Key points

• Soft skills are some of the essential interpersonal skills that help us get along with others and thrive in the world, which have kindness at their core. 
• It’s possible to develop and strengthen your soft skills by practicing kindness. 
• Kids can benefit from kindness activities that allow them to grow into empathetic and socially aware individuals. 

What are soft skills? 

What do communication, active listening, empathy, and teamwork all have in common? These are some of the essential interpersonal skills that help us get along with others and thrive in the world – also known as soft skills. In other words, these are people skills. They differ from hard skills, which are technical skills that we might learn through our education or jobs. 

Some of the top soft skills that are essential in our everyday lives, for both kids and adults, are: 

• Empathy – Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
• Communication – The ability to express yourself clearly and listen actively. 
• Active Listening – Fully engaging with others without distraction, and listening to understand. 
• Adaptability – Being flexible, understanding, and open to change.
• Teamwork & Collaboration – Working effectively with others towards a common goal.
• Conflict Resolution – Handling disagreements constructively and with grace. 
• Inclusivity – Lifting others up, amplifying quieter voices, and respecting boundaries. 

Notice a recurring theme? Well, kindness is at their core! Technically, kindness is a soft skill of its own, but because it’s woven into so many of our people skills, we see it as so much more! 

Whether your child is starting to develop their soft skills with their classmates, your niece is going through the job interview process, or you’re stepping into a new managerial position, kindness is an essential skill that helps you connect, collaborate, and make a good impression on others. When we approach the above soft skills with a mindset of kindness, improving them gets that much easier.

How to strengthen your soft skills with kindness

Many people think that soft skills are innate – we either have them by nature or we don’t. But the reality is that soft skills can be nurtured and strengthened, just like hard skills. Intentionally and actively practicing kindness can help us build these interpersonal skills. Here are five ways you can improve your soft skills with kindness: 

• Practice self-awareness: Understanding your own feelings helps you understand the feelings of others. When you feel an emotion, don’t jump to a distraction or solution. Sit with that feeling and try to identify it. This is one of the ways to help you become a more empathetic person so you can approach conversations, collaboration, and change with compassion. Learn more about practicing empathy in our blog, What is Empathy, and Why is it Important? 

• Improve your listening skills: When someone is speaking, give them your undivided attention, be aware of nonverbal cues like crossed arms or jitters, and show genuine interest by asking thoughtful questions. Try giving the speaker validation by nodding and reflecting what you hear without jumping to solutions. Your kindness and attentiveness can help create a safe space for others. Read more active listening techniques from Verywell Mind. 

• Amplify and uplift others: Recognize when quieter voices are having a hard time breaking through the noise, and if you’re in a position to, give them the opportunity to contribute to the conversation. Lifting others up, celebrating wins, and giving credit where it’s due are essential for teamwork and creating positive environments. 

• Give compassionate feedback: When sharing feedback, approach it with a mindset of growth that addresses the action rather than the person to create a non-judgemental connection right off the bat. Be honest, supportive, and empathetic without demoralizing others. Allow space for sharing and working towards goals. When you approach difficult conversations with kindness and compassion, you can foster a more productive and open dialogue, and even resolve conflicts with grace. 

• Spread positivity: Having a positive attitude is essential for building your soft skills. Start by making small, genuine gestures every day. It could be as simple as a friendly smile or a compliment. Over time, you might even find that your gestures get bigger and bigger, as kindness becomes more of a habit in your daily life. 

We challenge you to try one of these kind actions every day. Not only will this help improve your soft skills, but can it also support mental and emotional health, reduce stress, and increase overall happiness. 

Kindness activities for kids 

Are you a parent, caregiver, or working with children? You might know how important it is to teach acts of kindness to kids early on, so that they can grow into empathetic and socially aware individuals. But did you also know that practicing kindness helps them build their soft skills too? 

From modeling kindness on a daily basis to planning a family kindness project, fun and engaging activities can help children make kindness a habit too. Find more strategies from One Kind At A Day at: 10 Strategies to Help Your Kids Build the Habit of Kindness.

Ready to start improving your soft skills? Commit to one kind act a day to make kindness a habit in your life. In turn, you’ll start improving your people skills and increasing happiness for yourself and those around you. Sign up for our pledge of kindness to get a daily reminder to do one kind act per day.