I can’t stand the term “soft skills”.
We’d all be much better off by binning it altogether.
1️⃣ For one, there is a lot of science around human behaviour which shows or suggests that skills and behaviours that are often labelled as “soft” can be identified, studied, and developed;
2️⃣ Second, the term makes these skills far too easy to dismiss or deprioritise in favour of the “harder” variety. Or, to assume we or others possess them when they may not.
3️⃣ Third, they are crucial to the future. The World Economic Forum’s “Jobs of Tomorrow” report for instance shows that these so-called ‘soft’ skills are in high demand (check page 7 if you’re curious: https://lnkd.in/enmyyGfh) And yet, they’re becoming increasingly scarce.
And, rather than lumping a bunch of disparate things together, it would be far more helpful if we got clear about what specific skills we are talking about. There is quite a wide range and they include:
🤔 Critical thinking
🎨 Creative problem-solving
👂Effective listening skills
🧠 Techniques to harness the power of cognitive diversity and neurodiversity
📣 Communication skills
And that’s just the shortlist.
If I could give my younger self (and any young professional today) one piece of career advice, it’d be this: double down on developing these skills. They’re the ones that will matter most in the future.
If I were a senior leader or head of organisational development today, I’d be paying extra attention to how these skills integrate and interact with technology, data and “hard” skills. I think you’d find much more of a continuum than a demarcation. And there’s a ton of value to be had by recognising and acting on that.
Curious about how to make that happen and improve decision quality? Let’s talk.
Can We Bin The Term “Soft Skills” Already?
