Soft skills are essential for successful professional development. According to Stanford Research Institute International and the Carnegie Mellon Foundation, 75% of long-term job success depends on soft skills.

Editor's note: This article was originally published in February 2016 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

When it comes to hiring, looking at the competencies of a candidate can support your talent management strategies. Looking at job-related competencies helps with selection, promotion, training and development, performance management, career planning, and succession planning. 

Everyone knows that there’s no such thing as a perpetually problem-free enterprise of any sort. When problems occur, there are multiple reasons they don’t get addressed or handled. A central reason is that most organizations don’t employ a structured problem solving model, so when faced with a problem, they “wing it” rather than address it in a systematic way.

this is article 2 of 5 in the dmaic problem-solving method series

this is article 5 of 5 in the dmaic problem-solving method series

Good problem solving skills are fundamentally important within an organization. However, problem solving is not universally considered “easy.” Problem solving involves change. And people resist change because simply, it is not comfortable.