The perfect employee does not just have the technical skills that the job demands. They also must have the attitude of a professional for them to succeed in their chosen careers.

Employers everywhere are looking for applicants who also have behavioral competencies that set them apart from others. While technical skills are important to do the work effectively, behavioral skills ensure that a person thrives within the workplace.

Like technical skills, behavioral skills can be learned and developed through practice. Not everyone grows up in possession of behavioral skills. It does not come naturally, either.

Here are the necessary behavioral skills needed by every professional to succeed.

Communication

The ability to communicate effectively is hard to achieve. Most of the time, people do not pay close attention to what the other person has said. They, instead, think of how to respond rather than process the topic at hand. As a result, they fail to ask follow-up questions or make clarifications.

This attitude is why misunderstandings and mistakes happen. In the workplace, inefficiencies lead to frustrations or, worse, a waste of resources. If the employee did not accomplish what is expected of them because they did not have communication skills, the entire organization suffers.

Moreover, effective communication skills also involve passing information to someone else, both verbally and through written form. This means that the recipient can easily understand and act upon the information that was handed to them.

Empathy

Empathy does not often get mentioned in the context of the workplace, but it is necessary in every professional across any field. Empathy is more than just feeling bad for another person. It is the ability to step into someone else’s shoes and see their perspective.

You never know when someone is going through a tough time. A colleague who seems irritable might be under a lot of pressure. A new boss who does not seem very friendly might have a lot of work on their plate. Being empathetic to everyone in the office is the kind thing to do. It creates a positive workplace where everyone can feel at ease and accepted.

Planning

Planning is a skill. It does not come naturally to everyone. It has to be learned through experience and by watching others.

To be successful, planning needs to be actionable and progress needs to be measurable. It is easy to say that the team’s goal is to be the best and, to achieve it, they need to work hard. The plan is too vague. It will likely fail.

Planning needs to set concrete goals and have workable steps. Here is a real-world example. SMRT is a large multi-modal public transportation provider. It is the organization behind Singapore’s MRT which, now, has been regarded as one of the best in the world. However, there was a point when it was receiving criticism from the public. It encountered several scandals that led to loss of public trust.

When Neo Kian Hong, the present SMRT CEO, took the reins, he identified the problems within the organization and, one by one, addressed them. He knew that, to gain back public trust, operations need to improve. So, he developed a plan for a major organizational overhaul to address individual problems.

It was a success. No one can deny that Singapore has one of the best public systems in the world.

Stress Management

Stress is a regular part of a working adult’s life. People who care about their careers experience a great deal of stress because they want to become successful. However, stress can also disrupt work. It is an unpleasant feeling, and it can negatively affect output.

Every person must therefore figure out how to effectively manage stress.

There are several ways to do it. Meditation, for one, has proven to be an effective tool against stress, and so does yoga. Some people address stress by doing something they like such as working out, reading a book, watching a movie, or doing arts and crafts.

More importantly, however, a huge part of managing stress is knowing when to say “no.” People who take more work than they can handle experience high levels of stress. Eventually, it will become overwhelming and lead to burn out. Learn to be aware of your own stress levels, and then step back when necessary.

Self-Improvement

Having an insatiable curiosity about a lot of things is a valuable skill to cultivate because it leads to learning. A person who is always curious improves consistently and steadily over time, becoming an intelligent and skilled individual.

Having limited knowledge and abilities will only limit access to new opportunities. A person who does the same thing over and over again will see no growth and, therefore, will likely have lower life satisfaction. The behavioral skill of self-improvement is necessary at work and in personal life.

Every professional should develop their technical and behavioral skills to succeed at work. Being an expert in the field is not enough. One also has to develop the right set of character traits.