From Soft Skills to Human Skills

In this article, you will find answers to the following questions:

• What are Human Skills?
• How do they differ from Soft Skills?
• What is included in the Human Skills list?
• How can they help us in our lives?

Human Skills

For many years now, it has become clear that focusing only on STEM skills (Science – Technology – Engineering – Mathematics) is not enough. We see teams with innovative ideas fail because their members do not collaborate or communicate effectively. We also see brilliant initiatives become trapped due to poor organization.

Every employee, therefore, needs a set of essential non-technical skills to thrive in today’s digitally driven organizations.

The Human Skills Matrix

Researchers at MIT, as part of the J-WEL initiative, developed a tool that brings together all the essential social skills of the digital era. These skills enable rapid learning and adaptability across industries.

This tool is called: The Human Skills Matrix.

Its development was based on a rigorous and thorough process. In the end, 24 core human skills emerged. They are divided into four categories:

1. How we think
2. How we manage ourselves
3. How we interact
4. How we lead

The Importance of the New Approach

A Step Beyond Soft Skills

Soft Skills are now a widely recognized concept. Fortunately, in the context of our work, we no longer need to explain what the term means when we mention it. Customer Service Excellence, Collaboration and Teamwork, Communication, Stress Management, Time Management, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, and all the skills that help us live and work more harmoniously with others have been recognized as critical success factors for employees. We could say that Human Skills represent an expanded version of Soft Skills. This new framework highlights additional dimensions that had not previously received sufficient attention.

Not Only Sales, but Also Ethics

Usually, the goal of Learning & Development initiatives is business performance. In organizations with healthy cultures, this focus is balanced with the goal of human well-being. The Human Skills Matrix now allows us to discuss additional concepts as well.

For example:

• Ethics – This skill highlights the importance of considering everyone affected by our actions, not just ourselves. It reinforces the idea that the end does not justify the means and that our actions should promote the common good.
• Integrity – This skill emphasizes doing the right thing consistently and honestly, guided by strong moral principles.
• Comfort with ambiguity – This skill suggests that we should remain open to diversity and inclusion when making decisions or seeking solutions.

Other important – and previously somewhat overlooked – skills also stand out, such as Entrepreneurship, Growth mindset, Accountability, Adaptability, Persistence, Professionalism, Initiative

A Serious Effort to Align with the Digital Era

The ability to change is becoming synonymous with the ability to survive for all living beings on the planet, including humans. At a time when machines are taking over responsibilities that, until recently, belonged exclusively to humans, we need to strengthen what machines still struggle to replicate: social and human skills. The Human Skills Matrix provides a framework for survival in the fast-paced environment of continuous change that we are experiencing today.

Key Takeaways

At Game Tree, we offer learning experiences beyond the ordinary.

We design and implement customized training programs for corporate executives, leveraging experiential learning and educational gaming.  

You can find more information about our services here.