From entry-level positions to senior management, you need certain skillsets, both general and specific, to do your job, and business school can help you become the “efficient multitasker with project management experience” that your job description calls for. But while spending a couple of years getting an MBA can teach you skills like ‘leadership’ and ‘budgeting’, there are other skills that even an MBA from Harvard won’t teach you...even though they’re the very skills that can make all the difference in your job performance. And, mastering these skills can not only help you get better at your job but will also help you to enjoy it more at the same time, a win-win that’s hard to turn your nose up at! We’ve collected the top 5 skills that anyone, no matter your career field or experience level, can benefit from learning and reviewing that you won't learn in business school. So take a look, think of it as professional development if you have to, and learn better tools to incorporate in your life on the clock and off.
1. Balance is Important
This shows up in lists all the time under different headers - “Work/Life Balance”, “Learn to Say No”, “Tips for Prioritizing”, “Delegation is Key!”, etc. Basically, this skill boils down to learning how to have balance in your life - between work and home life, between different projects at work, between work you take responsibility for completing and work you delegate to a colleague. And this balance is key to having a happy and productive work life, even though there are no “Learn to Balance” business school classes. Employees that are good at balancing their work life reap all sorts of benefits, including increasing their productivity on priority projects and avoiding burnout. This life skill is an essential skill to have in business settings and can help you get ahead.
2. Not Only Extroverts are Leaders
In Susan Cain’s groundbreaking book Quiet, she details the ways in which modern culture glorifies extroverts, particularly in leadership roles. For this reason, when we think of leaders, we think of charismatic, talkative, big personalities, yet research shows that extroverts don’t always make the best leaders. In fact, in the business world particularly, introverts have unique skills that set them up to be great leaders, including active listening rather than perpetual talking, and quiet reflection. While you don’t have to be an introvert to be a great leader, it’s worth enhancing those skills more often identified as introversion, whether you’re an introvert or not, so you can use them when need be (at a board meeting or new project pitch, for instance).
3. It’s OK To Fail
Human beings tend to be naturally risk-averse, and we don’t like to fail. Yet in the business world, it’s sometimes not only ok to fail but even necessary. Now, we’re not suggesting that you stop caring about a product that doesn’t do well or a sale that falls through, but know that it's ok to fail and that knowing what to do afterwards is one of the most important skills in any setting. Failure is a great teacher; failure can help you do better in the future. Not to mention that responding to failure can show your boss you’re a team player and you know how to take responsibility without becoming so self-critical that you can’t do your job. Simply learn from it and move on.
4. Communication is Key
...and…
5. Employees are People, Not Just ‘Human Resources’
These last two skills go together; they both deal with the ways in which you interact with others in the workplace. The most important common thread is that others in your workplace are people, not just ‘employees’, ‘staff’, or ‘human resources’. Learning good communication skills has to do with knowing you’re speaking with another individual with a different perspective, different background, different thoughts and feelings, and that you might have to adjust your own communication for that setting. And remembering that employees are people can help you interact with respect, appreciation, and most of all trust and patience, skills that will put you ahead of other colleagues and increase not only your success in the workplace but also your enjoyment at work. Good luck!
