In my work I often encounter discussions about soft skills, and several times in lectures, books and articles I’ve come across suggestions to rebrand soft skills as character skills, human skills or people skills. Sometimes, it’s even argued that soft skills are the actual hard skills.
But why this need to defend the concept of soft skills?
In the digital world, there’s no pressing need to defend software, or to rebrand it to enhance its perceived value, or elevate its status to that of hardware. We recognize that hardware and software are different yet interdependent, both crucial for a system’s functionality and effectiveness.
So, instead of finding clever ways to defend and rename soft skills, our energy and focus should be directed towards developing them.
But to do that, to develop software, and to operate a well-functioning and effective system that fully utilizes the potential of both hardware and software, a functional operating system is essential. In the business world, this operating system could be referred to as the company culture.
A company might excel in technical expertise (hardware) but struggle with internal communication and collaboration (software). If the culture is weak, these soft skills won’t have the opportunity to grow and develop.
But if the culture is shaped and strengthened through attitudes and behaviors that support the company’s values, these soft skills can grow strong and powerful. This, in turn, will most likely positively affect the overall performance and propel the company towards its vision.
JL Wallenberg
jlwallenberg.com 