “soft skills” will be most useful now, during times of crisis and global uncertainty?
Communication and negotiation:
Soft skills: 5 skills that will change your future, and how to upgrade them
Effective communication skills are useful in any field, whether it be negotiations, interaction with the customer, or teamwork with colleagues. If you know how to argue your position, correctly formulate your ideas and agree, then you will surely become a valuable employee for your company and are unlikely to stay in one position when looking for a dream job.
How to upgrade:
There is nothing complicated: communicate more with colleagues, sign up for negotiation courses, or organize a mini-club with interests with your friends. Forced to work on a remote site? Programs like Zoom and Microsoft Hangouts will help you. You can even meet in an online game that creates the feeling of a personal meeting. Think up a topic for discussion, talk on working or abstract topics (pitches are always good) or organize a thematic quiz – any communication will benefit you. We advise you to master and apply the active listening technique: ask clarifying questions, rephrase or repeat the replica of the interlocutor, reflect his emotions.
What to read:
“The science of communication. How to read emotions, understand intentions and find a common language with people ”, Vanessa van Edwards;
“On emotions. How to resolve the most painful conflicts in the family and at work, ”Daniel Shapiro;
“I hear you through and through. An effective negotiation technique. ”Mark Goulston.
Emotional intellect
Soft skills: 5 skills that will change your future and how to upgrade them
Emotional intelligence or EQ is the ability to recognize and control your emotions, as well as understand the feelings and motivation of others. This is one of the few “soft skills” that can be measured in one way or another. The most commonly used is the 20-minute TEIQue questionnaire, which identifies 15 indicators in 5 main blocks (optimism, emotion management, empathy, assertiveness or independence from any external judgments and self-motivation).
How to upgrade:
Speak your feelings, record the emotional reaction to the events of every day. Keep a special diary of emotions that will help you better understand your conditions. Analyze exactly what you feel: resentment can hide under anger, and sadness can mix with envy or disappointment. After a month of keeping a diary, you will see what emotions you experience more often than others, and you can choose a way to neutralize them (breathing practices, meditation, sports, creativity, etc.).
What to read:
“Emotional Intelligence: Why It’s More Important Than IQ,” Daniel Goleman;
“The power of emotional intelligence. How to develop it for work and life ”, Adele Lynn;
“Emotional intellect. Russian practice ”, Sergey Shabanov, Alena Aleshina.
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Critical thinking:
Soft skills: 5 skills that will change your future, and how to upgrade them
The ability to think critically is a defense against hasty decisions, manipulations and rash acts. A person with critical thinking is able to analyze information, identify contradictions and logical errors, and then draw the right conclusions. This is useful in any profession: there is not a single sphere of activity completely free from myths and stereotypes. In addition, during a period of turbulence, it is very useful to work out all the information in order to separate the truth from the lie, to highlight the most important thing.
How to upgrade:
You can find thematic videos on the topic on YouTube or look in the direction of special flexible skills training programs. But you can limit yourself on your own: the proven methods 5W + H and IMVAIN will help you. The first of them helps to evaluate the completeness of your data using 6 questions:
Who!
What?
When?
Where?
Why?
How?
If you notice that it is impossible to give a full answer to any of these questions, then most likely the text/message that you read should be treated with great or even close attention. The second technique is used to evaluate the reliability of the information received. Here, too, everything is built on questions. For example:
Can you name the article you are studying independently?
Do several reliable sources confirm it?
Can I check it?
Is the source authoritative and informed?
Does the source have a name or is this anonymous information?
What to read:
“A guide to lies. Critical Thinking in the Post-Truth Era, ”Daniel Levitin;
“I do not believe! Seeing the truth in a sea of misinformation, “John Grant;
“Predictable irrationality. The hidden forces that shape our decisions. ”Dan Arieli.
Goal setting-:
Setting goals is an important skill for both work and personal life. Especially in times of uncertainty, when many people crumble plans and change the usual course of life. But in ordinary circumstances, constructive activity begins with setting goals.
How to upgrade:
Use SMART goal setting. The goal should be specific (Specific), measurable (Measurable), achievable (Achievable), significant (Relevant), limited in time (Time-bound). Compare the vague “get rich someday” and “double your income by the end of the year.” Another technique is to break one big target into several small ones and “eat an elephant piece by piece”. Fix goals in notepad or with stickers on the wall – depending on how you better perceive the information. Or create a task manager / table in Excel.
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