Essential skills for success in today’s business world

People skills. Unless you run a one-person shop from your home over the internet, you will have human contact and it is essential that you know how to get along with people. People enjoy doing business with those they like or enjoy. If you have an obstinate personality and overall sour demeanor, you’ll have a hard time attracting customers and inspiring teamwork with your co-workers. Learn to manage conflict and resolve problems effectively. Be interesting and interested in others. Listen more than you speak and treat others with respect. Make people skills a priority and you will never lack for opportunities for advancement.

Communication skills. Management is communications. You can’t have one without the other. Communication takes many forms but it all boils down to transferring a message from your mind to someone else in such a way that the message is consistent. It first starts with knowing what you want to convey and choosing the most appropriate means to deliver the message. There is no one-size-fits-all method for communicating and the more adept you are at the various media at your disposal the more effective you will be in your career.

Writing skills. This is a form of communication that is quickly becoming a lost art. As society degenerates to brief text messages replete with abbreviations we are losing our ability to communicate through the written word. Your writing skills, or lack thereof, sends a clear message of your lack or professionalism. Strong writing skills also prevent misunderstandings which can lead to costly errors. If people “don’t understand the memo” because it is poorly written, they won’t know what action to take.

Time management—In companies where reduced staffing is the prevailing trend, existing employees are expected to do more and more with less and less. Learning how to manage your time and be more efficient will separate the winners from the losers. There are many time management systems available that can be suited to one’s individual style.

Public speaking or presentation skills. Presentations are a fact of life in the business world. Whether you are giving a report to your department manager, proposing a new product line to the CEO or making a sales pitch to a potential customer, your success is largely due to the strength of your presentation. It’s no excuse to say you fear talking in front of people. You have to conquer that fear if you want to survive and thrive in corporate America.

Problem solving skills. Business advances are made when problems are confronted and solved. There is no progress in maintaining the status quo so those who want to succeed must identify the barriers to a company’s success and learn to apply creativity to foster innovation and advances.

Higher education is a boost for those who want to move up in the business world but without these essential tools in your personal portfolio you will never get past an entry level job.