Why Soft Skills are Hard
06
Oct 2022
643
Author: Shawn Bakker
During a recent webinar, I asked participants to share words that describe the best and worst leader that they ever worked with. Here were the most frequent responses:
What words would you use to describe the BEST leader?
- Authentic
- Empowering
- Encouraging
- Good listener
- Invested in others
- Supportive
- Visionary
What words would you use to describe the WORST leader?
- Autocratic and controlling
- Critical
- Micromanager
- Narrow-minded
- Poor communicator
- Self-centered
The vast majority of the words relate to soft skills – the character traits and interpersonal skills that influence how a person works with and relates to others. When people think of the best leaders they have worked for, they begin listing soft skills. For the worst leaders, we get descriptions of people lacking soft skills. Technical capabilities and knowledge are rarely mentioned when I take people through this exercise.
This doesn’t mean that “hard-skills” are not important. Technical knowledge and skills are base requirements to be successful at work. Yet in most roles, true effectiveness comes from being able to work effectively with others. This is reflected in the competency models of most professions. Even a quick review of the CPHR General Competencies shows that out of the twelve competencies, 8 are soft skills, and only 4 are technical/knowledge skills. 1
To become better at whatever you do, developing your soft skills is critical. If missed, you are not paying attention to the majority of the competencies necessary for success. If you focus solely on developing your business acumen, data analysis and systems thinking, you are missing a large part of what is required for you to be effective.
For the professionals running learning and development programs in organizations - if you want to get the best bang for your development buck, make sure that you invest a significant portion of your efforts into employees’ soft skills, but also recognize that this isn’t always easy. This takes time, practice and focused effort. Soft skills are hard because they are exercised in nuanced ways. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to applying interpersonal competencies. They need to be utilized and adapted to the needs of the situation and the individuals involved.
Research based on groups of leaders shows that the need for developing interpersonal skills is ongoing. A review of our 360 assessment data
from the last 3 years shows that the lack of soft skills remains a challenge for many. The lowest-rated behaviors for leaders over that time were:
- Coaching and developing others
- Empowering employees
- Mobilizing others around a clear purpose
- Seeking innovation
- Displaying flexibility
Here are some tips on developing these capabilities:
Step One:
Seek out feedback – from people you trust, coaches, or assessment tools – make sure you find out what skills you should be developing.
Step Two:
Prioritize – work on what matters most; don’t try to master too many areas at once.
Step Three:
Devote two-thirds of your development activities to soft skills.
Step Four:
Anticipate challenges – soft skills take time to acquire, and it means you will make some mistakes along the way. In my work people have been much more forgiving of someone who tries and makes an error, than someone who doesn’t try at all!
References:
About the Author:
Shawn Bakker is a registered Psychologist and leads the Professional Services team at Psychometrics Canada. He works with organizations and OD/HR professionals to assess and develop the potential that people bring to the workplace as individual contributors, team members and leaders.
Contact Information:
● Website: www.psychometrics.com
● LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-bakker
● Facebook: @PsychometricsCanada
● Twitter: @PsychometricsCA
Psychometrics Canada
has been providing assessment tools and strategic guidance for the selection and development of individuals and teams since 1976, with an expertise in applying business psychology in the areas of employee selection, personal and leadership development, and team building and conflict resolution. Psychometrics Canada is the only authorized Canadian distributor of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®), Strong Interest Inventory® (SII®), Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI), FIRO-B®, CPI 260™, CPI™ 434, Work Personality Index®, and Career Values Scale instruments.
Building Better Organizations Through People.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post belong solely to the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of CPHR Alberta.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post belong solely to the original author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of CPHR Alberta.
Author : Nicole Mahieux, Nick Canning & Kendal Tremblay Mental health is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of employee well-being, business resilience and community strength. For HR professionals, supporting mental health is no longer optional—it’s imperative. While conversations around mental health have gained traction in many industries, one critical sector still faces unique and persistent challenges: agriculture. Farmers and agricultural workers play a vital role in food production and national food security. Yet they are among the most vulnerable when it comes to mental health struggles. In fact, they experience some of the highest rates of stress, anxiety, depression—and even suicide. This is not just a personal issue. It's a workforce issue. It's a public health issue. It's a business issue. There are a range of compounding pressures makes farming one of the most mentally taxing professions. These include: 1.Financial Stress & Unpredictability Unstable markets, weather-dependent outcomes, and shifting government policies contribute to a constant sense of economic uncertainty. 2. Isolation Many farmers work alone and live in rural areas where access to social support is limited. Social isolation increases vulnerability to mental health concerns. 3. Stigma Although mental health stigma is slowly decreasing, it remains a barrier—especially among men, who represent 74% of the agricultural workforce. Traditional gender norms often discourage open conversations or help-seeking.
