In Defense of Soft Skills

How do we stay relevant in a world that is constantly changing?

They say the only thing constant is change. It certainly seems that doing things the same way over and over again is a surefire way to get left behind. 

This begs the question: what skills can we develop now for a future that is uncertain? At Clevertech we are often asking: how can we create customizable solutions for our clients in an environment where things are changing and evolving when there is no roadmap? What skills are needed to thrive as innovators?

Prioritizing soft skill development is where we start. 

When we talk about soft skills, it includes not just communication, but the ability to cultivate ideas, transmit those ideas, develop them and collaborate with others. 

Soft skills allow hard skills to go from inside someone’s mind out into the real world. 

Think of a raw material like gold, as the hard skills. When we take raw material and turn it into something beautiful, that’s what soft skills will do. 

Do any of these situations sound familiar?

• “I know this approach is the right one to take, but no one is listening to me!”

• “I could see that the team wasn’t communicating effectively, but I didn’t know how to fix it.”

• “I have the framework laid out in my head, but I am having a hard time communicating it to my team or client.”

• “I’m having a hard time understanding what the client wants, but I don’t know what questions to ask to get more clarity.”

Innovative projects. Highly skilled teams. Fully remote culture.

When we have hard skills without soft skills, frustration rises. The knowledge, expertise and understanding is there, but unless we have the capacity to communicate it, understand the team dynamics, how to influence others and what our client truly values, and how to provide a solution that makes sense - those hard skills might as well be locked in a cage, never getting out into the world and making the impact they could. 

Preparing for the unknown

The more proficient one is in soft skills, like strategic problem solving, deep listening, situational awareness, and compelling communication, the more spaces they can step into and provide real value. 

The less proficient one is in soft skills, the more limited they are and, most likely, will need to be told what to do, how to do it, and by when it needs to be done. 

Soft skills expand the situations one is prepared to step into, and how much uncertainty they can navigate. 

Soft skills also include the ever important skill of resilience: the ability to stay calm and focused when the pressure is on.

When the deadlines are looming and the problems have no previously identified solution, those who can expand their capacity for discomfort, lean in, and stay present are the ones who win. Without this grit of character it is almost impossible to find the kinds of solutions we have been tasked with.

The cultivation of ideas

Strategic thinking is one of my favorite soft skills. It requires the ability to expand one’s perspective to include multiple vantage points and find a solution that solves for all. 

If I have to consider my deadline needs, the team’s objectives, the client’s deadline, the unforeseen blockers - AND I can find a solution that satisfies all of these, I am a strategic thinker. 

Solving for just ONE perspective isn’t enough. 

Strategic thinking is a skill that must be developed, just like anything else and is one of the most powerful of the soft skills because it allows you to gain trust with those you work with, proving that you CAN and WILL understand and take into account their perspective and needs. 

The transmitting of ideas

The most commonly understood aspect of soft skills is communication. Taking the formless (a thought, an idea, a desire) and putting it into form (words, pictures, music). Communication transmits ideas effectively through a medium. 

Without communication, all our beautiful thoughts and ideas stay locked inside us, which creates deep frustration. 

We just wrapped up a three part series on communication that you can dive into here, here and here. It’s a skill that many of us take for granted that we are pretty good at, but most of us overestimate how well we communicate and underestimate how much work it takes to communicate well. 

The cultivation of talent

In addition to strategic thinking around the problems and obstacles we face in our projects, it’s also important to direct strategic thinking toward our career goals and personal development. 

Even though I am a coach and I support the growth of my clients, it is not my job to build their careers. Each person is tasked with the work of evaluating themselves, understanding their strengths and weaknesses, developing strategies to amplify strengths and reduce the negative impacts of their weaknesses. 

When we step into the driver seat of our own personal development, the raw materials of our talent and potential begin to form into something powerful and exciting. This is where I see top performers not only soar, but also feel an increased sense of personal satisfaction in their work. 

Rather than feeling stagnant and stale in their careers, they are wide eyed and full of wonder at what is coming next, and who they will evolve into each and every year. 

The collaboration of ideas

If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. It’s a well known truth that we cannot do all the great things we want to do by ourselves. However, if team dynamics are not navigated well, it will be a difficult ride to go together. 

Team dynamics are one of the most challenging parts of the work we do. Having enough emotional intelligence, cultural awareness, communication skills and creative thinking is VITAL to successfully working in groups. 

This soft skill is where it all comes together, in communication, strategic thinking, cultural awareness and emotional intelligence. We must learn how to pull it all together and let these skills ‘breathe’ in the real world. 

Why it matters

Soft skills matter because unless we develop the raw materials in our teams, we will fail to reach the full potential of what we can accomplish together. 

Taking time to sharpen communication, increase cultural awareness, develop talent, and navigate team dynamics is our secret sauce to our success at Clevertech. It’s what allows us to take the best talent from around the globe and employ it toward incredible technical projects that are changing the world. 

When our clients come to us for custom solutions in a rapidly evolving environment, our ability to think strategically, stay in discomfort long enough to find a solution, collaborate, and navigate the unknown is our edge.