New or improved skills? Reflection for life!

We have always heard and been encouraged to develop various skills and abilities, especially when it comes to entering and/or staying in the corporate world. 

From time to time, a new technical or interpersonal conjecture inserts itself into the roster of so many others that are already widely mentioned and demanded. More recently, we have heard about Soft skills and Hard skills, which, in good Portuguese, are interpersonal and technical skills. In other words, they are the abilities we must have and develop, not only with the aim of achieving significant results in our professional performance but especially regarding how we relate in all areas of our lives. 

New behaviors and new premises end up fostering a scenario in which new interpersonal demands are requested for both sides (company and employee), regardless of the markets and niches of operation. 

In a recent study, Michael Page – a renowned recruitment consultancy – identified 5 major skills pointed out by respondents as the most desired in the workplace, regardless of the area of operation and seniority. They are: 

1. Teamwork; 

2. Emotional intelligence/emotion control; 

3. Resilience/stress resistance; 

4. Communication skills; 

5. Proactivity 

Nothing new in the corporate world, right? But why were these skills highlighted in the study? Why are these the ones highlighted in the profile survey? Why are these the desirable skills in such a volatile universe with so much technology in the labor market? 

The answer is simple: they relate to how we position ourselves regarding relationships and interactions in the daily work environment. And it is easy to understand this context when we consider that, even with so much technology – AI notably – well-structured and defined processes, action plans, and detailed reports, it is a priority that professionals are more sensitive and inclined to establish accessible behaviors, with greater interaction and exchange, where active listening is as or more important than immediate technical response. 

Note that the first item of relevance was teamwork. Consider that in your team (regardless of whether it is two or fifteen professionals focused on developing work that, ultimately, will benefit the company's growth), there are very likely noises and failures in the process and we can list numerous reasons for this to occur. But, let's focus on the remaining items of the survey: emotional intelligence, resilience, communication skills, and proactivity. If one of these is out of calibration, probably teamwork will not have the expected success. It's simple! 

It is possible to ask: but why does this happen? Because the "x" factor is in the intersection of each of the skills pointed out as essential by the survey. The lack of clear communication regarding, for example, deadlines and roles within the team, can generate a flawed understanding that may result in overwork for one member or, simply, low proactivity by another. The consequence will be an increase in the stress level due to the task completion time and, undoubtedly, tiredness, irritability, and lack of emotional control will be behaviors perceived in the tone of voice, speech, or actions. 

There is no magic formula for achieving our best work performance. But, there is a way to develop such skills (good communication, resilience, proactivity, emotional control) to ensure the proper functioning of teamwork, led by active and committed management. This formula also allows us to achieve our personal goals: analyzing how we are, how we handle situations, and how we should enhance continuous improvement actions in our daily lives. 

As subjective beings with distinct personalities, we are unique. However, living in society makes us play important roles that will result in how we will be not only at the end of the day but throughout life. 

Good reflection!