Language helps us to identify common traits, and also to define them. Sometimes, however, the very language of identification can lead to flawed thinking - and this could be the case when it comes to our thinking about 'soft' vs 'hard' skills, despite the essential need and value of so-called 'soft skills' for business.
Today, to dispel any doubt on the value of 'soft skills' to any business and also to inspire a generation looking to a future in productive employment, a cross industry coalition in the United Kingdom is leading a call for action on such skills. Research from Development Economics reveals they can also add 15% to an individual's lifetime earnings.
In a bid to define these skills, communication, teamwork and time management come under the heading of 'soft.'
To put them in context, a piece this week in the Financial Times, says:"'hard' skills, may, for example, 'include understanding foreign currencies and capital markets' while soft skills could be the ones "that enable a student to empathise with a local culture."
Surely, it is not hard to see an innate bias there within the labels 'hard' and 'soft'?
But, also as part of the above mentioned Meet The Dean series, the FT quotes Doug Schakelford, Dean of Kenan-Flager Business School as saying: “The hardest thing to teach is how to be sensitive, reflective. It is getting people to say that if they are in a new environment, they need to understand how the people work there.” He sees it as the remit of the business school to teach not only the 'hard', but also the 'soft' skills.
Today's report published in the U.K was commissioned by McDonald's UK. It follows a three-month cross industry consultation which included the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) , the National Youth Agency, Pearson plc (which coincidentally owns the Financial Times) and National Grid. It has been backed by the entrepreneur James Caan.
The CBI today also announced that its next Director General would be Carolyn Fairbairn, delighting gender diversity watchers and arguably striking a blow for 'soft' as well as 'hard' skills at the very top of business. This is not the time or the place to make the argument, but there is certainly one to be made on the link between gender diversity and a growing acceptance of the importance of such skills to any business.
Coming back to today's report, Richard Forte, COO McDonald's UK & Northern Europe, tells me today: "We are calling for a wholesale re-evaluation of soft skills. In the U.K.we just don't value them. At McDonald's, we call them vital skills: around decision making, accountability, responsibility and management."
"Economic conditions mean today's business environment is more competitive than ever, and we need people with the right skills to stay ahead of the widening productivity gap" says James Caan, getting to the heart of the problem.
The 'prize' for the use of such skills is "worth more than £109 billion ($171 billion) to the UK economy by 2020" he adds.
One could say: No wonder the U.K government and industry is keen to promote women in business.
But, flippancy aside, the McDonald's sponsored report Backing Soft Skills is essential reading, particularly as its recommendations move forward in a bid to involve civil society via the education sector, voluntary and youth groups.
It calls for soft skills to be embedded into curricular and extra-currricular activities, those involving teamwork and communication, for links between business, youth and the education sector to be improved, and for government departments to 'join up' more to recognize and value these skills.
This is an issue that is not restricted to the U.K alone - but resonates across the globe, calling for corporate leadership.
Mr Forte tells me: "We are very excited about where we have got to in raising the profile of soft skills and their importance -and next we value the views of academic institutions on any bid to develop the framework."
