Important Soft Skills Needed In The Oil & Gas Industry

The oil and gas sector faces a global shortage of experienced technical personnel. If companies in the sector do not develop leaders to create the right working environments will find it harder to retain and motivate talent.

“Hay Group research shows leaders who engage the right styles of leadership will energise and motivate their teams, and retain their high performers.”

More often than not, leadership programmes in the oil & gas sector focused on helping employees to acquire ‘hard skills’. Hard skills such as managing budget, forecasting, project management and many more. However, in order for leaders to be effective, it is essential that they built on their soft skills as well.

The oil and gas industry has been facing a huge challenge, with layoffs and cost cutting measures taken by organisations within these few years. However, the industry has been showing signs of recovery. This is further escalated with OPEC finally agreeing to cut crude oil production at the beginning of 2017, which can mean balancing of the market and increase in oil prices. Experts are forecasting a positive outlook that opens the door for employment opportunities. This also means that aspiring oil and gas professionals should be stay abreast of the necessary skills that will be handy to deal with the different challenges in the industry.

Here are some of the soft skills that will be highly valued in the industry (but are not limited to): –

• Critical thinking and problem-solving

As the industry move towards high technology and efficiency, there is a high demand for the ability to critical think and the ability to be effective in problem solving. Organisations in the oil and gas sector do not require people to just identify problems, they should be good problem solvers as well. People who can pair problems with solution will be highly valued.

• Collaboration and teamwork

Studies have found out that millennials like to work collaboratively. Big brothers of the oil and gas industry have encouraged collaboration within their problem solving team to deal with the downturn. People who can be welcomed into their core team and able to push the organisation forward will be a welcomed asset.

• Global mindset

The oil and gas industry is increasingly diversifying. Aspiring oil and gas professionals are required to bear an open mindset towards diversity, have acceptance and being aware of all cultures across the world. Studies have also found that millennials are well known to embrace diversity.

• Leadership

Effective leadership is the most critical soft skill for the oil and gas industry. Organisations in this sector are getting more and more active in their efforts to continue investing in employee development. Leadership qualities and skills are a must-have trait for organisations to manage the downturn in the sector effectively.

Leadership and Strategic Thinking is a 2-day course that focuses on helping organisations to develop leaders of tomorrow. Through this course, participants will acquire core skills required of the management team within the business unit, that can be applicable in the workings of the organisation. For more information, please visit us at http://www.opuskinetic.com/training or contact us at info@opuskinetic.com.

Opus Kinetic believes that people are why organisations are successful, and giving people the knowledge to perform well at their job is integral for success. We pride ourselves as the premier provider of knowledge, offering acclaimed in-house training, leadership training courses, oil and gas training courses, and courses that target health safety and environment, etc. Our training courses are well researched and updated with the latest industry trends. For more information on our professional training programs, you can visit us at http://www.opuskinetic.com/training.