Building essential skills in your workforce, round 2

In last week’s blog, Centennial Talent Strategy and Executive Search Executive Vice President Becky Scheeler shared three in-demand essential skills that are easier to teach - communication skills, office etiquette, and collaboration and teamwork. Read the full blog here. Today, Scheeler will share her thoughts about three harder skills to teach: adaptability, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. 

Adaptability refers to the ability to respond quickly to change. It includes adjusting to changing circumstances, priorities, projects, clients, and technology.  To master adaptability, employees must learn new skills and behaviors due to changes in the environment and be flexible when new and challenging situations arise.  

“Change is a given in today’s workplace,” Scheeler said. “But smart managers recognize how difficult change can be. Explain why the change is happening and allow your employees to mourn briefly. Then move on.”  

Managers should model the new behavior they expect in their team. Be prepared to provide examples of when the company or team has had to pivot in the past and how it paid off.  

“But remember, it takes time to adapt. It may take several months for employees to adapt fully depending on the significance of organizational changes,” Scheeler said. 

Problem-solving skills come into play daily for both small and large decisions. “Make sure your employees feel empowered to solve their problems,” Scheeler said. “Don’t answer all the questions that come to you as a manager. Ask the employee what they think.”  

But make sure they know their boundaries. Where is the line at which the employee should involve a manager? Clearly written standard operating procedures are important but must be frequently reviewed and communicated to impact organizational behavior.  

“Sometimes I hear managers say they value problem-solving skills, but then they chastise their employees if they make a mistake. It would be better to praise the employee for taking the initiative to solve the problem and then walk through how their solution could have been improved,” Scheeler advised. 

Emotional intelligence is more nebulous to define than other essential skills. It involves being aware of emotions in oneself and others and using this awareness to guide thinking and behavior. Emotionally intelligent workers understand and can manage their own feelings first, enabling them to empathize with others and build relationships through effective communication.  

Chart of four pillars of emotional intelligence

Managers can help build emotional intelligence in their workers. “After a meeting, ask people how they thought a meeting went and why. Determine if they read the room appropriately.  Did they know the audience?  Be prepared to discuss your observations,” she suggested. 

She also suggested that managers talk to direct reports about how they could have handled a situation better. “Role-playing may seem ‘cheesy,’ but it helps build skills.”  Talk about how the employee’s behavior affected the other team members or participants in a group.  

Every minute a manager spends developing these essential skills in their direct reports pays off. “The good news is that you can teach your team adaptability, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. The more intentional a manager is in building these skills, the more effective and productive the team will become,” Scheeler concluded. 

If your company needs help building essential skills in your workplace – or finding talent with essential skills – NKY Works can help. We can connect you to resources to address your specific workforce challenges. Contact NKY Works at 859.657.WRKS (9757) or NKYWorks@NKADD.org.