Soft skills like empathy, creativity, and problem-solving are essential in a working environment, but without regular face-to-face interactions, it can be difficult to develop them. Writing for the Harvard Business Review, Rebecca Knight outlines seven expert-recommended ways you can improve your soft skills as a remote worker.

Introduction to adaptive leadership

7 ways to improve your soft skills

1. Audit your soft skills

According to Arnaud Collery — head of Humanava, a French company specializing in executive coaching, training, and team building — the first thing you should do is determine which soft skills you want to strengthen.

"A lot of people early in their career focus on collecting badges for their resumes by learning certain technical skills or working at prestigious companies," he said. "Instead, you should think about developing your character. What am I missing? And what do I need to work on?"

Collery recommends reflecting on the skills you need to develop and asking your friends, coworkers, and mentors for opinions on your strengths and weaknesses.

Then, you need to develop a plan to nurture those skills, thinking of it like a "roadmap for how you'll get to where you want to be," Collery said. He recommends seeking out activities that challenge you and are outside of your comfort zone.

2. Establish your shared values in one-on-one conversations

Working remotely means you're not having casual conversations in the hallway or attending team-building happy hours, so you need to be more strategic about how you interact with your coworkers, Knight writes.

Nancy Rothbard, a professor of management and deputy dean at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, recommends cultivating "a shared reality" with your coworkers.

"Create common ground and establish shared values," she said. "Ask questions and seek information that helps you understand their lived experience and circumstances."

Collery recommends starting off small by asking about your colleagues' work preferences. "Ask them when they're most productive and how they get in the flow — share the rhythm of your work days so you both know when you're at your best," he said. Then, you can go deeper. "Ask them about their passions and what drives them," Collery said. "Try to understand who your colleagues are as people when they're not talking about business."

3. Make your coworkers feel seen and heard

While it's tempting to get straight to the point in a team meeting, Rothbard said idle time is an important opportunity to connect with your coworkers in group formats and foster relationships.

"Show genuine curiosity and practice your listening skills," she said. "Pay attention to what people are saying — don't let their words just drop into the ether — and refer back to it."

If you don't have the best memory, Rothbard recommends taking notes of little details people share, like where they're going on vacation or their pet's name. You can then use that information to follow up with them and show them you care about their lives outside of work.

4. Pay attention to nonverbal cues and body language

Being able to read nonverbal cues and body language can help you communicate better, but it's hard to do when you're not in person with other people, Rothbard said. "You think, 'Is my colleague frowning because of what I said, or is it because their kid just walked into the room, or they're late for a different Zoom?'" she said.

It's easy to misinterpret, so Collery recommends working on honing your powers of observation, paying close attention to your coworkers' facial expressions and vocal tones and watching for signs when their words and actions line up.

"Look at how they convey their message and how they put spaces between words," he said. Ultimately, your objective is to "look for moments of truth when you're on Zoom."

5. Request feedback

Since you won't receive the same type of coaching that comes with working in-person, you should proactively seek feedback from your team and manager, which could take the form of scheduled check-ins or asking people for immediate impressions, Collery said.

Rothbard recommends prompting your manager before a team meeting or presentation so they know what feedback you're looking for. You could also take advantage of your remote work by messaging a colleague or boss for feedback to improve in real time, Rothbard added.

6. Display your worth ethic

Working remotely means having to put in extra effort to build trust and demonstrate your soft skills to managers and colleagues, Rothbard said. This includes showing you can effectively manage your time and workload, prioritize your tasks, and be flexible when things change. "If you want to get promoted, you have to wow people," Rothbard said.

Demonstrate your work ethic through your results and responses. Be disciplined about managing expectations and hitting deadlines, regularly communicate, and be a reliable team member, Rothbard said.

You shouldn't disappear for long periods of time. If you have to unplug so you can concentrate, inform your boss and team members so they know you're being productive, not disengaged. "Your output is a given, but you have to be more present and responsive in order to counter the question mark of: Who are you?" Rothbard said.

7. Try to find some in person time

Finding ways to see your coworkers in-person every now and then is a worthwhile investment of your time, Collery said.

"You wouldn't try to build your muscles without going to the gym. Your body needs to be there and put in the work to get stronger," he said. It's the same for relationships: "You need to be in-person sometimes to connect, learn, and grow."

This is especially important at the beginning of your career, Collery said. You may not be able to travel to an office every month or quarter, but even a little bit of exposure is helpful.

"That's when you're really able to pick up on those little unspoken signals and non-official behaviors that create a strong team culture and that help you feel engaged at work," he said. (Knight, Harvard Business Review, 1/8)