Many skills are needed to be successful in whatever profession you choose. Some skills are easy to identify, like technical proficiency or program knowledge. It is important to master the skills required to successfully fulfill your role and perform your job duties. However, it is essential that we do not forget that soft skills also play an important part in our day to day roles.
Soft skills include listening, communication and teamwork. These are skills that you continually develop and improve upon regardless of your position. These three abilities will help you excel in the service you provide to our Owners and the lateral service you provide to your team.
When a fellow associate or Owner is talking, are you hearing or listening? Listening requires you to take on a more active role than hearing. When you listen, you pay attention to the speaker. Whether you are listening via phone or face to face, it is important to listen for the queues given by the speaker. In meetings and social situations, are you actively listening and making eye contact, or are you checking emails and texts while someone else is speaking? How are you being perceived by the speaker in this situation? Being aware of the message delivered by paying attention and making eye contact, will allow you to connect with the speaker.
Communication, as a soft skill, is comprised of verbal interactions, listening and physical actions. Even when communicating with someone by phone, your physical demeanor is conveyed. Is your head up and are your shoulders back? Your posture while talking on the phone can impact how professional you sound. Do you smile while your fellow associates present ideas during a meeting? This can communicate support. Verbal communication skills include speaking in a friendly positive tone. Are you able to provide information and respond to questions in a clear, concise and confident manner? Being able to articulate your thoughts and ideas is a valuable ability. Are you using your listening skills to show you are invested in conversations? Positive communication is the key to building strong relationships with Owners and fellow associates.
At Marriott Vacations Worldwide, we pride ourselves on embracing diversity and individuality. This means our teams are made up of associates with different strengths and skills. Being able to work as a team and embracing our differences is a vital soft skill. It is important to be able to work as a unit. Taking the time to see if a fellow associate needs a helping hand and offering your support can strengthen your team. Showing your supervisor that you are able to work well with others will demonstrate that you are an asset to your team. Regarding teamwork, American Industrialist Henry Ford stated “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
These are just a few soft skills that help us in our roles here at Marriott Vacations Worldwide. Every day we have the opportunity to improve these skills. While it is said soft skills are harder to measure, here at Marriott Vacations Worldwide we see the results of our soft skills every time we make an Owner's vacation dream come true, when we help strengthen our team, and in our daily accomplishments.
