There is a gap in businesses today – the human skills gap.

As people, individuals, move through their career and climb each rung of their ladder, they tick off the hard skills they need to get to the next level – the hard skills relevant to that business.

Training is given to master those skills, from induction days dedicated to understanding the business better to ongoing training to master the art of their role. Performance reviews look at their performance in the company and when all the necessary hard skills have been understood and delivered, that person is often promoted.

Often with a promotion comes responsibility and with responsibility comes people, dealing with people, managing people, understanding people and leading a team.

And yet individuals are often promoted without essential training in human skills. Training in active listening, in empathy, in perspective, in patience, in conflict management – all the skills needed to be a great leader.

People leave bosses not businesses. According to research by DDI, people quit bosses. A massive 57% of employees have left a job because of their manager. Imagine if all these managers, future leaders were trained in human skills, in how to lead, in how to empower people, how to have difficult conversations, imagine how the churn rate could reduce – and critically employees would be happier.

And we all know that happier employees make more productive employees making it a win all round.

So in a nutshell don’t just train your people in the business, train them in human skills.

Oh – and use me to do it.