from knowledge to awareness
Demonstrating leadership, managing stress effectively and practising active listening is neither simple nor straightforward. Soft skills are difficult to measure, unlike hard skills.
Treating these abilities as if they fit into fixed, well-defined parameters or ranges is a serious misconception. What is needed instead is a different approach — one where a genuine understanding and self-awareness come first. Only then can these competencies be implemented, refined and pragmatically enhanced, to be strategically applied within the intricate dynamics of today’s workplace.
Talking about problem-solving almost sounds ironic. After all, all animals — including humans — possess this ability. It's part of our genes.
The same goes for empathy. Every human being is empathetic to some extent, of course with some exceptions that can border on psychopathology.
Some skills can certainly be strengthened. But others call for a deeper process of genuine empowerment.
Managing conflict, negotiating, adapting to change and practising active listening all require drawing on different aspects of one’s character, personality and life experience, as well as the ability to process and reflect on these.
Unlike hard skills, these abilities are not acquired through automatic processes.
In today's world, the role of purely “hard” knowledge has become relatively marginal. This shift, however, may have started long ago.
The true focus now revolves around our mindset and skillset, which form the backbone of success, performance, tangible results and, above all, quality of work.
The key words? Soft skills.
A must-have set of transferable skills
Finding and attracting people with a well-developed and mature set of soft skills has become a true mission for HR departments across both private companies and public sector organisations.
At the same time, these skills have become a distinguishing feature — the element that truly makes the difference and provides a genuine competitive edge. That extra gear, so to speak.
Soft skills can be learned, trained, strengthened, and enhanced— and they enable us, in fact, to live better, as the World Health Organization also points out.
They are, quite simply, "life skills."
Talking about transferable skills therefore means talking about the Person — about the many sides of who we are: our cognitive dimension (problem-solving, decision-making, critical thinking, creativity); our relational dimension (empathy, communication, conflict management, teamwork); and our emotional dimension (self-awareness, emotional regulation, stress management).
People, not resources
Soft skills, then, are about the person. A human resource is not simply a work resource.The term transferable skills comes from the fact that these skills are closely tied every aspect of an individual's professional and personal life. This is another example of awareness.
Soft skills, then, are key, central, and crucial competencies. To foster a true and meaningful cultural shift, it is essential to inform, raise awareness, train, and nurture these abilities. Implementing detailed and specific training programmes is a necessary and useful step, as is offering online courses, interactive workshops, coaching sessions, simulations, and even the strategic use of serious games. However, I suppose this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Transversal competencies as a top priority
Setting everything else aside, according to the World Economic Forum in its update of "The Future of Jobs Report 2025", soft skills are an absolute priority for companies worldwide.
The study highlighted some particularly striking findings:
- 94% of companies consider soft skills to be more important than technical skills. What a discovery!
- The most sought-after skills are: critical thinking, creativity, empathetic leadership, and change management. Easier said than done!
- Soft skills are strategic for tackling the evolution and dominance of new technologies. An undeniable truth.
- Interpersonal communication, the ability to build effective relationships, and problem-solving are almost mandatory skills. They always have been!
REFERENCES
Abele-Brehm, A., & Oberg, S. (2022). The Importance of Soft Skills for Career Development: Implications for Educational and Organizational Practice . Routledge.
Anderson, M., & Roberts, S. (2024). Soft Skills in the Workplace: A Critical Review of Current Practices and Future Directions. Harvard Business Review Press.
Duggan, C., & McDonnell, A. (2024). Developing Soft Skills for Career Success in the Age of Automation . Cambridge University Press.
Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2023). Emotional Intelligence and Leadership: An Update for the 21st Century. Jossey-Bass.