Goodbye Soft Skills; Hello Strong Skills!

Posted In: Soft Skills
Posted On: 6/8/2015


Part I

I am renaming something that is poorly named.

Say good-bye to the phrase “soft skills” as the description for those non-technical attributes
that can truly set you apart in your career. 

 

Say hello to “strong skills” which really describes what they are.

Strong skills. Strong skills. Strong skills.

Yep, that sounds right.

How do I know that strong skills are essential in a career?  First, I have seen it play out again and again in
my thirty-year business journey.  When I have leveraged my strong skills, I have seen great success.  When
my strong skills were not at their best, I have seen my corresponding failure.  My experience is quantified by

a recent study from Bentley University where 66% of all surveyed said that strong skills (referred to as soft skills in the study) were just as important as hard skills when millennials start their first job.  This study is really a “must-read” for the recent graduate as it shares invaluable insights from business leaders and corporate recruiters. 

So, let’s get started!  First, I strongly suggest that you buy your own WOW (What Obviously Works) journal.  If you have a chance to read my book, you’ll see how this is integral to building your personal confidence.  Here’s what you do: get a journal of any shape or size. Then write in it all of your goals and all of your successes.  The goals are important to write down as studies show people who write down their goals have a high probability of achieving them.  So why not write them down?  Likewise, document your successes as they occur because this will be a way of tracking what you do great.  Why is this important?  Remembering where you excel is essential in building your personal confidence.  That confidence will carry you through the many tough times and circumstances that you will face on your journey.

Now let’s get back to the study.  Business leaders listed these three attributes as the most important for a new graduate:

81% listed integrity

75% listed professionalism

75% listed positive attitude

But what do integrity; professionalism and positive attitude look like when a recent graduate is starting his/her job?  Over the next few blogs, I will share examples of each of these and give you tips on how to build these key strong skills in your everyday routine.  Let me give you a little peek under the tent as to the content of this series.

INTEGRITY

Most of us think about integrity as the ability to do the right thing, to know right from wrong.  But is that really applicable for entry-level jobs where an employee is generally not in a decision-making role?

Yes. Yes. And yes again.

For me, the foundational element for integrity is TRUST.  What are you doing to gain the trust of your co-workers and management as you start a new job?

PROFESSIONALISM

You are probably thinking that you have this one down cold.  You know, wear the right outfit, say “yes, sir” a lot and speak only when spoken to by your boss’ boss’ boss.

But professionalism encompasses so much more!  We will explore the top ten areas where you can showcase your professionalism strong skill.  I will share my tips that you can put into action immediately.  Professionalism is critical at all stages of your job’s life cycle: from landing the job to starting the job to leaving the job.  And everything else in between.

POSITIVE ATTITUDE

No, you don’t have to be Miss Merry Sunshine or Mister Suck-up to be viewed as someone with a positive attitude.  Because being positive is not just about having a smile on your face or a song in your heart!  Instead, a positive attitude encompasses being open to the ideas of others, embracing diversity and thinking outside of the box!  Maybe those terms sound like clichés, but the reality of bringing them into your work style will make all of the difference.