Chief Executive Officer of Axis Human Capital, Dr Esi Ansah, has disclosed that soft skills have become a crucial part of workplace environment.

Commenting on its relevance in the workplace, she noted that it has become imperative due to diversity and complexity of problems at work.

“When you are working with people from diverse backgrounds and people who may not even come from the same country as you, cultural intelligence, emotional intelligence, being able to work with people and managing them are very critical.

“Also, you are working in complex situations, so not just the people, but we are in a society now that we have serious problems. So, you need to learn to work with a lot of complexities, and you need to learn how to think in terms of an ecosystem and how one thing connects to another.

“You are working in a virtual space where you cannot see people but you are engaging, so creativity and critical thinking become important”.

Value addition in the workplace

Touching on value addition at the workplace, Dr Ansah pointedly explained that it presented opportunities to employees to prove their abilities.

“If you are a straightjacket, when plans and things are changing around you, that is an opportunity for you to demonstrate the value you can add to the organisation. If you are not ready to adjust to the new normal, it can cost you your job”.

Also, she disclosed that employers need to retool their workers to enable them develop their skills.

“It won’t be fair to say things have changed. And you don’t have digital marketing skills so goodbye. But it is important to say this is where we are going and so long as you want to come on this journey, I am giving you an opportunity to now learn some new skills. So, you can add that value that we are looking for. If you are not interested, then we have to leave you behind and carry on”

Soft skills define an organisation

On her part, Senior Manager in Charge of Corporate Communications at MTN Ghana, Ms Georgina Asare Fiagbenu also corroborated the significance of soft skills in the world of work.

“We are dealing with diverse people. Some of who may be highly educated, some who may not but you need all of them to be able to buy into whatever you want to communicate or sell to them.

“One of the things that help you embrace the usage of soft skills is the constant dynamism of society. Things are changing every day and your customers keep changing. Management styles are changing and we are also talking about COVID-19. So, you have to adapt.

“Working from home for one full year is something that I never thought of. The dynamism of our society, the changing trends and the uncertainties of life demand that you are able to adjust. Think on your feet and be agile”.
Georgina Asare Fiagbenu

Additionally, she stated that swift changes in the world have made innovative and quick-witted employees to be sought after.

“If we all have degrees and we come together, the assumption is that we all have the same degrees so when it comes to a point of decision, what will make you choose one person over the other is how much value the person brings and how you are able to get the person to adapt to new things.

“New things come up every day and you don’t want a person who is not ready to adapt. It is a blessing to have someone who is able to think on the feet and make quick decisions, determine what is urgent, what is an emergency and the issues that can wait”.