Key Takeaways:
- Professional and technical skills are different. Professional skills are soft skills that include the habits, characteristics and abilities that influence your work style. Technical skills are abilities that require specific knowledge to perform well.
- Learning new professional development skills can help you become a better leader, employee and direct report.
- There are many soft skills you can work on to help you improve your professional development, including communication, integrity and problem-solving.
Table of Contents
The thought of working on your professional development skills can feel overwhelming – like pushing yourself to go for an early morning jog each day. Similar to the way a daily morning jog can help improve your overall health, improving your professional development skills can strengthen your career. Improving or gaining new skills can help you become a better colleague, leader and fulfilled professional. In addition, it can also lead to new job opportunities, promotions and better job performance.
Whether you have been in the workforce for a few weeks, a few years or a few decades, making your professional development a consistent priority is essential for growth. Ahead, we discuss the difference between professional skills and technical skills. We also highlight the top 21 skills that can help a professional at any level excel.
Professional Skills vs. Technical Skills
You may think that professional and technical skills are the same, but there are some important distinctions between the two. Professional skills, also known as soft skills, include your habits, characteristics and abilities that influence your work style. Examples of these skills include time management, organization and communication.
In contrast, technical skills, also known as hard skills, are abilities that require specialized knowledge to perform well. Typically, technical skills take time to master and can help a person earn a specific role involving these special skills. Speaking more than one language fluently and coding are some examples of technical skills.
While both types of skills are essential, professional skills are more transferable, which makes them valuable in any line of work.
21 Top Professional Skills
Learning new or refreshing professional skills is crucial to your career development. Learning new skills can help you become a better leader and employee in almost any industry. Below, we have highlighted the top professional skills to develop to help you succeed in the workplace and possibly influence professional development goals.
1. Teamwork
Teamwork is an essential skill necessary for excelling in any work environment. People who thrive in a team setting often have solid interpersonal and communication skills that help them collaborate well with others. Teamwork also requires understanding how to complete tasks and showing sensitivity to your colleagues’ work and needs. Some of the added skills you need to improve your teamwork proficiency include cooperation, reliability and the ability to persuade others.
2. Creativity
Creativity is one of the top skills every professional should continuously work on improving. While you may automatically think of creativity as art, music or dance, it is a valuable skill for formulating solutions and developing new ideas. People with a creative mindset watch for patterns in their industry and professional environment to see connections and identify new ideas. For example, creativity is often behind successful problem-solving or coming up with unique ways to address an assignment or tackle a project.
3. Communication
Communication is possibly the most crucial skill you need to work on continuously. With the rise of remote and hybrid work environments, communication is more important than ever. People with solid communication skills recognize the value of efficiently delivering information, exchanging ideas and actively listening to others. In addition, communication skills can help you better manage difficult situations tactfully, negotiate and network.
4. Leadership
Whether you are an individual contributor or in a supervisory role, leadership is an essential skill for anyone in the workforce. Professionals who thoughtfully guide and motivate their colleagues to accomplish a common goal are the hallmarks of a good leader. People with solid leadership skills commonly possess other important skills, such as confidence, coaching and accountability.
5. Flexibility
Flexibility, the ability to modify or adjust to circumstances, is another important professional development skill. Professionally flexible people are able to consider different perspectives, come up with creative solutions and adjust their way of working if need be. Skills that can help you excel in your flexibility skills include proactivity, adaptability and patience.
6. Time Management
Time management skills are important in any facet of life, but they are especially important in the workplace. Time management can help you complete more tasks efficiently, which can lead to more productivity, success and a better work/life balance. Becoming better at time management demands an understanding of how to prioritize different tasks and stay organized.
7. Problem-Solving
Problem-solving, or removing barriers that interfere with success, is an essential skill for anyone to have. In addition, problem-solving also requires innovation, coming up with new ideas and being flexible. Although a person’s responsibilities may vary depending on their industry or field, problem-solving is a skill everyone needs.
Any work environment will inevitably encounter problems. So, it is vital to have employees who are proactive about solving problems. Skills you may need to improve your problem-solving skills include innovation, communication and decision-making.
8. Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is a skill in which someone interprets, evaluates and understands information to make a thoughtful decision. This skill requires a person to question assumptions, detect biases and consider alternative perspectives.
Good critical thinkers make connections between a series of ideas to understand the bigger picture. Critical thinking is an important part of professional skill development because it can enable you to advocate your ideas, present them in a logical fashion and make informed decisions.
9. Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is a learned skill that refers to a person’s ability to understand and handle their own emotions while being sensitive to the feelings of others. This skill is not only important for personal growth, but it is also essential for professional success. Professionals with emotional intelligence tend to have better communication skills, stronger relationships and effective leadership skills.
10. Integrity
Integrity signifies that a person is honest, is ethical and has a solid moral compass. In a professional setting, integrity means more than having employees who are honest – it means that employees take their commitments seriously and are proactive and accountable.
Organizations with employees who lack integrity risk fostering a culture of distrust, burnout and expensive mistakes. When employees and organizations make a concerted effort to practice integrity, it can lead to a happier and more productive work environment.
11. Innovation
Innovation is a skill in which a person thinks of, creates and implements new ideas, products, services or processes. Depending on the project, innovation can lead to positive improvements, advancements and changes.
While innovation can be used in everyday life, it is a helpful skill for a variety of professional industries, including technology, business, education and even the arts. In today’s fast-paced world, innovation can help individuals and companies adapt, evolve and stay relevant.
12. Active Learning
With active learning, a person gains knowledge or new skills by participating in the learning process. Oftentimes, active learning uses hands-on and experimental methods to teach and encourage growth. In professional development, active learning may include group projects, shadowing a manager or actively listening to colleagues. Encouraging someone to interact with new information or their peers helps foster a deeper understanding of the material. The benefits of active learning are that you can get real, hands-on experience on projects and learn directly from subject-matter experts.
13. Organization
Organization is an important skill in any workplace, but it is also key to professional growth. This skill requires a person to create order out of complexity, establish simple priorities and ensure that resources are allocated to the fullest extent. Skills needed to have successful organizational abilities include delegation, attention to detail and time management. Organization is a foundational element of success since it can enhance productivity, mitigate mistakes and help employees work effectively.
14. Self-Motivation
Self-motivation is the internal drive, enthusiasm and determination that helps individuals pursue their goal(s) or assignment(s). In the workplace, self-motivation means taking initiative and requiring little supervision and management to complete a task. To have a strong level of self-motivation, an individual needs to be independent, flexible and ambitious.
15. Self-Confidence
Self-confidence is the trust a person has in their own abilities and judgment. Individuals who possess this skill reflect their self-assured feelings to others, which helps to reinforce their ability to accomplish tasks and handle challenges. Ultimately, this skill can help enhance other skills, such as communication, decision-making and leadership.
16. Public Speaking
Public speaking is the ability to deliver a presentation or specific message to a group of people. This skill requires a person to communicate their ideas or information clearly and, at times, persuasively. When done effectively, public speaking can help enhance communication and career advancement. Work on your poise, confidence and articulation to improve your public speaking abilities.
17. Professionalism
Professionalism is a skill that refers to the behavior and actions that characterize a person’s or an organization’s commitment to ethical standards, excellence and integrity. This skill is critical for success in any field, including business, healthcare, education and more. People or organizations that practice professionalism foster a culture of trust, integrity and respect.
18. Stress Management
Stress management refers to the tools, strategies and techniques used to reduce stress. This skill involves recognizing and removing stressors, developing healthy coping mechanisms and promoting a healthy work/life balance. Stress management is essential because persistent chronic stress can negatively impact your health, productivity and quality of life. Including stress management in a professional development program is important because it helps to make sure individuals do not get overwhelmed and are able to successfully complete tasks.
19. Networking
Networking is the process of developing and sustaining connections with individuals, organizations or groups within a specific industry. By creating a network of connections, a person can exchange information, advice and support and learn about new career opportunities. Networking can happen in several forms, such as in-person meetings, social events, online platforms and professional conferences.
20. Conflict Resolution
While closely related to problem-solving, conflict resolution is the process of addressing and fixing a dispute or disagreement between individuals or a group. This skill requires a person to mediate a situation effectively and reduce hostility or tension. The best way to resolve a conflict varies depending on the nature of an issue and the context in which it arises. Ultimately, resolving conflict helps fix issues and improves relationships and trust.
21. Influence and Persuasion
Influence and persuasion are key skills for effective professional development. Influence and persuasion are closely related concepts that involve the ability to impact or change the opinions, behaviors or decisions of other people. Influence is a skill that encompasses the broader process of impacting someone’s thoughts or decisions. On the other hand, persuasion is a skill that refers to a specific form of influence that aims to change someone’s mind by presenting arguments or specific information. Both skills play critical roles in personal and professional settings.
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