Transferable skills

Communicating effectively is a fantastic life skill and is essentially the transference of a message or piece of information from one person or place to another.   

Communication can take many different forms including through voice (verbal), through images, charts or graphs (written) or through body language, eye contact and tone of speech (non-verbal). 

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication can take place in many forms and is an important way of expressing thoughts, feelings and intentions.  It could occur in face-to-face conversations, a telephone call, during a video call, through social media, the television or a radio communication.

Good verbal communication means that you speak clearly, using the right words and tone with your audience.  It is also very important to be confident in what you are saying and make eye contact where possible to reinforce your message.

Verbal communication is an important way of building relationships, sharing information, expressing yourself as well as making your opinion heard.

In healthcare career roles, verbal communication can be a very powerful tool, ensuring patients receive the best care which improves their outcomes and

Positive verbal communication can:

• Help you better understand the needs and concerns of the service user.   
• Help support service users to understand their diagnosis, treatment and care plan.
• Put the service user at the centre of their care.
• Reduces patient safety risks from misunderstanding of directions.

Written Communication

Written communication is a way of passing on information or expressing thoughts and feelings through written documents.  It can be used to send messages, keep records or provide evidence that a task has been completed.

Written communication methods include: emails, letters, contracts, reports, instruction manuals, brochures and messages.

When using written communication, it is important to:

• Use clear language that uses familiar words and doesn’t include acronyms or jargon
• Keep the layout simple and use headings if necessary to make the information easier to understand
• Think about who will be using your written communication and use a tone that is relevant and understandable
• Be respectful in your communications when writing about difficult topics

Positive written communications can improve patient care, allow better collaboration between teams, build trust and improve relationships.

Non-Verbal Communication

Non-verbal communication is the act of communication with others without using spoken or written words and is present in every moment of life and can sometimes speak louder than words. 

Non-verbal communication is a great way of understanding someone else’s thoughts, feelings and emotions about a subject and can also give you a good insight into their intentions too.

Ways of using non-verbal communication can include:

• Facial Expressions – using the eyes, eyebrows, mouth and facial expressions.
• Gestures – using hand or face movements to communicate a message.
• Eye Contact – looking at someone’s eyes to communicate emotions.
• Posture – a form of body language that can be used to communicate.
• Paralinguistics – the tone or loudness of speech.
• Proxemics – the use of personal space to convey a message.
• Haptics – using touch to express a message.

Non-verbal communication in healthcare can take many forms and can be particularly useful to really understand how a patient or colleague is feeling without them saying what is wrong.  For example, patients may describe their pain as “mild”. However, if they are in obvious pain during an abdominal examination, you can infer that the pain is worse than they are saying. 

Summary

Often, good communication uses a combination of all of three of these main methods and there are lots of activities that you can do to improve your communication skills. You could:

• Be a good listener.
• Be clear and concise in your written communications.
• Be mindful of your body language.
• Be open to other people’s perspectives.
• Maintain a positive attitude.
• Pause before you speak.
• Take notes.

People Skills can sometimes be called interpersonal skills and are a set of abilities that will help you work well with others and communicate clearly.

People Skills can include:

• Active Listening – The ability to hear and understand what others say to you which can help you build a picture of a problem and be able to offer ways of solving them.
• Leadership – The ability to guide a team of people and make decisions whilst helping your organisation be productive and meet its goals.
• Collaboration – The ability to work effectively with others and know when to lead and when to be supportive.
• Negotiation – The ability to work with others to decide on a solution.  This can be a useful skill in salary discussions and presenting new ideas or ways of working to others.

Top Tips for improving your people skills.

Enhancing your people skills can offer important development opportunities and will help you face challenges and approach situations in a more positive, confident and resilient way which will allow you to provide high quality patient care in whichever role you work in.

Consider:

Body Language – Use thoughtful body language and ensure you smile and make eye contact.

Setting goals – Creating a personal development plan helps you prioritise tasks and stay on track.

Building your self-awareness – Assessing your strengths and challenges will help.

Trying new things – Develop a growth mindset and improve your abilities through self belief, effort and persistence.

Ask for feedback – Be open to receiving feedback and work on areas that are suggested.

Empathy is a core skill for anyone considering working in the NHS or Social Care and is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others and to see things from their point of view.

Empathy can help you build relationships with people and can help you feel connected to people which reduces anxiety and depression and can build happiness and self-worth.

Top tips for improving your empathy skills

Try and practice mindfulness yourself which will help you be present in the moment and take in what is happening around you.

