Soft skills work on your success. Many people believe that they are more important than professional knowledge and skills – hard skills. After all, it is easier to teach a person to work in a program or process than to teach a highly skilled but not flexible professional to interact with other people.
In the era of daily change and high unpredictability, where challenges are abundant and solutions are in high demand, the ability to adapt and solve problems effectively has become paramount. There are traditional methods of skill development and not-so-evident ones. For example, one unconventional yet effective avenue for honoring soft skills is through the world of Solitaires. Surprisingly, online platforms such as Solitaires, where you play card games like Klondike Solitaire Turn 3 or any other Solitaire, can help us to develop our soft skills in the game.
Let’s delve into the question of soft skills development and try to uncover both traditional and non-traditional ways to develop them.
What Do Soft Skills Mean?
The term Soft skills refers to a person’s personal and interpersonal skills that are not related to a specific activity or field of work. If we look in detail at what is included in Soft skills, these are skills such as:
- ability to organize work in a team;
- negotiation skills;
- communication skills with people;
- creative thinking;
- trainability;
- ability to adapt quickly to new conditions;
- problem-solving.
Soft skills and Hard skills complement each other and are important in personal development. But which ones are more important?
If we look deeper, we will see that it depends on the position an employee holds in the company. For example, for an account manager, the ability to negotiate is a professional responsibility and will rather belong to Hard skills. It is for this skill that such a specialist will receive his income.
Types of Soft Skills: What Are They?
Soft skills skills can include the below.
Communication
This is a set of skills related to the exchange of information with other people. Here we can distinguish 2 blocks: business communication skills (negotiation and correspondence) and oratorical skills (ability to speak clearly, to convey ideas to other people so that it is understandable and memorized). It is easy to understand that a person has developed communication skills – he or she knows when, how, and to whom to convey information and does it taking into account the context of the situation and the state of the interlocutor.
Critical Thinking
This is the ability to consume and process information in a balanced and conscious way. Having such a skill as critical thinking allows you to argue your position, find inconsistencies and contradictions in decisions, make compromises in negotiations, and assess the consequences. Information flow can be misleading, so it is important to check the information received, compare facts, and think rationally.
Customer Focus
This skill implies the ability to quickly identify the needs/desires of the client/audience and satisfy them. People with a developed customer focus are focused on helping and solving other people’s problems. From the point of view of the way of thinking – this ability manifests itself as a sincere joy that our company has helped the client. Of course, when looking for a solution, we take into account its cost to the business and look for a way to satisfy the client that is beneficial to the company. Being customer-oriented helps us maintain our position in a highly competitive marketplace. Often in business, we compensate for the lack of such abilities with processes, standards, and scripts.
Non-violent Communication
This is the ability to talk about yourself and your needs and problems. Without pushing or pushing the interlocutor. Not pushing him to a specific solution. Non-violent communication is a technology based on the understanding that the world does not revolve around a person and no one owes him anything. He formulates his thoughts with a focus on himself leaving the interlocutor to choose whether to go to the meeting or not. This allows us to be honest and transparent.
Decision-making Ability
This is the ability to quickly and consciously choose from several options, one – the most promising. People who possess this quality, quickly achieve goals. This ability overlaps closely with the ability to keep a goal, as the criteria for making a decision are directly related to the outcome and timeframe to be achieved.
Problem-solving Ability
The ability to solve problems and take action if something does not go according to plan helps to overcome difficulties at work and in life, to achieve the desired result, especially in conditions of uncertainty.
Emotional Intelligence
You can say that you have emotional intelligence if you can understand your emotional reactions in the first place. And manage them. Also included in the model of emotional intelligence is understanding the emotions/intentions of others, and the ability to respond appropriately to and influence the emotional reactions of others. It is emotional intelligence that underlies all skills related to interacting with people. It helps in problem-solving, decision-making, building communication, motivating employees, negotiating, building customer experience chains, and many other tasks.
Learnability
Here we mean the ability not so much to receive new information, but to apply it in life, and turn it into competencies in practice. A teachable person does not repeat the same mistake twice, gains experience, and applies it to the next tasks.
Working in a Mode of Uncertainty
Employees who are not afraid of changing working conditions, can easily make decisions, and know how to better allocate their resources are not afraid of high workloads and deadlines. Such skills are needed not only for entrepreneurs, but also for accountants, project managers, and creators of creative products. At the heart of this ability is the ability to recognize your anxiety, understand what risks it is caused by, and react to their occurrence. A key aspect of this skill is trust in yourself and your strengths.
Self-analysis
This is the ability to analyze one’s actions and behavior, to objectively evaluate actions, and, based on the information obtained, to make decisions. For example, if relationships in a team do not work out, self-analysis helps to understand the mistakes that are made in communication with people. The ability to analyze yourself and your needs helps you make informed and balanced decisions.
Which of These Qualities Can the Game of Solitaire Help Us with?
The Art of Problem-Solving
Problem-solving lies at the heart of Solitaires. Each game presents players with a unique set of obstacles to overcome. From identifying the most efficient move to unraveling complex card configurations, players must employ critical thinking skills to devise effective solutions. Each decision holds significance, and each action molds the game’s outcome, placing problem-solving at the core of the Solitaires encounter.
Strategic Thinking and Risk Management
Central to the art of problem-solving in the Solitaire game we can point to strategic thinking and risk management. Players must carefully weigh their options, considering the potential outcomes of each move and assessing the risks involved. Do they play it safe and opt for the more conservative approach, or do they take a calculated risk in pursuit of a higher reward? Evaluating options, anticipating consequences, and making informed decisions are essential for success!
Learnability and Learning from Failure
In Solitaires, failure is not the end. More likely, that is a stepping stone on the path to mastery. Every unsuccessful game presents an opportunity for learning and growth, allowing players to analyze their mistakes, identify areas for improvement, and refine their strategies accordingly. Through repeated practice and iteration, players gradually develop the skills and insights needed to overcome even the most challenging of Solitaires puzzles.
The Successful Ways to Success
The journey of soft skills development is multifaceted, spanning from traditional methods to unexpected avenues like Solitaire gameplay. By recognizing the importance of soft skills, with problem-solving, strategic thinking, and risk management among them, we can navigate the complexities of today’s world with confidence and resilience.
– Nadia Shi
Author’s Bio
Nadia Shi is an expert in the field of HR-management, studying effective strategies for self-development and development of personnel. Participates in the development of products for HR managers to assess and develop key employee skills.
