Why don't we take Soft Skills Seriously?

Ryan Roslansky, CEO of Linkedin recently said that soft skills are more important than AI. This was based on survey where 72% of US executives stated that this is their belief.

So I asked ChatGPT if this was the case and it replied; "The comparison between soft skills and artificial intelligence (AI) is not straightforward, as they serve different purposes and play distinct roles in the workplace. Soft skills encompass interpersonal and emotional abilities, such as communication, empathy, and collaboration, while AI refers to the capabilities of machines to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. The combination of human abilities, especially soft skills, with the efficiency and capabilities of AI can lead to a more holistic and effective approach in various professional settings."

The importance of soft skills

According to IFP?research , improving soft skills and emotional intelligence is the second biggest challenge for L&D teams after the?digital skills gap . Sure, the ability to code something in Javascript might land someone the job, but what will they need to do to keep it?

In my work, I see almost everyday the problems encountered when soft skills are overlooked. Consider a team of elite software engineers tasked with a high-stakes project. Despite their technical prowess, the absence of collaboration hindered success. They spent most of their time perfecting their individual coding and didn't look beyond their own achievements. Their was limited collaboration or focus on the joint outcome of developing the product. Communication between them was practically zero.

According to research by?SHRM , it starts within education, where students aren’t learning soft skills at college before entering the workforce. As a result, 75% of employers are unable to find graduates who possess essential abilities such as effective communication and leadership skills. I mentored one GenZ graduate who realised this, he was struggling with his side hustle; setting up a business with some of his buddies and quite early on discovered that they needed to have some difficult dialogues and to talk to each other. Some peers were highly driven to succeed, others didn't deliver on promises and the business couldn't move forward relying solely on their technical skills.

"Poor communication accounts for an average loss of $62.4 million per year at companies with 100,000 employees " SHRM

What about leaders?

I don't think it is possible to escape the headlines that soft skills are vital for leadership success. As AI takes away many of our management tasks, we will need to deepen our ability to lead with humanity. This will be how we win at attracting, retaining & developing top talent, when we can conquer this.

We know that leaders have often struggled with giving continuous feedback and when they do, how well is it received and what change does it make? Now AI is getting involved and we recently learnt that people can be more receptive to negative feedback from machines according to the research . Now if this is the case, then I see this as a catalyst for development, as often it's the refusal to take on board the feedback that causes the barrier to behavioural change.

AI tools such as Yoodli AI Communication Coach are already able to provide feedback on communication style, a bit like a private coach who will let you know how you can be more impactful in meetings or when you are trying to inspire your function at the all employee meeting. Yoodli have recently partnered with 光辉国际 which is one to watch because once their heavily researched leadership behaviours are part of the Yoodli platform, that's going to be a powerful tool. Just imagine a summary at the end of all your meetings that told you how you could have been more effective, based on behaviours proven to lead to business success.

"61% of CEOs value genuine leadership where leaders are more empathetic, caring and interested in people. When we put humanity at the heart of commercial life, it not only helps us make wiser decisions, but builds collective trust, loyalty and engagement that pays dividends beyond incentive plans and brand campaigns". Korn Ferry.

Leaders need to be interested in people and to really understand their teams. When humanity is at the heart of commercial life we are able to unlock human potential. Human Centric leaders create places of work that are sustainable and pay dividends beyond incentive plans.

Do you overlook soft skills?

In my experience, we often emphasize the importance of soft skills but may inadvertently overlook them. We almost believe they are obvious, they are just something we do and we take them for granted. Afterall we are humans so we listen and ask questions, so do we really need to focus on these when there's work to be done?

A colleague of mine who is a behavioral scientist runs training sessions for executive teams in the UK construction industry bidding for multi-million-pound contracts. The procurement process involves behavioural assessments as these contracts require partnerships who can manage the complex relationships of clients, contractors and subcontractors. During the mock assessments, teams have been found to consistently prioritize the task over critical soft skills (collaboration, effective questioning, listening) during the assessments. Even when they are told they are being measured on soft skills, they still put the task first.

This happens every time but with guided feedback and coaching, they are able to transform their approach.

I wonder how often you dive into the task without even considering the soft skills at play?

Where to start?

As we are so task focused at work, a good mindset shift, is to try being people focused. You will still achieve the tasks, but in a way that brings your people with you.

Some tips

1. Make 1to1's personal - Rather than focusing on your agenda and what needs to be delivered, let employees drive the agenda. Here's your opportunity to connect with people and actively listen to their concerns. Use powerful questions to gain insights into how they are doing, what they are working on and where they are struggling.
2. Drive results through people - Show people that you care and that you don't just view them?as a resource to drive results. Meet people where they are at and don't diminish?how they are feeling. Instead of using questions that sound accusing, such as "Why haven't you delivered?", try, "What can I do to support you to deliver?" Changing the language will give you a very different result, less defensive and more open.
3. Make teams meetings open & safe - Create that psychological?environment where everyone can admit their mistakes and learn without punishment. Even your disappointed face can be enough to stop people from sharing, so try to manage your emotions and admit it, when you can′t. "I am sorry I pulled that face, I was struggling to understand what happened, could you expand a bit?" It can become very costly when mistakes are hidden, if we know how they happen we can learn. However if you shout at your team, they are less likely to admit to it, because we protect ourselves from harm. As Amy Edmondson says in her new book "The Right Kind of Wrong"; Don't miss the opportunity to fail well.

Conclusion

In business today, our primary focus lies in understanding and benefiting our people. As leaders, the paradigm has shifted from traditional approaches and it is now time to embrace this new era of work. We recognize that unlocking the potential of our team members, coupled with genuine care and support, yields remarkable results.

Merely pushing employees for outcomes proves effective in the short term. Yet, to thrive in this transformative landscape, we must amplify the people-centric aspect of leadership. Intentionally cultivating and employing those distinctive human skills—the soft ones, as referred to by Satya Nadella as "The hardest to learn." Yet, with intentionality, you can navigate this shift with success for you, your team and your business.

Liz Rider is an Organizational Psychologist, LinkedIn Top Voice on Leadership and Former Global Head of Leadership. Her expertise lies in executive coaching, leadership development, and delivering impactful speaking events for large multinationals globally.

Click here to join me on 5th March at 15:00 CET when I talk about Sustainable Leadership.

https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/sustainableleadership7164843900212264960/theater/

Book a call to find out how we can help you

https://calendly.com/liz-rider