As a proud participant in the Glowing Hearts program , CPHR Alberta continues to champion the value that Canadian Armed Forces reservists bring to our workplaces. Since joining the program, we’ve seen firsthand how supporting reservists not only strengthens our communities but also enhances organizational resilience and leadership. The Value of Reservists in the Workplace Reservists are more than military personnel—they are strategic thinkers, adaptable leaders, and skilled collaborators. Their training equips them with discipline, problem-solving abilities, and a mission-focused mindset that translates seamlessly into civilian roles. Captain McKenzie Kibler of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment exemplifies this. In a recent deployment on Operation REASSURANCE, he developed leadership and operational skills that now enrich his civilian career. Watch his story here. Support, Recognition, and Incentives for Employers Supporting reservists doesn’t mean sacrificing business continuity—in fact, it opens the door to meaningful recognition and financial support. Through the Compensation for Employers of Reservists Program (CERP) , employers can receive grants to help offset operational costs when a reservist-employee is away for 30 days or more. At the same time, organizations that register their reservist leave policies with the Glowing Hearts program are publicly recognized on the Canadian Forces Liaison Council website and receive a certificate of support and digital badge. These benefits not only ease the logistical challenges of supporting reservists but also position your organization as a leader in community engagement and national service. Tools and Templates for HR Leaders To make it easier for organizations to support reservists, CPHR Alberta offers a Reservist Leave Policy Template. This resource outlines eligibility, leave procedures, compensation, and compliance with federal and provincial legislation—making it simple to implement a supportive policy. Access the template through the Member Portal.
Companies that invest in leadership development see real returns. According to Brandon Hall Group, organizations with strong leadership development programs are 1.5 times more likely to be financially high-performing, reinforcing the clear connection between leadership strength and business success (Brandon Hall Group, 2015). For small to mid-sized businesses, this risk can be especially high. As teams expand and complexity increases, the informal leadership structures that worked early on can start to crack. That’s where proactive leadership development and risk mitigation go hand-in-hand. The Leadership Gap Is a Hidden Business Risk According to a recent CPHR Alberta report, talent development and leadership gaps remain one of the top five organizational risks (CPHR Alberta, 2023). The consequences are rarely immediate, but they compound over time: • Missed growth opportunities • High-potential employees leaving due to lack of career clarity • Poor team morale when unprepared managers struggle to lead • Strategic drift from lack of alignment at the top A growing company without a leadership pipeline is like a car without a spare tire, it might keep rolling, but one unexpected bump can send the whole operation into a tailspin. Risk Mitigation Starts with Leadership Insight The first step in mitigating leadership risk is to move from guesswork to clarity. That means using structured tools like leadership assessments, succession planning frameworks, and targeted coaching to surface the actual capabilities of current and emerging leaders. In professional services firms, for example, it’s common to see technically strong employees promoted into management roles. While they excel in their areas of expertise, they often lack key leadership capabilities like delegation, feedback, and emotional intelligence (Gallo, 2016). Without proper development, this can lead to stalled projects, disengaged teams, and higher turnover. Leadership assessments and focused coaching are essential to identify these gaps early and build the skills needed to lead effectively. Common Leadership Risks in SMBs Every organization faces different risks, but these are some of the most common leadership vulnerabilities seen in growth-stage companies (SHRM, 2022): • Lack of succession planning: Only one person knows how to run a key function, creating bottlenecks and burnout. • Unclear decision-making authority: Teams waste time waiting for approvals or duplicating efforts due to ambiguous roles. • Promotion without preparation: High performers are promoted into leadership roles without training, leading to micromanagement or misalignment. • Poor feedback culture: A lack of honest dialogue means small issues snowball into bigger people problems. • Leadership misfit: A leader’s natural style may clash with the culture or needs of a specific team or situation. Mitigating these risks requires more than a one-time workshop. It takes intentional development, structured tools, and reinforcement over time (SHRM, 2022). What Effective Mitigation Looks Like The most successful companies don’t wait for a leadership crisis to take action. They build leadership strength proactively. Here’s what that looks like: • Leadership assessments are used during hiring and promotions to identify fit, style, and potential blind spots. • Customized coaching programs help leaders build the exact skills they need in real time, tied to their actual challenges (International Coaching Federation, 2022). • Leadership training cohorts (such as PowerUp Leadership’s “Coaching Skills for Managers” or “Authentic Leadership” programs) create a shared foundation across the organization. • Succession maps identify who is ready or could be ready for key roles in 12–24 months, creating a proactive development plan (SHRM, 2022). As companies grow, the complexity of people management increases exponentially. Systems, tools, and strategy all matter but none of them work without effective leadership behind them (McKinsey & Company, 2018). Investing in leadership development isn’t a “nice to have” for big companies, it’s a risk management strategy for every business serious about sustainable growth.
