Yes to soft skills, but companies also look inwards

They can be accessed without constraints and do not require entrance tests; they allow us to compare people of different cultural backgrounds without being influenced by authority or the weight of the roles played. And I like that very much.

Lastly, I believe in the value of soft skills because I am truly convinced that those who develop an effective way of interacting with people, of managing their time and responsibilities, of recognising and making the best use of their emotions, of thinking critically and innovatively, of reasoning flexibly, can really live better in the various complex situations that life constantly proposes to everyone.

So, after the necessary premise, what is my doubt and my personal controversy?

But is it not the case that all this focus on soft skills and all this talk of job profiles that must possess excellent soft skills is a renunciation of really dealing with how the organisation works?

The context is accelerating, digital transformation is making the environment faster, more uncertain and more complex to manage and so... come on guys, come on: be resilient, develop an empathetic, emotional, flexible approach, be energetic and learn to negotiate nicely to get what we need, work in teams and solve problems yourself... It's your soft skills we need!

Is it not the case that emphasising the importance of soft skills is a disguised attempt to demand soft behaviour? That is, to have people accept the ineluctable fate of having to fend for themselves in increasingly difficult contexts?

I am exaggerating, of course. But the emphasis is to point out that sometimes all this focus on soft skills seems to be managed by putting the burden on individuals to solve with their personal skills things that the overall organisation should take over, by bringing all its employees together and working with them.

The numerous (and often different) lists of soft skills needed in the next few years produced by research institutes should not only highlight what individuals need and how to select those with the most transversal skills, but also suggest interventions and ways for companies to carry out skill development in different realities.

More than a list of soft skills, it would be useful to offer some suggestions to identify which ones are really needed in the specific organisation, because they are not necessarily all needed. It might also help to point out how a company can look inward, to see what assets of soft skills are already present today and to understand what processes help and facilitate their development.

These pointers could help companies in increasingly linking hard and soft aspects, asking for contributions from new and old recruits but also offering them the opportunity to work well, making them grow in a healthy and functional environment.

I really like companies that do not make grand statements about the soft skills needed today and in the future, but which already know that soft skills are a value and have always worked on these, together with their employees, to find a purpose in growth, individually and collectively. Fortunately, there are many of them.

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