Over the years, I have written and spoken a great deal on the concept of Hard Skills and Soft Skills. I do so mostly to get to the importance of the Soft Skills. My proposal then and now is that much of what we want to call “success” will be defined by our ability to deploy soft skills and not the hard. So, what are hard and soft skills?
In brief, hard skills are learnable, teachable, measurable things that we do in our jobs and lives. There is little question about whether or not they can be taught. They’re skills such as how to use a new computer program or how to say the right words when answering the telephone. But Soft skills are the things like perseverance, work ethic, kindness and Emotional Intelligence itself. There are countless characteristics that define who we are and not just what we do. There is also a great deal of evidence that it is these characteristics that either propel us forward or bring us down.
So today, I ask that each of us thinks of 2 things with regard to Soft Skills: 1) What soft skills are important for you to be a better version of you at work or at home? 2) Do you believe that you can adopt or improve upon these? If you are person who has said to themselves “I am who I am and I am not going to change,” then it is likely that you won’t.
We at Rewire do not believe that everyone has to change. What we do believe is that change is far more possible than we may have ever believed. You can change. You can improve (even soft skills!). But never forget that changing and improving will challenge every part of your lizard brain, which is why so many don’t. Facing the fear of change could be the single greatest act that happens to you in your adult life.
There! Deep Thoughts in Deep December. Peace.