1. Prioritize Which Skills to Develop
Every individual has a unique mixture of strengths and weaknesses. You are naturally stronger in some soft skill areas than in others, so the very first step in learning how to develop soft skills is to prioritize them.
Take some time to analyze what you consider to be areas of strength as well as areas where you would like to improve snake game. Compare this list to the skills that are most needful for your particular career path.
2. Ask for Feedback
We are not always our own best judges, so at this point, it’s a great idea to ask trusted friends or mentors for feedback about your own soft skill strengths and weaknesses. You should start by formulating your own list. But counseling with those who know you well will provide a solid outside perspective.
By asking others for feedback, you may reveal blind spots in your self-perception. If so, you’ll have gained valuable insight into areas you otherwise wouldn’t know to improve.
3. Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
Most of us tend to exhibit stronger soft skills when we are comfortable. For example, we are more perceptive (not to mention confident) around close friends than we are in an uncomfortable business setting.
So, to work on interpersonal skills effectively, you must step outside your comfort zone and get into a setting you might not naturally gravitate to. If you are more of an introvert, you might sign up for a group activity or put yourself in a social situation that isn’t entirely comfortable.
Of course, you’re not just doing this to be uncomfortable. You’re doing this to improve your soft skills by applying a little necessary pressure.
4. Self-Reflect
Self-reflection is a beneficial practice for just about everyone, but it takes intentionality in today’s fast-paced world.
Far too often, we move from one task or meeting to the next without much, if any, thought on how we presented ourselves or acted in the previous time slot. Where possible, schedule in some short periods of self-reflection throughout the day.
Think about the situations where you didn’t get the response you expected or where someone seemed to take you the wrong way. Think about what you said, how you said it, and even how you postured yourself as you said it.
You may come across some startling observations about your behavior in those moments, and these can help you improve your soft skills over time.
5. Find Online Courses
Improving soft skills is not all internal, of course. You can find all sorts of online courses and resources that will help you improve specific skills. These will range widely in quality, so we encourage you to stick with reputable sources such as established universities and their extension or continuing ed programs.
Post University offers a wide range of courses that touch on soft skills or help you improve them directly.
