Rethinking “Soft” Skills

I really enjoyed a webinar I watched the other day – “The Future of Work”, a panel discussion hosted by Harvard EducationNow.  (You can view it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTnuHwvb6Yk&feature=share)

In that webinar, economist Raffaella Sadun made a subtle comment about a shift in thinking about leadership.  She said it’s no longer about command and control.  Instead, leadership is now about persuasion, motivation, and bringing people along with you.  Better yet, she reframed the idea of soft skills – so easily overlooked and ignored – as professional skills – abilities that are necessary to be effective as a leader.

In my undergraduate studies, my degree was in business, specifically in economics.  It’s one of the most math-intensive business courses you can take.  Economics is a science.  And yet, the end result to every posed scenario was “It depends…”

Later on, I pursued my master’s degree in psychology.  I wanted to learn about the softer side of things.  And, again, the end result to every given scenario was “It depends…”

So, on what exactly does IT depend?  People, of course.  People are not rational (as we learn in economics).  They don’t follow an exact listing of the priorities we set out.  Each person has their own set of values, their own background and personal experiences, their own personality and way of interacting with others and with the world.  Each person is truly unique.

Therefore, learning how to interact with people is essential – not superfluous.  These aren’t “soft skills”, they are necessary ones.  Learning how to manage individuals – in the way that works best for them (and for you) – is indispensable.  Managerial skills matter.  We know this, and the research shows this.  Better managers have more satisfied employees who stay longer and work harder/more (they are more productive).  

Be a better manager.  Put in the time and effort to hone these skills.  Do it for your people, for yourself, and for your organization.  These skills matter.