Page 28 - Logistics News - July August 2023

S O F T SK IL L S

The value of soft digital skills

By Chantal Kading, Managing Director at The People Shop

Well-rounded, highly developed soft skills are invaluable to business success in
this digital era, but what are they and why are they important?

hile soft skills can at times be more difficult to important than ever in the future. Although we live in a world
develop than hard skills, they are arguably equally of technology, people are still far better at social interaction
Wimportant for success in business. Hard skills than robots are, currently. The key to gaining influence and
concern an employee’s ability to do a specific task and improving your persuasion skills is to understand what
include specialised technical abilities. Soft skills are more motivates your audience. Once you establish this, it will
about the way they are done — how employees adapt, be easier to find a common ground, benefiting all. Another
collaborate, solve problems and make decisions, and way is to state the facts and emphasise the benefits for all
include cognitive skills. participating parties.

In most jobs, technical skills alone are not enough to be 3. Collaboration and social impact
truly effective. A lack of soft skills can limit your potential Companies are putting more emphasis on strong
or even be the downfall of a business. Earlier this year, interpersonal skills and employees who play well with
LinkedIn released a list of the five most in-demand soft others. Collaboration is crucial in any work environment.
skills for 2020 comparatively, with technology, sales and The WEF report explained that human interaction in the
digital hard skills such as blockchain on the rise. We give workplace involves team production, with workers playing
individual focus to these skills and assess how to improve off of each other’s strengths and adapting flexibly to
them. changing circumstances. Collaboration involves strong
communication skills, an awareness of other people’s
1. Creativity and innovation strengths and weaknesses, and being able to work with a
Creativity means to creatively approach problems and range of different personalities. It is therefore important
tasks across the business – bringing new ideas to the table to learn how your strengths can complement those of
and thinking outside the box. Alex Gray from the World your colleagues’ to reach a common goal, for example,
Economic Forum (WEF) explains that as a result of new by completing assessments for insight into yourself, your
technologies and products, employees are going to have leaders and your team members.
to become more creative in order to benefit from these
changes. Creativity can be improved by taking time to let 4. Adaptability and cognitive flexibility
your thoughts wander. Also, make it a habit to sit down and Adaptability is changing or creating modifications in oneself
work when you’re sleepy. Research has shown that when to suit new environments. In workplace culture, it means
you are sleepy, your brain is unfocused and therefore less to be open to new ideas or changes and the ability to work
inhibited, and innovation flows. independently or in teams. People who are adaptable
have more chance of having better job satisfaction; they
2. Persuasion and influence are co-creators of their lives. In the long term, links form
It is important to continuously advance your career by between adaptability and job performance. One way of
developing your ability to effectively communicate ideas developing adaptability is to practise emotional intelligence
and persuade your colleagues and stakeholders that it’s in (EI). According to research on flexibility and adaptability,
their best interest to follow your lead and ideas. The WEF people with a higher EI adapt swiftly to new changes.
stated that having persuasion and social skills will be more Other ways are to take a broader variety of perspectives

26 JULY/A U GU S T 2023 www .l o g ist i csn e w s .c o .z a