Soft skills are personal attributes that enable you to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people. Communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability are just some of the soft skills employers value. Create a list of your five strongest soft skills. Then identify three additional soft skills you could work on improving.
The next time you have a big decision to make (that can wait at least 24 hours), put it aside for the day and make a plan to tackle it first thing the next morning.
At the beginning of your next work day, choose two times at which you will get up, walk away from your desk, and take a 15-minute break. (These are separate from your lunch break, if you typically take one.)
The next time you find yourself comparing brands—whether for toothpaste, a new computer, or other purchasing decision—try to limit yourself to just two or three choices. Research those choices, but forget about the rest.
The next time you want to give someone feedback on a work product that didn’t go well, write down what you’d like to say, first. Read it back to yourself. Was it 100% objective, and is it obvious what behavior you’re referring to? One example of an objective statement would be, “You told me you’d finish the draft of the report by noon, but it’s the end of the day and I still don’t have it.”
Recall the last significant decision you struggled to make. Generate a list of the reasons that you agonized over this specific decision. Select your two biggest challenges from this list.
When you work out of an office, your end-of-workday ritual is obvious: you stand up, leave your desk, and drive home. But when you work from home, it’s more difficult to get out of “work mode.” This week, choose an end-of-day ritual to signal to yourself that work is over and it’s time to switch mental gears. It might be as simple as closing your laptop and leaving the room, taking your dog for a walk, or doing a short mindfulness practice.
Think about the members who are part of your team and assess the team’s overall diversity. What is the number of men versus the number of women? How many different ethnicities are represented? How many are extroverts? How many are creative thinkers? How many people speak multiple languages? How many have lived overseas, or grew up far away from the community where your organization is located? What are the most significant differences among the team?
Fold a sheet of paper in half and write “Positive” at the top of one column and “Negative” at the top of the other. For one day this week, mentally monitor every interaction you have and when you get back to your desk mark a tally for every positive or negative word or reaction you had during that conversation. At the end of the day, compare the two columns. Which one has more tally marks? Why do you think that is?
Explain what a cash flow statement is and what information it includes. Feel free to do this either in your head or on a sheet of paper.
