Author: Ed BeltranForbes Councils Member

I currently serve as the CEO of Fierce, Inc., where the vision and mission are to empower the world with the tools and confidence to have the conversations needed to improve lives and enrich relationships. I am also an avid cyclist, logging more than 100 miles per week. I have noted a direct correlation between the challenges of biking and business. Similarly, I understand the uniqueness of my daily ride is like the distinctiveness of each workday.

No ride is predictable; no workday is routine. Every ride, every workday, presents new challenges. Some days, every aspect of the ride is in sync — strength, endurance, mental aptitude. Other days, not so much. The correlation holds true at work as well. One day is smooth, the next filled with the unexpected, forcing me to ask, “How do I overcome the ‘agitators’ and focus my mind?” 

Equipping employees to meet these challenges requires planning, development and training in both hard and soft skills. Hard skills are tangible, such as the ability to use the needed equipment or perform a particular function. Soft skills, on the other hand, are more elusive and include teamwork, the ability to adapt and communication.

Now, think for a moment about your business. Are hard skills or soft skills more important to success? My company, partnered with HR Research Institute, surveyed 261 human resources professionals in 2020 for the report, “Developing Hard and Soft Skills in Today’s Workplace.” We found that more than 85% agreed soft skills are more important to long-term success, but the same individuals admitted that their organization was more likely to focus on hard skills training. 

At Fierce, we know the value of soft skills training, particularly training in the art of communication. In fact, our ongoing mission is to train and develop leaders and employees for more effective conversations and productive communication. Effective communication is crucial for business success. Let’s explore the significance of soft skills development and, in particular, the advancement of effective communication. 

The Quality Of Communication

At Fierce, we believe effective communication is the most valuable of the soft skills, and the one on which the other soft skills find a solid foundation. The quality of communication has a direct impact on relationships, and in turn, the quality of the relationships determines the quality of the organization. Genuine, compassionate, adept conversations enhance the connection between employees, thus creating a healthy company culture and an organization capable of successfully accomplishing its mission.

Soft Skills Development: ROI And Value 

Generally, I find that most leaders feel soft skills development actually delivers a higher return on investment (ROI) than hard skills, but because soft skills tend to be intangible, they are more difficult to measure. This may explain that while soft skills need to be the focus of development in organizational leadership, organizations tend to focus more on hard skill training.

Even so, the leadership teams in many organizations may believe that employee communication presents a significant challenge. Why? In my experience, soft skills often fall short in common communication areas such as listening skills, openness, trust and the ability to provide constructive feedback. Of course, these soft skills are crucial for effective collaboration, problem-solving and decision-making among employees.

Unlike hard skills, soft skills are not job-specific. They are behavioral, social and cognitive abilities, and they include communication, character, emotional intelligence and the ability to be a team player, resolve conflict, collaborate, adapt and solve problems. These are the characteristics that matter more for long-term business success. Investing in the development of soft skills has a greater ROI and considerably more value in the long run in relation to customer experience and loyalty as well as employee satisfaction and retention.

When soft skills are the focus of employee learning and development, team members learn to listen effectively, communicate honestly and trust one another. These skills are crucial and must be taught. They are needed to build trust in organizations where individuals often see things from a variety of unique perspectives. And in case you haven’t noticed, these soft skills are all communication-centric skills. 

The Aspects Of Communication Skills 

Communication-centric skills include the abilities to provide constructive feedback, listen effectively and reflect, along with openness, honesty and trust. Developing these skills can quickly improve the efficacy, from fair to good to exceptional, within an organization. An organization’s leadership and employees communicate in a number of ways: face to face or by phone, video, email or text. In any organization, you will likely find the most common method of communication between managers and direct reports mirrors the way employees communicate with one another.

It’s not about expecting managers to have all the skills needed to fully develop their employees’ soft skills. In most cases, leaders are on their own journey of development. Talking, in theory, is very different than providing the tangible skills needed. For example, telling an employee to always provide feedback and never leave a meeting without expressing their thoughts is easier said than done. Does your company truly commit to a feedback culture? How do you construct the proper tried-and-true feedback conversation?

It follows that for productive conversations and organizational success, members of management need to demonstrate effective communication behaviors and skills like those they hope to see in their direct reports. When managers are viewed as excellent coaches who are honest and build trust among their team members, employees are able to have honest, authentic conversations to earn and build trust.

It is what we teach at Fierce — specifically, how to have productive conversations and effective communication. It is just like riding: Even if you are fully prepared with all the hard skills you need, if your mental acuity and positivity aren’t on the mark, your ride will be derailed. In your organization, strive to include all the aspects of communication skills — candor, trust, positive feedback, relationship-building — to create a high-functioning team and successful organization to ensure your business goals are not derailed.