It has long been a standard tradition that a professional must possess certain business skills to succeed in the workplace and that businesses should offer continuing education opportunities to help their employees succeed, thereby helping the business flourish and grow. It seems, however, that reading, writing and arithmetic are no longer the sole basis of a solid education. If recent trends are any indication, learning how to cope with one’s feelings and emotions and learning how to communicate effectively are just as important in a professional’s set of business skills as their business knowledge and expertise.

A Shift in Learning

Nowadays the technical aspects of a professional degree aren’t the only thing that a school’s curriculum is focusing on. More and more universities, including MBA programs, are also adding what they call “soft skills” to the education that they are providing to their students. Exactly what are these “soft skills” most currently popularized under “Emotional Intelligence”, and why are they so important to the success of a business?

Does Personality Really Matter?

Common sense will tell you that happy employees are productive employees. If a manager is making his or her employees feel demotivated or frustrated, it will eventually take a toll on the amount of work that is produced by that employee. Unfortunately, not everyone is built with the “people skills” that are necessary to manage a team effectively and keep employees motivated. That is where “soft skill” education and training come into play.

For a manager to be effective, he or she must be able to offer criticism and advice in a non-confrontational and non-demeaning manner. For an employee to meet his or her true potential, they must understand how to accept constructive criticism without taking it as a personal attack. These “soft skills” allow for increased employee morale and, in return, an increased bottom line.

Is it Too Late?

Now that an increasing number of colleges are implementing these soft skill classes into their educational curriculum, is it too late for professionals who obtained their degrees years ago when hard skills were the only thing that really seemed to matter to potential employers? Absolutely not.

If a business thinks that their employees are lacking in the soft skills they need, they can offer continuing education classes that focus on this particular skill set. If a manager, or even a business owner, seems to have a hard time communicating effectively with the business’s employees, they can look into a coaching and education program that will help in these weaker areas.

When a business or employer begins to understand the importance of soft skills and how they play an important role in the culture of a company and the way the employees interact and excel, they will see increased employee productivity and fewer inter-office squabbles. As employees become more productive, the bottom line of the company will eventually improve as well.