Soft skills are characteristics and qualities that allow a person to interact and work effectively with other people in a specific environment.

These skills reveal the emotional intelligence and show whether a person is capable of working in a professional workplace with other professionals or not.

Soft skills include human interactions, problem solving skills & coping strategies. In other words, they include individual and personality traits, communication , listening , time management and empathy skills.

Communication skills  are a valuable asset. In order for someone to be able to communicate effectively, they have to be able to listen. Listening to the other person during a conversation, is on of the most important skills a person can have.

Clarity is another important part of effective communication, as the listener can understand the context of the conversation.

Try to communicate with a positive, energetic attitude, be open and ask questions in order to understand the listener. Empathy which is characterized by a deep understanding of one’s emotions is also essential for efficient communication.

Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving. By becoming a better listener, you can improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade and negotiate. What’s more, you’ll avoid conflict and misunderstandings.