Walk with Soft Skills and Carry Immense Potential

Treaty 2 Territory – Soft skills are competencies that fall outside of the hard skills, encompassing technical and intellectual knowledge. There is controversy surrounding soft skills, regarding the word ‘soft’ itself. These skills are essential skills for all job roles and fields.  

Soft skills include a diverse range of abilities:  

  • Communicating effectively 
  • Ability to work well in a team 
  • Dependability 
  • Adaptability 
  • Ability to resolve conflicts 
  • Flexibility 
  • Leadership skills 
  • Problem-solving 
  • Research 
  • Creative expression 
  • Humility 
  • Altruism 

Individuals use soft skills to communicate with those they interact with and are transferable between different careers or industries.  

As individuals reflect on their strengths and areas of development that exist within the slate of soft skills, consider ways to improve these essential workplace skills: 

  1. Practice a variety of communication styles – consider the method of communication, the manner of the delivery of what you need to say and your audience.  
  1. Find opportunities to work on projects with other members of the team – this will allow you to develop our teamwork, time management and active listening skills.  
  1. Ask for feedback – constructive feedback provides you with an outside perspective on how you are doing in specific areas. Be specific as to the area or skill that you would like to have feedback on.  
  1. Suggest revision or improvement of processes – As you utilize your technical skills you may see processes that could be improved upon. This supports critical thinking, problem solving and leadership skills  

Valerie McInnes, B.Ed.

Zoongi Gaabawa Keetahbih Mukwa (Strong Standing Circling Bear)

Earth Lodge Keeper

Government – First Nations Treaty 2 Territory (FNT2T)