4 power skills you can learn

Employers traditionally consider soft skills, like adaptability and resilience, desirable but lower priority than role-specific hard skills. However, as demands for specialized expertise shift ever-increasingly, those consistent, nice-to-have traits are becoming so valuable that HR professionals are now calling them power skills. Here are four learnable power skills you can upgrade through training or coaching.

1. Mindfulness. If you already have a personal mindfulness practice, you know how beneficial it is to your mind and body. Mindfulness training can also help you navigate challenging workplace situations and improve your job performance.

2. Diversity, equity, and inclusion. Many organizations seek to build social and economic value by representing society in full rather than select groups. You can add value to your resume and enrich your work experience by promoting workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion.

3. Communication. From public speaking to face-to-face conversations and Zoom etiquette, there’s always room to improve your communication skills. Select a communication skill you’d like to improve upon; you’re sure to find a course or a tutor to help you grow your skill set.

4. Conflict resolution. Some people are born peacemakers, but anyone can learn effective strategies for handling workplace conflicts. Whether you’re in leadership and must moderate employee disagreements or you want to improve engagement with colleagues, conflict resolution training can help.

Explore the lifelong learning course offerings at your local college or university to discover opportunities to expand your power skill toolkit.