Soft Skills May Be Hard, But You Can Master Them

It can’t be denied that hard skills or domain skills are critical in every profession. But during the course of my career, I have seen that people with soft skills get better opportunities, get promoted frequently, and bag better salaries. In fact, according to LinkedIn’s 2019 Global Talent Trends Report, 92% of recruiters and managers believe that soft skills are as important as hard skills.

Therefore, it is critical to acquire them. 

However, learning soft skills can be more complicated than learning hard skills. Let’s understand why.

Why are Soft Skills So Hard?

While soft skills come naturally to some, many people struggle to learn and master them. Here’s why:

Unlike Hard Skills, Soft Skills Require Repeated Efforts
If you’re trained on some software, it is very likely that you will learn it and won’t forget it for a long time. But that’s not the case with soft skills; you learn every day and improve every day. You must practice skills such as leadership and communication every day to be able to master them. Moreover, it requires constant feedback and reflection on what works and what doesn’t. 

They Challenge Your Personality
When it comes to soft skills, people often have different learning curves. Something that may be easier for some may be extremely challenging for others. Let’s take an example here. Two people are trained on how to use accounting software. They are given a set of guidelines that they follow, and in almost one week, both of them become proficient at using the software. 

The same two people are trained on how to develop public speaking skills. After one week, one of them delivers a flawless speech while the other one can barely manage to complete the speech because of being shy and having stage fright. 

Soft Skills Can’t be Taught if the Learner Doesn’t Enjoy Them
Many times, hard skills can be learned even when we’re not particularly enthusiastic about them. However, with soft skills, you must be willing to bring about change. You must:

• Understand yourself.
• See the need for improvement. 
• Develop a strategy that would help you build new habits and solidify them.

Soft Skills are Hard to Measure
When learning hard skills, you can easily gauge your growth. But for someone who has been training themselves to build soft skills, doing so may be difficult. Hence, it is best to learn under a professional who can see your growth and suggest ways to accelerate it. 

How to Master Soft Skills?

• Recognize the areas of improvement:
  The first step to learning soft skills is to recognize that a change is needed. Find out your weaknesses by asking your friends, colleagues, or bosses. Do not feel embarrassed; take all the help you need to know what new skills will benefit you in your career and life. 
   
• Make goals and set milestones:
  Once you know the areas you need improvement in, create a measurable goal. For example, delivering a presentation in front of your colleagues and bosses by the end of the month. You can also set milestones so that you can measure your growth better. 
   
• Train at home or sign in for a soft skills training course:
  You can do either. People prefer soft skills training courses because they fail to stay equally dedicated every day when training on their own. Moreover, with a structured course, you get access to internationally recognized training and support by certified and experienced trainers. Effective training material, scenario-based training sessions, and constant feedback for improvement will help you master the soft skills you may be lacking.
   
• Keep practicing:
  During your learning process, and even after that, keep practicing. Every time you learn a new skill, find ways to improve it further by setting new challenges for yourself. It will help you get better every day, and eventually the best. If you are a working professional, you can easily get opportunities to furbish your skills. For example, if your goal is to improve communication skills, strike up random conversations with your colleagues for practice. 

If you’re really passionate about your growth and willing to dedicate yourself to learning and mastering new skills, it won’t be as difficult. Some time, effort, and practice will do the trick. All the best!

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