We know that many youngsters are willing to find out what are soft skills. They have heard about this sort of abilities many times, but they are not sure what they are.
Every teen needs to know that constant improvement of skills and talents is crucial for success. Successful entrepreneurs are aware of that and they constantly work on their self-improvement. Even the richest people in the world use every opportunity they have to learn something new. They especially invest their time and effort to improve their soft skills.
We know, you are probably asking yourself now – “What are soft skills and why are they important”, correct? The answer is near, but we need to make an explanation before we start.
There are two different skills you need to work on – soft skills and hard skills. Because of that, it would be good to determine what are soft skills and hard skills.
What are Soft skills and Hard Skills?
The definitions of both types of skills are short and clear. They will easily explain to you what are soft skills and hard skills.
Hard skills are teachable abilities or skills sets that are easy to quantify. For instance, this includes typing speed, computer programming, proficiency in a foreign language, etc.
Soft Skills are also famous as “people skills” or “interpersonal skills”. Without saying what are soft skills examples, you can conclude they are quite opposite from hard skills.
Both categories of skills are important for the success of every kid. Yet, the majority of adolescents do not possess the soft ones. That’s why we should discover what are soft skills and what are soft skills examples. Let’s begin.
What are Soft Skills and Why are they Important?
Soft skills are a crucial part of finding and attracting potential clients and customers. You can be an expert in your field, but that won’t guarantee your business is going to improve.
Many true experts were not able to become successful because they only worked on their hard skills. They were working for other entrepreneurs for the whole of their life.
Let’s imagine that you and your competitors are providing the same quality of services. If your competition is more capable to convince people or other business to hire them – they will win without any doubt.
Lack of soft skills will definitely limit your potential. You won’t be able to show everything that you know. Attracting new customers is not the only benefit you can get. That’s why every young adult that asks “what are soft skills?” deserves an answer.
What are Soft Skill Examples?
The list could be longer, but we will highlight the most important ones
- Negotiating
- Networking
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Work Ethic
- Flexibility/Adaptability
- Self-Motivation
- Time management
- Creativity
The list isn’t effective enough, right? That’s why we will give you a clear explanation of what are soft skills and how important they are.
Negotiating
Teens that are wondering what are soft skills should know that negotiating is on the top of the list. New clients are not going to pay you for service or product without a good reason. More importantly, other businesses won’t cooperate with you if you do not convince them that you are a good partner.
Negotiating is equally important for every business field. It really doesn’t matter if you are running a B2B or B2C type of business. Everyone looks for a reason to hire you or to buy your product.
Your negotiating skills should improve together with your business. By that time, you will meet the owners of larger companies. You can’t negotiate with them in the same manner.
Networking
A serious business owner is always trying to connect with other entrepreneurs. But, young adults are usually spending most of their time with students. Those students usually don’t have any interests in entrepreneurship.
However, there is a solution for that. Thanks to the Internet technology, you are now capable to network with like-minded people through social media platforms.
Yet, keep in mind that those people do not know anything about you except that you have the same goal as theirs. That sometimes isn’t enough. There is a big chance they won’t continue their chatting with you if you don’t clearly explain who you are and what you want.
You still don’t understand what soft skills are? Continue reading!
Leadership
You have probably noticed that soft skills usually have something in common with communication skills. The communication is not just important for potential clients, customers and investors. It is equally important for the effectiveness of your working collective.
Teenagers think that they can run their business alone. Sooner or later you will have to ask for help. It would be ridiculous to think that you are capable to be an expert for everything.
Every teen entrepreneur needs to know what soft skills are. Without them, you won’t be able to become the true leaders.
A true business owner needs to know how to motivate his workers when they are not effective enough. He will also take responsibility for all the decisions that are important for the improvement of the business.
Keep in mind that things are not going to be always like you imagine. We cannot control circumstances. Because of that, you need to learn how to work under pressure.
You have probably heard that many kids gave up from their dreams because they didn’t know how to handle the pressure. Try not to be one of them! Ask your parents or your mentor for help if you don’t know how to solve something.
Teamwork
It’s true that you will be the owner of your business. Yet, that doesn’t mean you are not part of your team. Your goal is to show the authority through your knowledge about your field. But, every member of your team is equal, including you!
Sports like basketball and soccer are good examples of true teamwork. The team can have the best player in the world. However, if the whole team is not equally good, then they won’t win a trophy.
