Soft skills and their importance from the perspective of Croatian managers

" Objective - Managing organizations is a complex set of activities requiring various skills and knowledge. Changes in the working environment conditioned by the development of new technologies accelerated digitization, focus on profit and sustainability, the need for continuous networking, and generational differences are just some of the factors that strongly influence the perception of work and responsibility towards oneself and others. Influenced the change of the managerial and communication paradigm in which control (of work, productivity, information) is no longer the only goal but the aspiration to guide the individual in achieving his own goals and finding a balance. Recently, more and more people are talking about the importance of possessing soft skills in managers, which are important for the working environment and organizational climate. People are the greatest asset of any organization, and their loyalty to the organization depends on their identification with the values and the role they play in the team. Communication about roles and expectations is an often neglected factor that strongly affects the quality of interpersonal relationships. Methodology/Technique - Managers play a key role in managing human resources, training them in communication skills has never been more important. The aim of the paper is to examine the self-perception of soft skills in a convenient sample of Croatian managers to understand their awareness of the possibilities of influencing human resources management. A quantitative approach was used to investigate the self-perception of the competencies of Croatian managers through a survey of a purposive sample of 358 Croatian managers. Finding - The survey included questions about one's perception of one's own soft skills, including communication skills, emotional intelligence, teamwork, and the ability to resolve conflicts. The research results showed that Croatian managers highly value soft skills, especially in the areas of communication and teamwork. However, certain weaknesses, such as conflict resolution and emotional intelligence, were also identified. Novelty - The research results indicate a positive correlation between leadership motivation and effective cooperation. Investing in the development of soft skills can significantly contribute to improving the efficiency and success of Croatian companies. Type of Paper - Empirical"