Given that the past few years have been a rollercoaster, to say the least, the necessity of being able to manage the 'people side' of working is imperative.
Once before named 'soft skills' employers are changing the state of play...
These are now known as POWER SKILLS, and the need for people to possess said skills have changed dramatically since the global pandemic. Employers are now on the lookout for people who can bring these to the table as well as relevant experience, of course.
You may be wondering, ‘what on earth are power skills?’
Well, according to a report titled ‘Modern Skills for 2022’, the top 9 skills that aren’t going unnoticed are:
Critical thinking – Understanding how things link together and therefore affect each other brings so much value to companies worldwide. For me, this means being organised so that you can improve your efficiency and find simpler ways to complete tasks more effectively.
Great problem-solving skills – Similar to critical thinking but being able to find solutions in various ways/places that others may not have considered. This may be someone creative and curious that can see things from outside the box and apply this to their role.
Desire to develop yourself constantly – People that have this mindset are usually the type of people that want to reshape the industry. Every day is a personal progression. In my opinion, these people are some of the most beneficial to a company because they constantly want to learn and better their skillset, and this is a definite win.
Being consistently productive – Controversial to others’ opinions, this does not mean working yourself into an early grave or picking up excessive overtime – no matter how much you want to be helpful! It is about structuring your day better to maximise this productivity.
Leadership skills development – This skill should be made widely available to everyone within the workplace. It’s not just your boss that needs leadership skills! I believe that everyone uses these skills either in the background or foreground -perhaps without realising and those that do make the team up to four times more productive (statistically proven).
Skilful communication through business writing – If you want to be on your game and on top of that competition, this is so important to have. Writing effectively for your work means you can be concise and to the point. Enough of the lazy emails; focus on that attention to detail... I promise this will make you more appreciated!
Excellent presentation skills – Maintaining that focus and audience engagement is so important in your role as it brings them along your journey while making your point. Let’s be honest, your attention span is limited – present with confidence and your own flair, and you will keep people interested, and you will be heard.
Wellness – Generally speaking, this is a big skill that is often left undiscussed. Talking about how you value your mental health and fitness is vital within a company. It encompasses all aspects of life, including the workweek and the stress that this can bring. These people, I believe, can deal with challenges better than those who pack their emotions into a box and ignore them.
Efficient at time management – A skill that will never grow old. These people know what needs to be done and have the confidence to manage all the work into time blocks to productively tackle the workload. Once you are able to do this, you will experience high job satisfaction and feel more rewarded at home after the day is done.
Try incorporating power skills into your work life and see how you find getting up every day and going to your 9-5. How do you feel these resonate with you? I’d been keen to hear your thoughts and how these change the way you work.