2020 has brought a lot of major changes in the workplace. With everything changing so quickly, organizations now demand workers who are able to handle adverse situations and bring innovative ideas to the table. If you are planning on becoming more marketable when applying for jobs or advancing your career, here are some of the most in-demand skills you need to have today.
Adaptability
Adaptability means being able to rapidly learn new skills when there are changing circumstances. Employers look for adaptable individuals when hiring new staff because it’s one of the most desirable skills to have, as adaptable employees can contribute to the growth of an organization. Individuals who adapt quickly have a higher chance of succeeding because they have a different perspective and mindset when presented with a challenge; a more positive one.
Because of the uncertainty that the world is experiencing, many companies have transitioned to remote work in the past year. This came with a lot of changes and struggles for employees who had never worked remotely. They had to demonstrate adaptability when responding to these adverse conditions. Companies are also using more technology, and this requires employees to receive training. Sometimes this is a challenging task, especially if the employees have been used to doing things a certain way for so many years.
One of the ways to build this skill is to change your thought process and force yourself to take risks. Change can be a very scary and intimidating thing. It’s unknown territory, but it helps when you look at it as an opportunity to learn something new and evolve. Moreover, it’s impossible to make real progress without taking risks. If you are scared to do something, start small. Once you get comfortable and realize that it wasn’t as bad as you thought, you can start to expand yourself and take more risks.
Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to recognize and respond to your own emotions and the emotions of others. Having emotional intelligence is a skill that can really help individuals succeed in the workplace. Most employers these days value emotional intelligence even more than IQ. Having a good grasp of human emotions can make you a better employee and collaborator. EQ is a multifaceted skill that can help improve communication, management, collaboration, and relationships in the workplace. Some of the skills involved in EQ are self-awareness, empathy, self-regulation, and social awareness.
Some individuals naturally have more emotional intelligence than others; however, with some work, you can build on this skill. One way you can improve EQ is simply by acknowledging your emotions and being more aware of them. Ask yourself what emotions you are feeling and why you might be feeling them. This is especially important to do in stressful situations. Once you acknowledge your emotions, think about if the way you are responding to certain situations is serving you. If it’s not, then reevaluate and think about how you would like to respond to them. Another thing to consider is that emotional intelligence also means having empathy. You don’t have to take on other people’s emotions as if they were your own, but you can try to put yourself in other people’s shoes and see situations from their perspective. This will help you gain more insight into their thoughts and make you more emotionally aware.
Critical thinking
To thrive and succeed in most jobs, critical thinking skills are needed. Most employers want to hire employees who can solve problems. Being able to analyze a problem from all angles and come up with a solution will allow an individual to add value to an organization. Depending on what field you are going into, some employers will be more interested in your thought process than anything. Demonstrating your thought process and how you would work through certain problems is a very valuable asset. Some critical thinking examples include creative thinking, open-mindedness, good communication skills, and self-evaluation.
To improve your critical thinking skills, you could start by becoming more self-aware and trying to understand the way you think. This includes your morals, ethics, values, strengths/weaknesses, likes/dislikes, etc. Think about what you believe in and why you believe in those things. Moreover, also try to observe yourself from a bird’s-eye view. How do you receive and process information? How do you react in certain situations? These are all important questions to ask yourself. Critical thinking starts with analyzing things on a deeper level. Another way to develop critical thinking skills is to think about the possible outcomes of different situations. You can start doing this with situations in your own life. Think about your actions and the positive or negative situations that could come out of it.
Interpersonal communication
Having interpersonal communication skills means that you know how to listen, how to work effectively in groups, and how to build and maintain healthy relationships with others. It is also referring to the way in which people exchange information, feelings, and meaning through both verbal and non-verbal messages. Employers hire staff with strong interpersonal skills because these individuals work especially well in groups and they make good leaders.
Having strong interpersonal communication skills is key to advancing in your career. One way to improve interpersonal skills is to practice active listening. When someone is speaking, try to give them your undivided attention and show them that you are listening. You can do this by maintaining eye contact or nodding your head. This will help them feel respected and it could help facilitate more conversations. Another way to hone your interpersonal skills is to show genuine interest in your co-workers and acknowledge them and their work. People want to be seen and to feel appreciated. Making an effort to get to know the people that you work with shows that you care.
Innovation
Things are changing fast, and employers want individuals who can add value to their organization. Oftentimes, adding value means being innovative; coming up with new and improved ways of doing things. Having an innovative team can also help companies stay competitive and form better connections in developing markets, which can potentially lead to more success and growth. Because of globalization, companies are now being forced to come up with new ideas in order to stay competitive and in business. For some companies, this means finding ways to expand their business into new markets. An assignment like this takes a lot of work and it requires a team of individuals who are willing to adapt and come up with innovative ideas.
Generating high quality ideas typically starts with understanding the business and the target audience. One way to do this is by positioning yourself in a place where you can gain new experience. To be innovative, you need to take action and learn what works and what doesn’t work. This is done through experience. Experience will help you develop true innovation skills. In addition, tapping into your creativity and using that as a guiding source can also be very powerful. One of the ways you can tap into your creativity is by keeping a journal and reflecting. Writing allows you to express yourself and to gain clarity. It can also bring forth new insights and ideas which you can then apply to real life scenarios.