This question arose after I read an interview with Simon Sinek. He intensely dislikes the term soft skills preferring instead the term human skills. This, he says, eliminates the idea of opposites and I would also suggest, the whiff of optional when juxtaposing the words soft and hard skills. Human skills are about becoming a better human. He posits that excellence in life and work is achieved when both hard and human skills are manifest.
I have certainly used the term soft skills, but infinitely prefer the word human. By tiptoeing around the word human, are we avoiding the aura of vulnerability and authenticity that emanates from it? By using the word soft are we diminishing the raw passion, truth and power of these very human attributes and skills? Are we avoiding recognizing that these skills take hard work to achieve and that the task will be ongoing and lifelong?
We can always grow. We can always get better.
Consider the skills below. Do they vibrate and resonate differently when we call them human skills? Do they shine with a more luminous quality? Are they inspirational, rather than transactional? Do they become essential, not optional?
- Listening
- Feedback
- Clarity
- Empathy
- Compassion
- Humor
- Self-awareness
- Curiosity
- Imaginative
- Open-mindedness
- Integrity
- Courage
- Emotional Intelligence
- Humility
- Kindness
- Collaboration
- Respect for self
- Respect for others
It’s our humanity that imbues these skills with their ability to create change and transformation.
“We are all different. There is no such thing as a standard or run-of-the-mill human being, but we share the same human spirit.”
-Stephen Hawking
