3 Critical Power Skills for a Hybrid Workplace

There’s no denying that the future of work is hybrid. More than 90% of employers are planning to adopt a hybrid model in 2022 for their knowledge workers, according to Harvard Business Review. 

For many companies, this is a new frontier that brings a fresh set of challenges. How do you prepare your employees to excel in this uncertain — and sometimes uncomfortable — environment? Kara Ronin, Founder of Executive Impressions and Udemy Business Leadership instructor says focusing on the following three power skills is paramount. 

1. Communication

“Misunderstandings can often happen when we’re working virtually,” says Kara. But good communication skills help overcome misunderstandings and vagueness. This is why communication skills — both written and verbal — are critical for employees at any level of their career.

Regular communication is key to keeping teams working in sync and feeling connected. Leaders in particular need to think about both the frequency and content of their communication. How quickly are they responding to events, both inside and outside the organization? Are they taking care to keep their teams informed, even when there’s no new information to share?

2. Coaching

Coaching is a unique style of communication that involves working together to understand problems and reach a solution or plan of action. And most people feel they don’t get enough of it. Forty-nine percent of workers say they want more coaching from their managers. 

Kara says coaching is particularly important as many companies are contending with the Great Resignation. Don’t wait for employees to show you they’re unhappy by handing in their notice. Instead, engage with them in regular conversations to understand what motivates them, identify problem areas early on, and help them feel less alone. 

3. Empathy

Feeling exhausted by the demands of work, family, and life? If so, you’re not alone. “People are feeling overworked and under-appreciated,” says Kara. This is why we all need to have more empathy for one another. 

Empathy has been shown to be one of the most important drivers of manager success. But Kara says everyone can benefit from strengthening their empathy skills, whether they’re in a leadership role or not. Building empathy leads to a kinder, happier workplace for everyone.

Help your team communicate, lead, and succeed

Want to dig deeper into why power skills matter, what steps leaders can take to model continuous power skills learning, and specific strategies for integrating power skills into your team’s learning programs? Kara recently sat down to discuss all these topics and more with Udemy Learning Partner John O’Neill in a webinar, Unlocking Power Skills. Watch the webinar on-demand.