For an employee to be successful, their manager needs soft skills. Soft skills are character traits and interpersonal attributes that affect your ability to work with others. Because they determine how well you relate to others, managers must hone and develop these talents. Managers have a lot of power over their employees’ career potential, making soft skills even more critical.
Managers who lack soft skills wreak havoc on an organization because they can’t form strong relationships with other key leaders. As a result, they make it difficult for their team to work with other departments successfully. A failing team is often directly related to the manager’s lack of soft skills. These are the seven soft skills employees demand their manager posses.
Conflict Management
Managers need the soft skill of conflict management because people have different backgrounds and perspectives. There will be personality clashes. Because of diverse backgrounds, cultural-based disputes can arise. Employees have different ways to do the same tasks. Also, groups may be full of strong personalities. Furthermore, employees often rely on others doing their job to get their job done. All of these things will cause conflict. As a result, employees need managers who are skilled in conflict resolution.
Storytelling
Managers need the soft skill of storytelling because it helps employees make sense of why they do what they do. When communicating information in story form, people better relate and remember it. Because stories spark emotion, they are the best way to get employees to buy into the vision. Managers who can’t use storytelling effectively have a harder time with persuasion. The ability to persuade is essential in coaching, problem-solving, and collaborating with other departments. For this reason, employees demand managers have storytelling skills.
Communication Skills
Without solid communication skills, managers cannot relay information effectively. They aren’t able to provide direction and clarity around goals. Managers who can’t communicate can’t help their teams with interdepartmental issues. More importantly, they can stand up for their employees. As a result, employees demand their managers have the soft skill of verbal, written, and nonverbal communication.
Active Listening
Employees demand managers skilled in active listening. Active listening is genuinely listening to what someone else is saying before formulating a response. Active listening shows respect for others’ ideas and opinions. More importantly, a manager who actively listens is more likely to have all of the facts before they make a decision or try to solve a problem. Active listening is being present in the moment, distraction-free, and giving your full attention to the speaker. As a result, employees demand managers have the soft skill of active listening.
Leadership
A manager with strong leadership skills is effective at guiding others to fulfill the mission of the organization. Employees want managers who cultivate relationships throughout the organization. They want managers who can encourage and motivate them through tough times. Employees demand managers who lead them, not manage them.
Problem Solving
Employees solve problems; more importantly, they solve the customer’s problem. Having a manager who isn’t skilled in problem-solving can’t help employees develop that skill. Employees demand a manager skilled in problem-solving because they are solving problems daily and need someone who can help them when needed.
Interpersonal Skills
Effective managers build and maintain relationships, develop rapport, and use diplomacy. These things are critical because they are required to provide constructive feedback. They are necessary to facilitate open and respectful discussions when there are opposing viewpoints. Interpersonal skills help managers empathize with employees. These skills also help managers build influence with others in the organization. Employees demand managers have strong interpersonal soft skills because they want to work for a manager who can develop and keep healthy relationships.
Employees demand managers who can help develop and grow their careers. They want managers who can help them when faced with new problems and can help them navigate adversity. For managers to do this, they have to have soft skills in addition to their technical skills.
Last updated on July 30th, 2019 at 08:12 am
