Rachelle Chapman
Meet the new boss—it’s you. No new parking spot, pay raise, or executive washroom key. But in the brave new world of remote work, the manager scowling over your shoulder is yourself—if you’re doing it right.
In the old office-bound days—before we all migrated to New Zoomland—we had the physical presence of bosses, clients, and
co-workers to keep our soft skills razor sharp. Ah, soft skills. Hard skills—the technical knowhow and geeky expertise specific to our jobs—are admittedly indispensable. But the soft skills—positive traits that translate well across the full spectrum of professions—are quickly becoming the key differentiator for companies assessing job applicants or internal candidates for advancement. As these key, socially-reinforced aptitudes slowly atrophy in the solitude of our home offices, employers’ new message is clear: Go soft, or go home.
Take a moment to assess how you are faring in these five critical soft skills.
1) Communication
It’s way more than holding up a sticky note to the camera that reads “You’re on mute.” Successful communicators know how to manage relationships with co-workers, managers, senior leaders and clients by being proactive and thorough—answer all the questions posed to you in an email or phone call, rather than self-selecting which information to share. Remote communication elevates the importance of clarity, consistency, and concision to ensure your message is effectively received. And consistently practicing active listening and summarization demonstrates your “receive mode” is in the “on” position. Communication skills are a bridge to other key soft skills like self-awareness and empathy.
2) Emotional intelligence (“EQ”)
Are you picking up what I’m putting down? The ability to perceive and manage emotions in oneself and in relationships with others will set you apart as a remote employee. Things like maintaining strong eye contact on video calls, reading body language over Zoom, using good posture when communicating, and listening attentively all imbue trust with your co-workers. Self-awareness impacts social interactions and is a signal to oneself about how to regulate emotions, especially the more heated ones. If you get thrown a curveball during an interview, keep your cool and don’t let them see you sweat. Empathy is also a foundation of high EQ and can be characterized as helping others be seen, heard and understood.
3) Time management
Failing to plan, is planning to fail. In order to stay productive in a remote working environment you have to effectively manage your calendar. The benefit of remote work is the flexibility it allows in your schedule. However, you have to be self-motivated enough to create structure. Consider what your “big rocks” are every week and prioritize getting them done first and work on them during the time of day you’re most productive. Maybe you’re the most focused after your morning cup of coffee or after a midday break. Capitalize on your most productive brain working hours. Build in times throughout the day to get up from your desk and walk around. Also, be sure to allow for time outside of Zoom calls to actually get work done. As much as you might pride yourself on multitasking, you’re often just creating distractions for yourself—simple activity versus productivity. Focus on one task at a time and then check it off your list. Who doesn’t love striking a line through a to-do list?
4) Collaboration
Working remotely doesn’t mean working alone. Working with others in a remote work setting requires more effort, especially when it comes to connecting on a personal level. Make effective use of digital tools that enable sharing of ideas and projects. Set goals and recurring touch points via video or calls to keep everyone on track.
5) Adaptability
Military spouses corner the market on this trait. You are adaptable, flexible people undeterred by change that would rock the average Joe. Hiring managers scan for this aptitude, and military spouses on the candidate list rarely disappoint. Demonstrating your adaptability signals to a hiring manager that you have a growth mindset. In a behavioral based interview, draw on our PCS experiences and career restarts to illustrate that dynamism.
No matter which career you are in—or in pursuit of—honing these five soft skills will set you apart in the world of work. Continuing to sharpen them will propel you toward your long-term goals.