Why Soft Skills Mentoring Shouldn’t Be Dismissed

Let’s talk about soft skills – the ones that enable us to function effectively in professional and business environments. Soft skills include things like communication skills, emotional intelligence and the ability to actively listen – stuff you’re not taught in school but that instead comes with experience.

Not all of us have a natural aptitude towards these skills but that’s okay – there’s plenty of help available with soft skills development. For some of us, it comes naturally; you might thrive in networking scenarios or have been told you’re a good communicator in the past. If that sounds familiar, you might want to try your hand at soft skills mentoring. Read on to learn more about soft skills and how you could help someone improve theirs.

What Exactly Are Soft Skills?

Soft skills are a set of interpersonal, social and emotional qualities that can be transferred from your personal life to your professional life and across different business environments. In contrast, ‘hard skills’ or technical skills tend to be job or industry-specific and could be things like accounting, data analysis or graphic design.

8 Examples of Soft Skills

People with strong soft skills are most likely to climb the career ladder faster because they know how to work and communicate effectively with others and how to get the best out of both themselves and their team. Here are 8 of the most sought-after soft skills that people often want to focus on during soft skills development:

1. Strong Communication

Regardless of the industry you’re in, employers want people with strong written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills. These are essential for building relationships with teams and customers. Conflict can arise in the workplace from miscommunication or a mismatch of communication styles, so knowing how to adapt your style to different people, preferences and scenarios is a soft skill that shouldn’t be underestimated.

2. Problem-Solving

The ability to solve problems with creativity and innovative thinking is another important soft skill, particularly when it comes to making informed decisions and overcoming challenges.

If you’ve successfully navigated a few tight spots in your career and come out the other side stronger with a lesson or two under your belt, that’s exactly the kind of valuable experience you’ll be able to pass on during soft skills mentoring sessions.

3. Interpersonal Skills

People with strong interpersonal skills generally find it easier to build and maintain positive relationships with colleagues and clients. Being a team player reduces conflict and confusion when collaborating with others. Developing soft skills like this comes with time and experience, so reassure your mentees that every awkward conversation or misunderstanding is a lesson to learn from. We’ve all been there.

4. Flexibility

Flexibility is an underrated soft skill that can be incredibly beneficial throughout a long career. And no, we’re not talking about whether you can touch your toes or do a backflip. We’re talking about the ability of people to adjust to workplace changes, take on new challenges and adapt to changing circumstances. Whether it’s facing a midlife career change with confidence and courage or adapting to a new manager, spending time on soft skills development can empower your mentee to go with the flow without *too much* anxiety, whatever comes their way.

5. Time Management

Time management is about being able to prioritise tasks, set goals and meet deadlines. Developing soft skills like the ability to work under pressure as a deadline approaches or knowing how to juggle conflicting priorities could make all the difference in an employee’s performance at work.

6. Critical Thinking

Employers seek candidates who know how to think outside the box. People with top-notch critical thinking skills are able to make objective, logical and well-informed decisions. People who’ve studied certain subjects at college or university might be better at this than others, so take this into account if your mentee wants to focus on improving their critical thinking as part of their soft skills mentoring.

7. Emotional Intelligence

Being emotionally intelligent doesn’t just mean understanding your own emotions; it’s about being responsive and empathetic to the emotions of others – something that’s absolutely crucial for people who want to manage others or lead a team. People with greater emotional intelligence tend to build stronger relationships and have a positive impact on teamwork.

8. Leadership Skills

As a mentor, you’ll understand the value of leading by example. Effective leaders have the capacity to inspire, motivate and guide others towards a common goal, providing direction and helping to avoid and resolve conflict.

By focusing on soft skills mentoring, mentors can empower their mentees to thrive in different personal and professional contexts. Remember to customise your mentoring style based on the specific needs and goals of each mentee.

Why Is Developing Soft Skills So Important?

Employers want candidates with a range of good soft skills. As a mentor, you should encourage your mentees to showcase these skills, whether via their CVs or in the workplace. Below are a few reasons why developing soft skills is just as important as having the right hard skills for a job:

Improving Teamwork

If your mentee is going to work as part of a team, they need to be a team player. One of the things hiring managers look for when evaluating applications is candidates’ ability to work within a group and communicate effectively. Developing soft skills such as communication, interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence can all contribute to someone being a good team player.

Building Relationships

Emotionally intelligent mentees can recognise and manage their own emotions, as well as those of others. They know how to show empathy, build connections and encourage others to achieve their goals. Knowing how to develop soft skills and working on these continuously will help employees build strong relationships with their colleagues and managers, as well as clients and customers.

Maintaining Organisation

Employers love a reliable employee who’s organised, on top of their workload and never misses a deadline. Being organised at work helps build trust, as people will know they can rely on you when there’s a need. Attention to detail, time management and other soft skills like communication can all help an employee stay organised at work. If you’re super organised yourself, pass on some of your top tips and tricks during your soft skills mentoring sessions.

Networking

Working on soft skills development can make it easier to create and grow your network. For instance, demonstrating emotional intelligence by genuinely listening to what others are saying shows that you value their expertise and what they have to say.

The ability to read the room at a networking event to see who’s available to talk or who needs a hand feeling a little more comfortable is arguably one of the most important soft skills of all. People will remember someone who put them at ease for a long time to come, so consider teaching your mentees how to do this, even if it’s out of their comfort zone. It could be one of the most valuable and beneficial lessons they learn, both personally and professionally.

What Are The Benefits of Soft Skills Mentoring?

Helping someone to master their soft skills can be a mutually beneficial mentor-mentee relationship. Here are a few key benefits of soft skills mentoring:

Improve Your Own Skills

Soft skills mentoring allows you to reinforce and strengthen your own abilities, which can be a great way to reflect on how far you’ve come in your career and identify any areas where you want to develop too. Soft skills mentors have the opportunity to practise and refine their own skills and work on their own, communication, leadership, problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Give Something Back

Soft skills mentoring will help your mentee gain a much deeper sense of identity, which could ultimately help them perform better at work. Mentors have the opportunity to give something back to make a positive impact on someone else’s life by contributing to their growth and development. Witnessing your mentees’ progress and success can be incredibly rewarding and can even boost your own morale and self-esteem.

Top Up Your Income

Helping others understand how to develop soft skills through mentoring allows you to top up your income, either alongside your current job, after retirement or during a career break. You could even carve out a niche for yourself by focusing solely on teaching soft skills.

Become a Soft Skills Mentor with Career Navig8r

Without a doubt, soft skills are like precious gems that can be transferred from one career to the next, helping mentees shine brightly and captivate the attention of employers across a range of industries.

Soft skills mentoring has the power to elevate mentees above their peers, granting them a remarkable advantage in the competitive landscape. This becomes even more potent when paired with their existing technical skills and expertise.

Becoming a soft skills mentor is easy with Career Navig8r. Simply sign up, create your free mentor profile, set your hourly rate and make it clear you can help mentees with developing soft skills. Become a mentor today.