Walk into any classroom or workplace today, and you’ll likely hear talk of “soft skills.” Communication, empathy, collaboration, adaptability—these are the qualities that shape how we relate to one another and navigate the world. Yet, the term “soft skills” does these abilities a disservice. Not only are these skills among the hardest to master—and teach—but they are also the most durable, especially as technology, including artificial intelligence, rapidly reshapes our world.
The Case for a Rebrand of “Soft Skills”
The phrase “soft skills” suggests something secondary or optional—a nice-to-have alongside the so-called “hard” skills of math, science, technical expertise, or other “academic” knowledge. But research consistently tells a different story. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report (2023) identifies analytical thinking, creativity, and resilience—alongside empathy and collaboration—as the most in-demand skills for the future workforce. These are not peripheral; they are central and it is a disservice to call them “soft”….
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