The biggest irony in the world of business is calling the hardest skills for most of us to master “soft skills”. In 2023, if you want that ascension in office, invest time and efforts to master the hardest skills which are abnormally captured as “soft skills”.
“Hard skills are abilities that let you tackle job-specific duties and responsibilities. Hard skills can be learned through courses, vocational training, and on the job. These skills are usually focused on specific tasks and processes such as the use of tools, equipment, or software.” (source)
“Soft skills relate to how you work. Soft skills include interpersonal (people) skills, communication skills, listening skills, time management, problem-solving, leadership, and empathy, among others. They are among the top skills employers seek in the candidates they hire because soft skills are important for just about every job”. (source)
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Robots and modern machines are increasingly doing the “hard skills”, but the “soft skills” remain human-centric, putting humans at that level where nothing can easily substitute them. Hard skills make you better on specific tasks and processes, soft skills elevate you to organize people, processes and tools efficiently, and that is a higher call and more challenging. To thrive today at work, do not neglect them.
Yes, soft skills could be termed “soft” but there is nothing soft in a moving target. Do hard things better, become better with your “soft skills”
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It’s a kind of inverse, the only thing soft there is that you don’t use your hands to deploy them, everything else is harder to grasp and master.