Developing Employee Soft Skills and Neuroplasticity.

Most of us have probably heard the phrase directed at us at least once in our lives: "You can't talk to you." Such a response, in essence, meant only one thing: our arguments, desires, and thoughts didn't align with those of the other side. Also, at least once in our lives, everyone has tried to initiate a dialogue only to receive the response: "Oh, fine!"

Neither of these means that we didn't know how to speak, but rather that one or both parties didn't know how to communicate.

Communication is like ping-pong. If we "return the ball poorly," the other side can't "return it".

Speech and communication are two different, though related, things, and we often use them in the same context. While speech refers to the ability to express thoughts and feelings through words and aims to convey specific information, communication refers to the exchange of that very same information (ideas, feelings...). Communication can include various forms, including speech, nonverbal communication, or written words, and most importantly, it is aimed at mutual understanding and the shared sharing of information, ideas, and feelings.

Speech as a Weapon

The vast majority of us look at our pets with affection and love, watching them "grow" every day, learn something from us, and ultimately, understand us. We often say, looking at them, "they're just about to speak."

Human and animal brains have similarities, but also differences. Given that the human brain evolved from the primate brain, which had a larger and more complex brain compared to other mammals, this led to the human brain having some unique characteristics that distinguish it from animal brains.

For example, the human brain has a more developed cortex, a layer of cells on the brain's surface responsible for higher-level thinking, such as planning, decision-making, language, and self-awareness. The human brain also has a more complex limbic system, which is responsible for emotional responses, motivation, and memory. Additionally, the human brain has a greater amount of gray matter in relation to white matter compared to animal brains, indicating a larger number of neurons in the human brain, which is crucial for processing and integrating complex sensory and cognitive functions.

However, despite everything, human and animal brains also share similarities, both in structure and function. For example, both brains have a brainstem, which is the hindmost part of the brain that structurally connects it to the spinal cord. The brainstem controls basic functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. Both brains also have a limbic system responsible for emotional responses and motivation. Additionally, chimpanzees, for instance, have more advanced problem-solving cognitive abilities, which gives us insight into the different levels of brain development in various animal species.

Yet, animals, including our pets, simply cannot speak. The reason for this is that animals lack Broca's area and Wernicke's area, two key parts of the brain associated with speech and language ability.

Broca's area, also known as the motor speech area, is located in the frontal part of the brain near the ear canal. This area controls the muscles used for articulating words and is responsible for the "production of speech."

Wernicke's area, also known as the sensory speech area, is located in the posterior part of the temporal lobe, which is part of the lower brain. This area is responsible for processing the meaning of speech and language, as well as understanding the speech of others. Wernicke's area is also important for the ability to read and write. In most people, these are located in the left hemisphere of the brain.

These two areas are interconnected and together enable humans to speak and understand language. For example, when we want to say something, Broca's area signals the muscles to contract to "produce" words, while Wernicke's area processes the meaning of the words we use in our speech.

Damage to these parts of the brain can lead to various speech (and language) problems, with damage to Broca's area causing aphasia, and damage to Wernicke's area causing difficulties in understanding speech and language.

Now it's probably clear to everyone what a "gift" we have when we look into the eyes of our pet, who is "just about to speak."

Speech, the gift we possess, is the strongest and only "true," or rather, appropriate "weapon." The words we utter can have the power to inspire, motivate, inform, convince...

However, to "hear," we must know how to listen. To "hear," we must know how to negotiate. Active listening and negotiation are two wonderful human skills that give "meaning" to both speech and communication.

Unfortunately, these are two deficient human skills in the population today. Human skills need to be developed, especially in employees.

Soft Skills

The article “Where Companies Go Wrong with Learning and Development” published in Harvard Business Review analyzes common mistakes companies make in the process of employee learning and development.

The authors argue that companies often err when they focus only on building skills needed for current jobs, instead of focusing on a broader perspective of employee needs in the future.

Another mistake companies make is focusing only on the development of individual employees, instead of focusing on the development of all employees in the organization. The authors argue that it is important for companies to establish a culture of continuous learning and development, and to ensure that all employees have the opportunity to develop their skills.