• Give someone your full attention and listen well.
• Be curious about the experiences of other people and be thoughtful in your questioning.  Don’t make assumptions about someone else’s experiences.
• Use empathetic statements such as “I appreciate how challenging this is for you” or “I know that you are finding this difficult”
• Try and put yourself in someone else’s shoes and think about how their situation would make you feel.  This will help your understanding of both the person and the situation they are experiencing.

Compassion is a vital skill and a key element of good healthcare.  Compassion is how care is given through relationships based on respect, empathy and dignity and can also be described as intelligent kindness.

Compassion is characterised by feeling sympathy for someone’s situation and having a genuine desire to help support them and overcome their experience.  Compassion involves understanding another person’s emotions and wanting to help them when they need you to.

Top tips for improving your compassion skills.

You can develop you compassion skills in several ways including:

• Practicing self-compassion by treating yourself with the same kindness and understanding that you would show a friend.
• Being encouraging of others.
• Expressing gratitude.
• Being patient.
• Listening.
• Being attentive.
• Trying to understand another person’s situation.

Being adaptable means that you are able to continue to work towards deadlines and goals even when situations change.  Adaptability also means that you are able to learn new things quickly or are able to deal with new and challenging situations positively.

Skills that contribute to adaptability include:

• Resourcefulness – The ability to come up with creative ideas and solutions to a problem.
• Learning Mindset – The willingness to learn and develop new skills.
• Cognitive Flexibility – The ability to switch between thoughts and concepts.
• Creativity – The ability to devise a smart strategy and solve complex issues.

Top Tips for improving your adaptability skills

You can develop your adaptability skills in a variety of ways including:

Be curious – Experiment and seek out new opportunities wherever possible.

Develop a Growth Mindset – Instead of viewing challenges as threats, think about them differently and as opportunities for growth.

Be flexible – Try and work with a variety of different people and adapt to their alternative ways of working and learn from them.

Get out of your comfort zone – Trying new tasks and ways of working will develop your knowledge and skills.

Problem solving skills allow people to handle unexpected situations or challenges in their work or personal life and can help you identify a problem and find a solution that works. 

Problem solving skills are essential for many industries and to be able to effectively problem solve in healthcare, you may need specialist knowledge to help you.  For example: A registered nurse will need listening and communication skills for when they are interacting with patients but will also need effective technical knowledge related to diseases and medications. A registered nurse will also need to know when to consult a doctor regarding a patient’s medical needs as part of the solution.  This is effective problem solving.

Many different skills contribute to your problem-solving ability including:

• Listening skills – Listening can help you really understand what is going on.
• Creativity – Be creative and consider options which are different from the norm.
• Time Management – Ensure you manage time effectively and can meet your deadlines.
• Decision Making – Be confident in the decisions you make and be able to explain why you have made that choice.
• Team Building – Working with other people can help solve a problem.

Top Tips for improving your problem-solving skills

You can develop your problem-solving skills in many ways including:

Reflect on experiences – Think about the problem and the solution you chose afterwards, why did you choose this option and if you had to do it again, would you go about it in the same way or try something different?

Mind map the problem – This will help you come up with many different solutions.

Evaluate the solutions – Which of theoptions is going to work best for you and why?

Learn from others – Work with a wide variety of people to learn from their experiences and be open to alternative solutions.

Time management is a skill that can apply to many areas of life including work, your social life, family, personal interests and hobbies.

Time management is the process of planning and controlling how much time you spend on a particular activity to achieve the best results.

Top Tips for improving your time management skills

Effective time management can be improved by:

Avoid distractions – Minimise distractions where possible so that you are able to maintain focus.

Prioritising – Which tasks are most important or urgent and do these before any others.

Setting Goals – Make sure your goals are achievable and measurable.

Setting a time limit – This will help you stay focussed and interested in the task.

Take breaks – Allow time between activities so that you are not overwhelmed.

Be organised – Create a calendar of important activities so that you do not forget any.

Avoid multitasking – Focus on one thing at a time and break down tasks where necessary.

Organisational skills help you to work in a systematic and efficient way and are key to managing your time and resources.  Organisational skills can help you achieve your goals and meet your deadlines and can include:

• Time Management – How to prioritise your work, set a time limit and allocate enough time to achieve your target.
• Task Management – Organising yourself and the task in a way that makes the best use of your skills and experiences and breaks the target down into manageable steps.
• Resources Management – How to effectively use the materials, finances and team to best achieve your target.
• Planning – Developing a structured plan that shows the stages you need to get to to achieve your goal.
• Attention to Detail – Maintaining focus on the smaller details of a project that ensure a quality outcome.
• Setting Goals – Using the STAR method to ensure your target or goal is achievable.
• Communication – Being able to provide information that is clear and concise and understandable to all taking part in the project.
• Adaptability – Being flexible and able to change your plans if something unexpected happens.

