Soft skills is a misnomer. These skills are so critical to your success that ‘power skills’ is far more appropriate.

The concept adds a lot of value to our careers in HR as well as the work we do! Focusing on the right power skills can help us create more effective organizations through skills development, identify the right high potential employees and create meaningful training programs.

Susie Tomenchok teaches a course on power skills with the Intrapreneurship Academy. I have seen other iterations of ‘power skills’ but I think Susie is onto something with the ones she includes in her course. They are:

1. Lead with your strengths.
2. Take the time to clarify your purpose, vision, and values.
3. Take control of how you are perceived.
4. Corporate politics isn’t about manipulation.
5. Don’t be afraid of feedback, both giving and receiving.
6. Self-advocacy is essential to achieving goals.
7. Building a strong network makes you a valuable resource.

Few of us are good at most or all of these… imagine what would happen if you were!

Intrapreneurial Leadership and a link to the course: https://www.cablecenter.org/intrapreneurship-academy-ia/intrapreneurial-leadership.