Many studies attest to the importance of developing soft skills. For example, research conducted by Adecco showed that 92% of employers believe that soft skills are as important as technical skills. Furthermore, 80% of employers stated that soft skills are harder to develop than technical skills.

Also, research conducted by Deloitte showed that organizations that focused on developing the soft skills of their employees were more successful in managing change and achieving business goals.

Alongside active listening and negotiation, the importance of adaptability, critical thinking, empathy, judgment, and drawing conclusions is increasingly emphasized today.

Generally, soft skills refer to a set of abilities relating to how people interact, collaborate, and work with others. These are crucial skills for a successful career, personal development, and social interaction.

Neuroplasticity

The basis of human development is the fact that humans are environmental and experiential beings who constantly learn and develop. Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change and adapt based on experience and learning. This refers to changes in the structure and function of the brain that occur as a result of the activity of neurons and synapses, i.e., the connections between neurons. Simply put, our brain changes according to how we (don't) use it.

There are several types of neuroplasticity. Structural neuroplasticity refers to changes in the brain's structure, such as an increase in the size of certain brain areas or the creation of new neural connections. Functional neuroplasticity refers to changes in how the brain processes information, such as increased sensitivity to certain stimuli or improvements in the speed or precision of motor movements.

Neuroplasticity occurs throughout life, even after a stroke. For our brain to change exactly as it should, it needs to be constantly challenged with new tasks and learning.

We can also put the neuroplasticity of the brain into the context of learning and developing soft skills. When learning and developing soft skills, we change our patterns of behavior and thinking, and we "reconnect" emotions differently. All of this creates new connections between neurons in the brain, which will cause neuroplasticity in our brain.

As we practice these new skills, our brain changes and adapts, and we become better at them. We become better people, better versions of ourselves. Also, developing certain soft skills like critical thinking leads to greater insightfulness, problem-solving abilities, and an improvement in our ability to connect with others and successfully collaborate with them.

Conclusion: Active Listening and Negotiation

Active listening is the ability, primarily conscious, of listening to others (just remember the look: "He's looking at me, but seeing through me, Sisak"). Conscious listening involves focusing on what the other person is saying, recognizing verbal and nonverbal cues, asking questions, and confirming understanding. Active listening does not just mean physical presence in a conversation, but requires active participation and directing one's mind to understand the message the other person is trying to convey.

Active listening, partly as a consequence of digitalization, is becoming an increasingly significant problem for people. Some reasons include various distractions, loss of focus, and divided attention. Also, today in every conversation, due to the increasing amount of information we bring into it, we have more and more assumptions and prejudices. Another problem with active listening can be a lack of interest, but also the underdeveloped skill itself, where we are unable to focus on what the other person is saying.

All these obstacles can hinder active listening and lead to communication problems, which will ultimately result in missing important information and misunderstandings. Missing important information and misunderstandings are not simple "circumstances" in private life, let alone in the business aspect.

If we "combine" a deficit in active listening with a lack of negotiation skills, we have an even bigger problem.

Negotiation is a skill that involves the ability to successfully resolve conflicts and reach agreements between two or more parties. This skill is very important in many areas, including business. The skill itself includes the ability to listen to and understand the other side, express one's views and proposals clearly and convincingly, and find compromises and solutions that are in the interest of all parties. In addition, negotiation also involves the ability to manage stress, emotions, and conflicts during negotiations.

Today, it is more necessary than ever to possess negotiation skills because negotiation is an important human skill that involves the ability to successfully resolve conflicts and reach agreements between two or more parties, which is very useful in many areas of life.

And now that we have gone from Broca's and Wernicke's areas to neuroplasticity, there is no reason not to view soft skills, besides being a valuable addition to our personality, also through the "development" of our brain.

The development of human skills will contribute to better communication and teamwork. We will manage conflicts more easily, be better leaders, and adapt more readily to the changes brought by today's agile business environment.

Soft skills are essential in the business world to build successful business relationships, foster effective teamwork, solve problems, and successfully manage people and processes.

And we become more neuroplastic. We preserve our brain. And the human brain is a marvel.