When considering the development of the workforce in our business it is necessary to consider all aspects of the worker's development. There are more things to be considered than an employee's technical skills. We can interview and hire dozens of employees with Bachelors or Masters degrees, or any other level of technical certification, but what differentiates these individuals from each other? Many members of management argue that technical competencies in our employees are far more important than their skills at communicating, listening, and motivating each other. It is my argument that these soft skills are a vital part of our employee's makeup. It is important that we as managers have a good understanding of Organizational Behavior and use it in the work place. Without this set of skills, we set ourselves up to fail.
Hard and Soft skills.
Hard and soft skills are both important in our work environment and to each individual worker's success; however, there is a distinct difference between these two separate skill sets. .
Soft skills involve how you project yourself and your professional skills to others. This includes how you communicate with other people, both speaking and listening. It also includes your ability to convey the point you want to make in the most attractive and professional manner (Jasrotia, 2003). This can include your mannerisms, facial expressions, and gestures. These skills are very interpersonal and are necessary for teamwork and group projects. These skills are learned during interactions with other people.
Hard skills are the technical skills that are necessary to perform the different work functions within our organization. Examples of these would be an individual's ability to use a computer, run a certain piece of machinery, or to be able to read a financial report. These skills do not require that a person interact with anyone else but they may require a high level of technical knowledge or understanding.