Editor’s Note: Got soft skills?

In his “All About You” column this month, our friend Richard Hawk gives advice for having good conversations.

It’s easy to believe that because Richard is a professional speaker, communication comes easily to him. And there’s no question that he has a gift for what he does. But if you read his columns regularly, you know how much work and practice he puts into strengthening his speaking, listening and other “soft” skills.

To be successful, every safety pro needs technical know-how. But because safety is all about people, soft skills are another important part of professional development. That’s why, in addition to Richard’s column, we’ve published feature articles on public speaking and good listening. And we have more planned: Associate Editor Barry Bottino is currently at work on an article about constructive feedback.

An informal poll we conducted several years ago asked readers to choose – from a provided list – the soft skills they thought were most important for a safety pro. In addition to good communication and listening, the skills that ranked high were teamwork/collaboration and coaching. Look for content on those topics in future issues of Safety+Health. If you have thoughts on other soft skills you’d like to read about, drop us a line.

One more note about conversations: If you’re reading this note while attending the NSC Safety Congress & Expo, several members of the S+H team are in New Orleans. We’d love to talk with you and hear your thoughts about the magazine – what you find useful and what we can improve. Our booth is inside NSC Central on the Expo Floor. Please don’t hesitate to stop by.

The opinions expressed in “Editor’s Note” do not necessarily reflect those of the National Safety Council or affiliated local Chapters.