Top Tips for improving your organisational skills

Improving your organisational skills takes time and practice but there are ways that you can work on your organisational skills including:

Get Feedback – Ask for feedback from your peers, colleagues or supervisors to see where they think you may need to develop your skills.  This can help you continue to plan and grow.

Use Resources – Use technology to help you improve your orgaisation skills.  Use an online calendar to plan activities or an app that helps you with note taking can also be useful.

Have a Routine – Having a good routine can help you structure your time effectively and can help you understand which tasks need to be completed and when to help you stay on track.

Set Priorities – Break your tasks down into those that are urgent or important to help you prioritise which activities need to be completed first.

Break Tasks Down – Don’t become overwhelmed when you tackle a task.  Break the goal down into stages or manageable sections to make it more achievable.

Review Your Target – Make sure you regularly review where you are in relation to achieving the goal.  This makes sure you are not missing any steps and stay on track to complete the task before the deadline.

Teamwork is the process of working together with other people to achieve a common goal.  It can involve many people, or just a few and involves sharing experiences, creating a positive environment and recognising everyone’s individual talents.

Important skills for good teamwork include:

• Communication
• Collaboration
• Time Management
• Problem Solving
• Listening
• Leadership

Strong teamwork can lead to higher productivity, improved innovation and loyalty to the company and team you work within.

Top Tips for improving your Teamwork Skills

Ways of improving your teamwork skills can include but are not limited to:

Be Humble – Show that you are supportive and open to receiving help from others.

Communicating – Be clear and concise when working with others and make sure that everyone understands the goal.

Listen – Give those in your team your full attention and recognise that everyone has different opinions and experiences.

Collaborate – Work together with others and ask for their opinions.

Be Open Minded – Be open to new ideas and learn from others.

Build Trust – Be reliable and supportive and develop positive relationships with those you work with.

Attention to detail involves being careful, accurate and thorough when completing a task to ensure the best outcome.  Attention to details is a skill that many employers look for as it can lead to high quality work, less mistakes and requires lower levels of supervision in the workplace.

Attention to detail can mean:

• You notice small differences and can spot errors.
• You can follow instructions.
• You have good research skills and make sure you have all of the correct information.
• You are organised.
• You can prioritise.
• You know when to take a break to ensure you stay focused.

Top Tips for improving your Attention to Detail

Attention to Detail can be improved by:

Review your work – Proofread what you write and check your work for errors.

Getting enough sleep – Making sure you are well rested is important and can help you see smaller details.

Make a plan – Prioritising your day and tasks can help you avoid missing important details.

Not being Distracted – Block out background noise and find a quiet place to work so that you are able to maintain your focus while you are working.

Conflict resolution skills support you to be able to quickly, respectfully and effectively overcome an issue and resolve disagreements whilst continuing to maintain a positive relationship. 

Conflicts are a natural part of any personal or professional relationship and having good conflict resolution skills will help you tackle this difficult issue without avoiding the situation which can make things worse.

Conflict Resolution skills can come in many forms but include:

• Active listening and paying attention to what someone is saying.
• Being emotionally intelligent.
• Having empathy.
• Communicating.
• Problem solving.

Top Tips to improve your Conflict Resolution skills.

 Ways of improving your conflict resolution skills include:

Be willing to Compromise – Sometimes, finding the middle ground can help you reach a resolution.

Focus on Active Listening – Listen to understand the other person’s perspective.

Be Empathetic – Try and put yourself into the other persons place and consider why they are experiencing the conflict.

Body Language – Use positive body language and avoid defensive postures such as crossing your arms.

Focus on Solutions – Address the persons concerns and see if there are other ways of tackling the problem.

Emotional Resilience is the ability to be able to cope with stressful situations and to cope with the demands that these bring.

Emotional Resilience can help protect you from mental health conditions and is understanding how you cope and “bounce back” after encountering a stressful situation without letting it affect your motivation.

Top Tips for improving your Emotional Resilience

Ways of improving your Emotional Resilience include:

Learn From the Past – Thinking about how you have coped with previous challenging situations can help you build resilience.  What worked well and what would you have changed if you had to experience the situation again?

Self-Awareness – Understanding your emotions, thoughts, behaviours and how you react to situations is the first step in developing your emotional resilience.

Optimism – Maintaining a positive outlook will help you overcome barriers more easily.

Build Relationships – Having strong, positive relationships with those around you can provide support and guidance in times of stress.

Setting Goals – Having clearly defined goals will help you plan for the future and develop positive steps to get there.