Don’t talk soft, talk tactical skills

If I was to describe the key skills that help everyone at every level to do their job effectively, I’d be describing skills such as teamwork, customer service, emotional intelligence, resilience, creativity, adaptability, managing conflict and managing yourself and others. These are key skills, as the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) has pointed out, and surveys show they are in demand and lacking.

Speaking at the CIPD’s 2008 HRD conference, US management author Daniel Pink suggested that, in the knowledge economy, only professionals who can supplement technical skills with these extra skills will survive and even prosper.