Don’t Undervalue Your Soft Skills

They’re critical for your professional and personal life

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Employers are finally prioritizing soft skills when they’re hiring. Some of their top concerns: can you articulate what you mean? Can you work well with others? How are you with conflict resolution and decision-making?

It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in—soft skills always come in handy.

When my aunt took my grandfather to tour some nursing homes, she saw the importance of soft skills firsthand.

My grandfather didn’t really care about the facility’s meals, activities, or room features. He was interested in the building itself: the electrical system, the plumbing, and the general infrastructure.

The woman giving the tour was starting to feel defeated by my grandfather’s constant structural questions—which she didn’t know the answers to—and his long, technical tangents. My aunt finally took her aside and said, “My dad’s a retired engineer. He’s not good with things like social cues. I’m sorry. I know it can get annoying.”

That changed things completely.

Understanding that my grandfather had different priorities for the tour, the woman took them to the utility rooms, so that they could see the building’s inner workings for themselves. She wasn’t annoyed or offended when he gave another lecture, and she even offered to escort him to the utility rooms again whenever he wanted.

After they finished the tour, my grandfather decided he didn’t need to see any more nursing homes. He chose that one.

It can be easy to dismiss soft skills, but the reality is they’re extremely important. My aunt had the soft skills to say something about my grandfather’s questions and lectures, and the woman giving the tour had the soft skills to let my grandfather see the building’s inner workings himself.

If not for both of them, my grandfather would still be looking for a place to live—but the way things turned out, he’s been kept safe and well cared for during this difficult pandemic.

So, in case you need a reminder: don’t underestimate the value of your soft skills.

And remember that employers aren’t underestimating them anymore, either.