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Funny thing is that when Red first heard Black talking about the importance of "soft skills," she wondered why Black seemed so passionate about the subject. It probably didn’t help that Red didn't even know what they were!
Black explained that it was a term used to describe intangible but essential skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and conflict management. Red, trying to be clever, then asked if there was such a thing as “hard skills.” Black matter-of-factly told her, yes, those are tangible and technical skills, such as computer skills, accounting, and welding.
It’s interesting, at least to Black, that although there’s consensus about the importance of soft skills, there’s debate about what they should be called. Her favorite being the Texas Education Agency (TEA) calling them "21st Century Skills" — especially since she's old enough to remember they were important in the 20th Century, too.
But would anyone call them “Mom Skills”?!
Well, Red couldn’t help but remember the time Black told her, “Your job is every bit as demanding as a corporate position, and, in fact, you use many of the same skill sets.” Not something Red could ever have imagined, but it made sense once she better understood what soft skills are and how they’re used. But then Black took it a step further,
Soft skills are transferable — between your personal life and the workplace (and from industry to industry). If you recognize that soft skills have existed since Adam and Eve (or “caveman” days), and technical skills are constantly changing (and there’s no way to predict the careers of the future) … it’s easy to see why soft skills will always be needed. In fact, some people are now calling them “durable skills.”
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These three posts not only describe soft skills, but also show why they matter ... at work, at home, and in everyday life.
If you want to know more about our Soft Skill resources, email: Education@RedandBlack.email