11 Soft Skills

Hard skills get you hired, but soft skills get you promoted: from the LinkedIn article by Zain Kahn

1. Communication

• Listen without interrupting
• Speak with a positive tone
• Pay attention to your body language

2. Persuasion

• Identify what other people care about
• Create stories that resonate with them
• Communicate those stories with brevity and emotion

3. Negotiation

• Listen carefully
• Understand what the other side wants
• Know your worth
• Then propose a solution that benefits both sides

4. Relationship building

• Help others unconditionally
• Look for common interests
• Always add value before asking for something in return

5. Empathy

• Take a genuine interest in other people
• Look at things from their perspective
• Acknowledge their feelings
• Never judge and always be supportive
• Be generous with your time and attention

6. Positive attitude

• Never gossip
• Never complain
• Criticize sparingly
• Always speak well of others

7. Teamwork

• Avoid claiming all the credit
• Celebrate other people’s win
• Praise teammates publicly and praise them generously

8. Conflict resolution

• Avoid arguments and accusations
• Focus on solutions over problems
• Apologize unconditionally when it’s your fault

9. Emotional intelligence

• Never act impulsively
• Take a step back when you’re upset
• Understand what you’re feeling
• Understand the consequences of your actions
• Then proceed accordingly

10. Time management

• Learn to prioritize
• Learn to delegate
• Learn to say no

11. Work ethic

• Take responsibility for your work
• Always show up and deliver on time
• Always keep your commitments
• Never deflect blame onto others