The Importance of Teaching Soft Skills

I recently had the opportunity to lead a session at Elevate, NALP’s annual conference, on a subject that I am passionate about: growing soft skills within our teams. Questions that came up during the presentation, as well as conversations after, confirmed that this is a top-of-mind topic for many leaders right now. In addition to looking for the best resources for job skill training, forward-thinking business owners are also looking for opportunities to support and grow soft skills within his or her management teams.

Providing opportunities to learn and grow soft skills in no way diminishes the importance of providing opportunities to grow job skills. We need our construction crew leaders to know how to build retaining walls, just as we need our maintenance account managers to be able to identify plants and lawn types. However, way too often, new hires and even high performers who are promoted into new positions requiring people management, struggle with the skills needed to effectively navigate conflict resolution, lack the confidence in decision-making and often struggle with how to set healthy boundaries with co-workers and customers. Success requires a different set of skills — human skills — that have often taken a backseat to job skill training. I would argue that “people first” companies understand the need for soft skills and job skills to be co-pilots.

Deloitte predicts that millennials will represent 75% of the workforce by 2025. This new generation requires much more from his or her workplace than a paycheck to remain engaged and loyal. In addition to aligning personal values with company values, and believing in the mission and purpose of the company, millennials want to know they are cared about as human beings, that his or her ideas will shape key company initiatives, and that they can trust co-workers and managers. Helping our managers grow emotional intelligence and other soft skills like active listening, stress management and communication, is critical to developing a people-first, collaborative and inclusive workplace, anchored by trust.

So, where to start with soft skill training? In addition to the vast resources available through online learning platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning and Masterclass, as well as many books written on the subject (Social Intelligence by Daniel Goleman is a favorite). Here are two specific resources that I am a fan of:

• It’s the Manager, by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter. One of many Gallup tools focused on strengths-based learning and application. The book includes 52 short chapters broken into five sections: Strategy, Culture, Employment Brand, Boss to Coach and The Future of Work.

• Harvard’s ManageMentor Program. A collection of 42 online learning modules developed to help teams navigate the daily challenges of leading selves and leading others. It includes downloadable tools and templates, as well as a community forum for additional support and learning.

The ability of people to effectively navigate high pressure/high stakes situations relies directly on our ability to build stronger human skills. Doing so creates resilient teams who are better equipped to lead our companies into the future.

Women in Landscaping is a column brought to you in partnership with the National Association of Landscape Professionals. Pam Dooley is an active member of the National Association of Landscape Professionals Women in Landscape Network (powered by Envu) which provides a forum for industry professionals to support each other’s professional growth. The Network is free to all industry professionals.