5 Key Skills for Office Survival

Photo Credit: mrMark

If you want to be an office superstar, you need to have skills, and I’m not talking about being proficient in the latest version of Microsoft Office applications.

You might be a wiz with numbers or a detail-oriented event organizer or even a top producing sales rep. You may have specific skills and accomplishments that you can list on your resume, what some refer to as core skills. These may even be the skills that got you hired, but if you really want to shine in these dark employment days, pay attention to the soft skills – you know – those personal traits and qualities that make you a pleasure – or a pain – to work with. Here are 5 that I think make an employee a keeper.

Communication

Everyone puts "excellent written and verbal communication skills" on their resume, but rarely is this actually true. In a perfect world everyone would have a solid grasp of grammar and spelling, but more importantly we would all understand how to communicate clearly. So before you walk down the hall, pick up the phone, or hit "send", take a moment to consider: What is your objective? To share information, solicit feedback or request a specific action? State it - in as few words as possible. You increase your odds of cooperation, collaboration and efficiently executed action items when you do this well.

Attention

While expressing yourself clearly and effectively is a magnificent thing, listening well is even better. Active listeners not only hear what is being said, but they have the ability to pick up other communication cues like body language, tone, intention - big clues to office culture. Pay attention to what those around you do and say. Absorb it. Process it. Be present. There is nothing more annoying than when reports and colleagues miss important information because they weren't really present while you were talking to them, either because they were trying to anticipate what was coming or they were distracted by their own agenda.

Intellectual Curiosity

Hard worker, team player, people person – well, of course you are all of these things, but what I really like to see in an employee is intellectual curiosity. If you have it, you want to know how things work. Not only are you skilled at paying attention to your professional environment, you ask questions and take things apart to look inside.

The intellectually curious never isolate themselves in their own functional silo. They know how all the parts of the business work together and see how their performance impacts the whole. They can see a few steps down the line and make better decisions that align with company objectives.

Ability to Take Direction

It is a rare person that can accept and digest feedback well. Some of the most memorable lessons I’ve learned have been on the heels of some criticism that stung. If you can take it without responding with excuses or defense, you have a wonderful opportunity for growth. Even if you think the instruction you’ve been given is wrong, carefully consider both content and intent. You will always learn something useful.

Courtesy

When all else fails, being pleasant, polite, and respectful never does. Being a delightful presence in the office often can and does make the difference when it comes to survival. Don’t get me wrong, being nice will not substitute for being competent, but courtesy is a great karma builder – and you never know when you could use a little extra dose of that.

What would you add to this list?