What Are the Top 12 Essential Workplace Skills?

To help you improve your essential workplace skills, we asked people managers and business leaders this question for their best advice. From keeping up with new technologies to being creative with your work, there are several pieces of advice that may help you improve your workplace skills. 

Here are 12 essential workplace skills to improve on:

• Keep Up With Social Media Skills and New Technologies
• Practice Good Communication
• Be Patient With Familiarizing New Processes
• Develop Time Management Skills
• Acquire Public Speaking Skills
• Exhibit Professionalism at Work
• Work in Teams
• Learn To Adapt
• Appreciate Differences in The Workplace
• Have a Willingness to Learn
• Apply Critical Thinking
• Be Creative With Your Work

Keep Up With Social Media Skills and New Technologies

To become relevant and stay visible, you’ll need to learn how to leverage paid social and paid search platforms, as well as run analytic reports to track the success of your campaigns. And, of course, as more and more online marketing channels become used on a regular basis, you’ll need to master project management and communication apps to ensure you’re always on track and on the same page with clients and team members. With the majority of the workforce working at least somewhat remotely, it’s important to keep up with the latest tech all around.

Ryan Rottman, OSDB Sports

Practice Good Communication

Communication is the most important skill to have in the workplace. In your career, you will be able to manage people, projects, and time better if you are able to communicate well. This can be done by using body language, tone of voice, and listening skills. Employers look at soft skills before they assess hard skills and the way you communicate is one of your most important soft skills. One can improve on all of these skills by practicing them on a regular basis. Take classes to help you become a better listener, and read up on how to be more effective at networking. Practice your body language by standing tall with good posture, and smiling a lot. By displaying positive body language, your confidence will increase and people will be more likely to respond to you in a positive manner.

James Scott, OzBox

Be Patient With Familiarizing New Processes

The key to success is patience. You often get disappointed whenever you feel that you don’t have the right skills to carry out your tasks. This feeling is valid, but you need to understand that it will always be hard at first. Everyone has different learning curves and struggles at work, even tenure employees. Being patient with familiarizing business processes and learning about the company culture goes a long way. It helps you appreciate your journey and understand better your purpose in the workplace. 

You have to be more considerate with your pacing because excellent opportunities take time to accomplish. Like diamonds, you need to go through tough situations before you shine.

Jake Smith, Absolute Reg

Develop Time Management Skills

Time management is something that will be helpful no matter what career you choose. Make sure to figure out your own time management skills and techniques. Everyone will have different ways of managing their time that are unique. Some people can power through tasks, while others need frequent breaks in order to stay focused. Try out different techniques and ways of organizing your day to see what helps you make the most of your time each day.

Rachel Roff, Urban Skin Rx

Acquire Public Speaking Skills

An essential skill to have is public speaking and feeling comfortable presenting in front of your peers. Everyone has to handle and host reporting and presentations. Public speaking is a skill that is lifelong within the workplace and it is important to be comfortable. Taking classes or joining ToastMasters can help in easing the anxiety of public speaking or presentations.

Daniel Tejada, Straight Up Growth

Exhibit Professionalism at Work

Professionalism is a very crucial workplace skill that the workplace is slowly losing. An employee can show professionalism by showing excellence and integrity in their work. Professionalism is reflected by people who take ownership and responsibility for their work and have processes and good work habits in place to ensure that they meet their goals and deliverables. An employee also exhibits professionalism when they use respectful language and maintain a good professional image. This also includes not going overboard with jokes and respecting other workers’ boundaries.

Ian Sells, RebateKey

Work in Teams

One of the most overlooked essential workplace skills is the ability to lead and follow. Teamwork and collaboration are some of the most useful skills at work. Work regularly requires cooperation between colleagues on tasks or projects. Companies always try to improve teamwork skills to enable team members to efficiently work together and create a positive work environment. The perfect team player would have the skill to lead his team and guide them and still be a great follower when someone else is in charge. This improves work within flat structured organizations and helps remove friction and resistance when positions are changed. It can be improved by delegating some responsibilities to subordinates. Also practicing active listening with your team and trying out different leadership styles.

Michael Nemeroff, Rush Order Tees

Learn To Adapt

The number one workplace skill I look for when hiring and promoting employees is adaptability. This is really an umbrella term that encompasses collaboration, agility, and problem-solving. When you have employees who are rigid and panic during periods of change, it can really impede the progress of a team and organization. 

The best way to work on your adaptability is to work on your own sense of expectations. If you are constantly disappointed or anxious when things don’t turn out as planned, that is something you need to work on. You can start small by keeping open space in your calendar for unexpected tasks, or challenge yourself to give control of smaller decisions to a colleague. It’s not about being passive, it’s about letting go of the need to control every outcome and instead focusing on process and collaboration.

Gates Little, altLINE Sobanco

Appreciate Differences in The Workplace

Employees should accept and celebrate the differences of coworkers. Individuals skilled at inclusivity tend to have stronger relationships and a sense of community in the workplace. Request diversity training from your supervisor, or take a certificate course on LinkedIn, for example. To see the world from different points of view will help in everything you do professionally.

Amrita Saigal, Kudos

Have a Willingness to Learn

Succeeding in business relies upon your ability to discard dated practices and replace them using new skills and information. As said by Andrew Tarling, “Humility in learning is not thinking less of what you already know, but thinking of what you already know, less.” 

Whether you’re a new onboard or seasoned professional, a willingness to learn is an essential workplace skill. In an evolving environment where skills fade in and out of favor, knowing when to adapt or pivot your skill set is paramount. This could mean seeking out mentorship, asking for feedback, or simply staying educated on industry developments. These efforts showcase your dependability and make you a valuable asset to any workplace. Even as a C-suite executive, there’s so much that you can learn from others when you allow yourself to do so. You’ll find that leaning on outside knowledge offers a new perspective and makes you a much more capable leader in the long run. If you want to keep winning, never stop learning.

Mike Grossman, GoodHire

Apply Critical Thinking

To be effective problem solvers in our constantly changing world, we must be able to think critically. This includes not only identifying and assessing problems but also coming up with potential solutions. Critical thinking allows us to weigh the pros and cons of various options and make informed decisions. To improve your critical thinking skills, practice questioning everything that you hear or read, and ask yourself how it could be interpreted differently. Be willing to challenge your own assumptions and explore different points of view.

Danielle Bedford, Coople

Be Creative With Your Work

One of the most essential workplace skills to have is creativity. This is an essential skill that will allow you to think outside the box, come up with multiple solutions to problems, and come up with new ideas for campaigns and projects. Of course, employers value employees who have a creative mindset for these reasons. If you’re looking to get better at creativity, you can start by working with a wide range of people and learning from them. You may be surprised at the ideas some people have and can adapt for yourself in future contexts.

David Ring, MCT – Trading

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