(Howard, 1998). Employees can be either of two things, are biggest ambassadors or our loudest critics. By opening the doors of communication, a manager can increase an employee's job satisfaction, increase their productivity, and decrease turnover in the department.
A "hard" skills manager is defined as the technical expertise required to accomplish day-to-day tasks. Job training and job experience are acquired by these skills. The scientific management approach is another term for hard skills. (Robbins, 2001). These skills are also known as "old school" technique. The "soft" manager or the interpersonal skills approach applies ideas and theories to management. This approach uses psychology to understand how employees react to management decisions. Soft skill managers" work to improve productivity by creating a work environment that allows employee responsibility, opportunity for growth, and recognition of their achievements. (McGloin, 2003). Due to workforce diversity, I believe these skills are more important in our times.
There are obvious differences between hard and soft OB skills. Hard skills pertain to the detailed knowledge required to achieve specific tasks. Mastering these skills gives a manager the advantage of knowing what individual tasks are necessary to increase productivity. Interpersonal skills give a manager the ability to decide which worker is more effective for the individual task. Soft skills are a necessary tool for manager to motivate and instill a sense of ownership, empowerment, and achievement in their workers. Hard skills are measurable and tangible. Soft skills are affected by outside influences. Since individuals are unpredictable applying these skills can be difficult and the time it takes to master them makes it even longer. In a business, which has an established environment and repeatable process, the hard skills work the best. Hard skills require more details and training.