When the CEO held a virtual town hall in 2020 and said there needed to be layoffs, I knew I would be one of the first to go because I served zero purpose at that point.
Customer service skills define how effectively employees represent a brand and resolve customer needs. In every industry, these skills determine whether a business builds loyalty or loses trust. Customers today expect responsiveness, empathy, and accuracy across every touchpoint-from phone calls and chats to social media interactions.
To successfully repair after a mistake, you need to acknowledge and name the mistake, validate the other person's feelings and viewpoint, and create a plan for the specific actions you will take to prevent this mistake from occurring again.
Employees have heavy workloads, time-sensitive tasks, and a variety of responsibilities to attend to in their day-to-day. As a result, they might struggle to find the time necessary to dedicate to training and development activities. This problem becomes especially pronounced when they are asked to completely step away from their work to complete a full-length training module or watch a long how-to video.
Many professionals focus on big projects and headline achievements, but research shows that soft skills and visibility strongly influence promotions. LinkedIn data reveals that employees who combine hard and soft skills get promoted about 8% faster than those who focus only on technical abilities, and skills like communication, teamwork and problem solving are linked to promotions up to 11% faster. Regularly updating and showcasing your skills is also tied to faster advancement.
