During a virtual training for a group of young professionals, I asked, “What are technical skills or hard skills?”
Donna, who was unmuted, responded first, “You know how to use a certain software or a lab machine. Something like that.”
Michael, Tara, and Ashley put their answers in the chat:
“Computer proficiency.”
“Trainable through study and practice earned.”
“Ok, Tara! That one has a little bit of a definition in it. I like that one,” I said. “Ashely is saying that it’s gotta be hands on. Oh… and David… Skills that translate into something physical or tangible.”
I advanced through my next two PowerPoint slides while explaining, “Technical skills or hard skills are teachable abilities that use specialized knowledge to perform a task or function like math, programming, typing, simple coding, things of that nature. So, I agree with you all.”
And…
Duncan Nugget® #144:
Soft skills are personal abilities that help you perform better and interact better with other people.
If I had to put it in an academic journal, I would write:
Soft skills are individual abilities that improve human performance and facilitate effective interactions amongst people.
In the grand scheme of things, soft skills is a relatively new term. It’s been around for less than a hundred years, but the actual skills and principles have always been vital to human development.
You can find them in all kinds of proverbs and maxims: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make’em drink.” You can find them in religious texts: “Iron sharpens iron.”
Soft skills are part of philosophy: “Know thyself.” And soft skills are part of the good old advice handed down by people who love you. You know, like Big mama, auntie, unc, big bro or whoever is always trying to put you on game.
Technology is always advancing, but soft skills tend to remain the same. If I go back to the 1600’s, was anybody typing? No, because there were no keyboards. But pick any year, decade, or century since humans have been on the planet and you will find us communicating, solving problems, collaborating, and adapting. Since the dawn of the human race we have always needed soft skills to survive and thrive.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION
- Think about your soft skills. Other than school or work, what is another area of your life where your soft skills helped you out? How did they help you?
- What is a quote or saying that you have heard that has to do with soft skills? Where did you hear it? What does it mean to you?
- Think about your technical skills. What soft skills will you work on to help you do a better job of using your technical skills? How will those soft skills help you get more out of your career?