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A study by American scientists showed that people prefer to work with friendly and responsible colleagues rather than with competent colleagues.
What’s going on
- A group of scientists from Binghamton University conducted a study according to which people are more likely to work in a team with friendly and responsible people than with those who have a large set of knowledge and skills.
- The researchers conducted an experiment on MBA students. At the beginning of the curriculum, they were randomly assigned to task forces, and at the end of the semester, they were asked to form teams themselves, explaining their choice.
- Particular attention was paid to the participants’ assessment of the social and professional capital of their classmates. The most sought-after option was those students who proved to be competent and friendly.
- The second most popular choice was participants with developed soft skills, even if this could lead to a decrease in team productivity.
- Least of all, students chose comrades who had established themselves as professionals, but could not contribute to strengthening healthy relationships within the team.
- The researchers recommend taking into account the results of this experiment in work teams.
What does it mean
Soft skills (“soft skills”) – a set of personal skills and abilities that allow people to solve life problems and build favorable relationships with other people, both in personal and professional life. These include communication skills, stress resistance, teamwork, creativity and many others. It is believed that these qualities are the drivers of success in school, career, as well as personal life.
Despite the fact that professionalism and competence are still highly valued in the labor market, a growing number of employers prefer specialists with developed soft skills – a study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers of the United States found that the most sought after quality for graduates starting a career is the ability to work in a team, as well as written and oral communication skills.
Experts believe that soft skills are competencies necessary for mastering the professions of the future. First of all, this is due to the fact that in the future the concept of the profession will be very dynamic, with frequent changes in career directions throughout life.