Leadership and communication
Soft skills
Interpersonal and thinking skills, such as listening, empathy, teamwork and clear speech, that help people work well with others and perform effectively in the workplace.
Soft skills are interpersonal and thinking skills used at work. O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor occupational database, says many employers value workers with soft skills, which it describes as the interpersonal and thinking skills needed to interact successfully with people and to perform efficiently and effectively in the workplace.
Examples include communication, teamwork, problem solving and professionalism. Skills such as active listening and emotional intelligence fall in this group. In dental teams they support team communication and patient trust.
The term is informal, and lists differ by source. Soft skills are not a replacement for clinical competence. They sit alongside it. This entry is a general definition only.