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Top 3 skills to learn in 2019 that will transform your employees.

Areas many of us struggle with when leading teams or managing a company include interpersonal communication breakdowns, and/or unresolved and growing conflicts between team members or departments, all resulting in a surge of staff turnover or absenteeism (or of course “negative presenteeism”).

Acquiring, strengthening or improving transferrable (or also called life or soft) skills are essential for every person to become the best at what they do. Devoting time to learning these skills (such as interpersonal communication, smart decision-making, or critical thinking) are one of the best investments individuals and employers can make, because they never go out of style and are being useful and applicable in a variety of situation, regardless of the position or industry. In addition, the growth of Artificial Intelligence and technology make transferrable skills vital, because robots cannot automate and replicate these qualities and traits.

A 2018 LinkedIn Workplace Learning study found that 90% of executives today consider Learning & Development a necessary benefit to the company, and that training transferrable skills should be the #1 priority when developing employees. In addition to this powerful finding, a whopping 94% of employees confirmed that they would stay longer in the company if it invested in their development.

These are incredible facts and should definitely be taken into consideration when organising L&D programs and professional development for your team and workforce during this year.

To make it easy for you, we have outlined the top 3 transferrable skills that executives want professional development and training to cultivate in employees:

1  Leadership

“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

This quote brings it to the point and can be extended to include self-leadership and self-motivation. Leadership skills for example include overcoming your fears, stepping out of your comfort zone, and taking responsibility for your own actions.

The shift that you will be able to witness in your employees (not just your middle and senior managers) is a move away from dependency. Through an uplift in leadership skills, people follow a common vision, are better motivated, take action and make smarter decisions.

Recommended training options**:

• Authentic Leadership Program - Create leaders who inspire others to excel and succeed
• Motivation & Inspiration in Leadership – Inspire your team to create an independent workforce
• Self-Leadership – Being ahead of the game
• Problem-Solving - The skill of an independent workforce

2   Communication

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw

Even though we communicate all day long, communication is not as simple as it seems, and what we say can easily be misunderstood. In order to overcome communication barriers and prevent conflicts, building rapport with different stakeholders to be truly heard and understood is vital.

Employees with heightened interpersonal communication skills can build strong relationships with different stakeholders. They can confidently manage conflict situations through a clear understanding of human behaviours, and improved personal and social capabilities.

Recommended training options**:

• Master the Art of Communication – Transform your interpersonal skills and communicate with impact
• Confident Conflict Management – Turn dysfunctional situations into productive outcomes
• Understand Human Behaviours – Lead change with positive influence

3 Collaboration

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” - Henry Ford

Projects become increasingly more complex and global in today’s digital age, and effective collaboration is becoming more important by the day. Unfortunately, many of us have been burnt by past group project nightmares and are resistant to collaboration.

However, done right, collaboration does see teams work faster, find mistakes quicker and easier, and innovate better. This in turn means that your workforce is ready for change which in this fast-paced economy is essential for a thriving business.

Recommended training options**:

• Influence & Negotiation - Achieving win-win results
• Assertiveness & Confidence - Speak up, be heard and feel confident
• Presentation Skills - Present like a PRO

There is no denying that training your employees is important for the success of your team and company. Unfortunately, many of us have in the past attended training sessions that were simply a waste of time and that of course does not sit well with us. After all, time is the most precious currency there is, and we never get it back. Make sure that you offer your team high quality, interesting learning opportunities that will leave them hungry for more!

“Dare to make a difference!”

#WeMakeItEasy #professionaldevelopment

** All PROfound Leadership training programs are fully tailored to the client.