The main characteristic of a team player is tolerance. Keep in mind that we are all different. We have different habits, routines, opinions, etc. You need to be tolerant and ready to hear everyone’s opinion. More importantly, you need to accept it.
If you respect other members of the team, for sure they will respect you. That’s exactly what soft skills are all about. They do not only have a positive impact on your success. They will positively influence the success of others as well.
Work Ethic
This is probably the best example that will show what are soft skills and why are they important.
Absolutely, every teenager has the problem with lack of responsibility and discipline. How many times have you delayed your duties for school? How many times have you said – “I can do that tomorrow”?
This is a global problem, and parents and teachers in school should work together with their kids on fixing it. Word “delay” doesn’t exist in the business world. If your plan is to work from 3 PM to 11 PM, don’t take a million breaks during that period. It is okay if you relax once for half an hour, but making a short break every 30 minutes won’t bring you anything good.
Respect your duties and do not stop working until you successfully complete them.
Flexibility/Adaptability
We already said that things are not always going to be as you imagine. Successful entrepreneurs are aware of that and that’s why they always try to be flexible. Sometimes you will have to improvise in order to achieve success.
Kids that are not capable to adapt usually lose the motivation they had in the beginning. They discover what soft skills are too late, and they make some big mistakes.
First of all, people are different. You can’t use the same approach for all of your workers. Each of them has his own type of satisfaction. Some of them you will motivate with bonuses. Others would like more to hear nice words from you.
Besides that, being flexible to adapt to circumstances and the current situation is even more important. Many youngsters forget to make a plan B, and when bad moments come, they are not well-prepared.
This is always a better choice than blaming others or yourself. Focus your energy on finding a solution for a current problem. That is the only way that will bring you positive results.
Self-Motivation
How are you going to motivate your workers if you have the problem with lack of motivation? Your mood will reflect on their mood, and their mood will reflect on their productivity.
Still not sure what are soft skills and why are they important? Well, here is the example that will make it clear for you.
Let’s imagine that things are not going very well. You are nervous because you haven’t achieved everything you wanted. Because of that, you became nervous and you are one step from giving up from your business.
Why would your workers work harder if you are the first one who doesn’t believe in his goals?
Being constantly motivated is not an easy task. The support of your parents is the best motivation you can get. If that is not enough, look for the blogs or books from your role models. Their life story and tips can help you to wake up.
Time Management
If the question is – “what are soft skills examples”, one of the answers is – time management.
Teens are constantly complaining about how they do not have time to complete their duties. When you look closer, you will see that they spend most of their time on irrelevant things. For instance, chatting on Facebook and Instagram is one of the main reasons why they don’t have time.
A true business owner always creates his “to-do” list. He doesn’t only make weekly plans. His list is full of daily tasks that they need to complete.
You have probably heard many times that someone tells you “start small”. That’s exactly what you need to do – start with accomplishing small tasks. Step-by-step you will be closer to achieving your goals.
Let’s imagine that you are sleeping 8 hours a day. That means you have 16 hours to do whatever you want. Half of that time is enough to complete everything you planned. Of course, you need to fully commit to your work. If you do not invest 100% of your strength in your work, 25 hours a day would not be enough for you.
Creativity
It looks like people do not understand what creativity really is. They usually connect it with art and music. However, being able to find a unique solution to your problem is also a type of creativity.
Many times you will have to think outside of the box. Successful entrepreneurs usually make decisions that sound strange to others. Actually, that is the main reason why they became successful.
Many youngsters don’t even try to be creative. The only thing they know to do is to follow the “rules”. Believe in your instincts. If you really feel that your decisions will positively have an effect on the development of your business.
Final Thought
Is it now clear what soft skills are? Those skills will help you to truly show your skills and your talents. Without them, you will just be the best worker of the month. That’s why it was necessary to hear what are soft skills and hard skills. Now, when you know the difference, it would be a lot easier to realize which things you need to improve.
Don’t stop working on self-improvement. Every day is a new opportunity to learn something new. Formal education is not the only choice you have.
Besides, the soft skills are not just important for the business world. You can use them in your everyday life. They will make your life easier and more beautiful.
So, are you ready to start working on the improvement of those skills? Do you now understand why they are important for you and the people around you?
Don’t delay, start!
