The 4 Soft Skills For Difficult Conversations In Companies
As much as companies tend to automate processes to achieve an optimal level of efficiency, there is something that can never be automated by a machine or an electronic system: the prevention of labor conflicts. Companies, which always rely on the work of several people at the same time, need to apply forms of communication that serve to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Those that arise from time to time from a misunderstanding or a high level of ignorance about the functioning of the organization and the incentives of its workers.
That is why it is very important to train and develop the soft skills necessary to face difficult conversations at work In this way, the risk of the situation escalating to an open conflict in which all parties involved lose is minimized. Let’s see what these “soft skills” are and what effect they have in the workplace.
In the business world, soft skills, also known as soft skills, are personal abilities that facilitate effective and efficient interaction with other people in cooperative situations.
Unlike technical skills or “hard skills”, which are specific to a profession or task, soft skills are more universal and versatile, in the sense that they are applied in almost all areas of life. Both in the professional context and in the personal context.
Common examples of soft skills include effective communication, teamwork, empathy, problem solving, creativity, empathic ability, leadership and emotional intelligence. These skills are critical to success in the workplace as they influence the ability to collaborate, manage conflicts, lead teams and adapt to changing environments.
On the other hand, soft skills are very valuable for the same reason that they are relatively difficult to capture on a resume: they are not based on degrees and diplomas, but on abilities that are put into practice in the face of specific challenges. And among these challenges, we frequently find conflict situations in the company. Or times when a small error in communication can cause a conflict to appear, given that what is being discussed is a sensitive topic. For example, vacation policies in the company, promotion systems that workers can benefit from, the establishment of productivity objectives…
The most valuable soft skills when faced with difficult conversations in the company
The field of companies and organizations has, by its very nature, a series of frictions between different parties. This is what inevitably happens when a group of people work together: their interests can never be perfectly aligned, to the millimeter, since human beings do not function like that. We do not have a hive mind that makes us row in the same direction without even considering whether that is convenient for us. And it is good that this is so.
Of course, this comes with a series of difficulties and challenges, at least from a leadership and Human Resources point of view. In this sense, these are the most relevant soft skills to know how to manage these difficult conversations in the company:
1. Listening ability
The ability to listen means accepting, with a certain degree of humility, that At first we don’t know everything A company is a complex context, in which no one has full knowledge of all the things that are in operation. Therefore, to face delicate conversations, we must be open to taking notes of possible corrections or changes of course. Failure to do so could create an additional problem.
Assertiveness allows say what is necessary, even if it is uncomfortable or painful, without falling into the temptation of leaving it for later It is also about expressing those things in a neutral way and without phrasing things in a way that could be offensive.
3. Empathic capacity
Empathic capacity is essential, especially in complicated conversations, because in them there are many emotions mobilized and part of what is said is not reflected as is through words, but through non-verbal communication keys.
Therefore, the soft skill of empathic capacity is an ingredient that must be in any effective leadership and mediation style. It’s a way of make sure that we are starting from the same presuppositions, and that we are on the same emotional wavelength which allows a more open attitude to cooperation to emerge.
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4. Goal orientation
Most communicative exchanges on sensitive topics in the context of companies cannot be resolved simply with words. In many cases, it is necessary to make that conversation take shape in a jointly reached solution Something that allows you to go from ideas to facts. Therefore, the soft skill of goal orientation is very important. It allows us not to lose sight of the fact that everything that happens in a relevant conversation must conclude in taking action, something that marks a full stop with respect to the initial situation.
