Business firms in Gulf region must strive to develop the soft skills of employees as part of a concerted effort to improve their overall performance and enhance the business climate, said an expert.

Skopos Consulting, a leading organisation development solutions firm in the Middle East and Africa, said this was crucial to sustain the region's growing reputation as an emerging business and investment hub.

Studies have shown that interpersonal skills, communication skills, responsiveness, ethics, inventiveness, ability to work in a team, and a positive attitude towards change have significant impact in boosting performance across all levels of the organisation, from entry-level employees to senior management positions, the company stated.

According to Skopos, the organisational capability to respond to change gets increased through OD.

The approach used by Skopos, changes the behaviours and beliefs of employees so that they can better adapt to new challenges. Soft skills enable employees and managers to perform optimally across all job categories and levels, said a top official.

Dr Hussein El Kazzaz, managing director of Skopos Consulting, said, 'There is a pressing need to promote organisational development in the GCC to complement the growing reputation of the region as a fast-emerging business and investment hub.'

'In particular, enhancing the soft skills of the regional talent is crucially important at this time of recovery after a challenging period during the global financial crisis. Employees should not only be able to handle challenges that are purely technical, but also be able to manage problems that are emotional, social or cultural in nature,' he observed.

“The Middle East has been a priority area for Skopos because of the region's strong business and growth potential. The organisational development solutions offered by the company are customised to serve as a powerful tool in boosting organisational effectiveness and performance in the GCC,” El Kazzaz stated.

Skopos revealed that an increasing numbers of firms in the region were seeking soft skills solutions to help with employee retention.

'This is crucial considering that employee turnover has been proved to be a costly and time-consuming exercise, ultimately affecting the performance of business organisations and losing valuable talent to competitors,' he said.

The company uses both soft and hard management tools to implement organizational change with its clients in the Middle East and Africa by utilizing a mix of coaching, conflict management, team building, leadership development, communication, succession planning, performance management and other proven organisational development tools.

Originally founded in 1991 in San Jose, Skopos Consulting moved to establish its Middle East presence in 2002. It is now fully owned, managed and operated independently by the Middle East team.

It currently offers its services across a range of industries, including technology, government and telecommunications. The company has offices in Dubai, Cairo, Bahrain and Kenya.-TradeArabia News Service