5 Skills to succeed in 2021

The world was forced to change dramatically in 2020, affecting every aspect of life and business. The global pandemic has been the catalyst for a worldwide recession, and unlike previous recessions, investing in people skills and performance is seen as a strategic lever for organisations.

Here are 5 skills that will help you, and your organisation, succeed in 2021.

Remote working
The COVID-19 pandemic has made remote working the new norm. Organisations and individuals are now experiencing the benefits of working remotely; so you can expect this trend to continue in 2021. However, it does bring new challenges that require new skills:

• How do I collaborate and build effective relationships with remote team members?
• How do I communicate with my remote team without overwhelming them with email?
• How do I make my virtual meetings more effective?
• How can I stay productive when working remotely?

Whether you’re new to working remote or experienced, there are always ways you can improve how you communicate, collaborate, and manage your time.

Leadership and Management
Leadership and management skills will play a crucial role in the collective performance of your teams in 2021. According to research by Gartner, only 44% of employees say they trust their organisation’s leaders and managers to navigate a crisis.

From building confidence, keeping your team motivated to adapting your style appropriate to the situation, these skills will help keep you and your team performing.

And if you’ve had your eye on that promotion, developing these skills now could give you the edge!

Smart working skills
Smart working skills can help you to get your work done efficiently and effectively. Organisations are looking for people who can manage their time effectively, prioritising in a fast-paced world, and collaborate with others.

Developing smart working skills will transform you into a valuable asset to your organisation. As automation continues to grow in business, human connection and collaboration become increasingly valuable.

Project Management
Good project management makes a huge difference to a business – it can reduce costs, increase efficiency, improve cross-company communication and contribute to the overall productivity and health of your organisation. And as we’ve probably all experienced, bad project management can do precisely the opposite.

Managing projects is not only the role of a project manager. Everyone involved in a project has a role to play for it to succeed.

By developing your project management skills, you will be able to contribute individually to the success of the project. Plus, you’ll lift the weight off your project managers shoulder as well.

Customer skills
Competition between businesses is increasing, and this is going to intensify in 2021. A critical competitive advantage companies will depend on is their ability to offer better customer support to their clients. Boosting your customer skills can increase retention of existing clients and expansion through referrals to new customers.

How do you build trust with your customer? How well are you listening to them? What could you do to exceed their expectations?

These skills will be able to help you deliver the best level of support and assistance to ensure they come back again and again.

What next?
Now you are aware of 5 of the most powerful skills that you need to succeed in today's world, start working now and try your best to develop skills before the end of the year. Whether you’re a business owner thinking about the performance of your organisation, a manager thinking about your team, or an individual thinking about your career, now is a great time to invest in developing these skills.