We place way too much emphasis on qualifications over uniquely human skills in our workplaces.
Modern workplaces require people who, amongst other things, can collaborate, listen, understand, develop interpersonal trust, empathise, mediate and problem solve. An extensive list!
If we are going to build a better world through business it is the human skills that will contribute to building great workplace cultures.
For too long, these valuable skills have been devalued by employers and within education systems around the world. The phrase ‘soft skills’ has not helped in this cause at all by leaders who too often are judged on hard financial metrics as the only measure of success.
Ultimately what is best for people is what is best for business. We need to adapt to a new mindset and way of thinking to build the truly sustainable cultures for our organisations to flourish.
For this reason, I’d have the teaching of emotional intelligence and coaching as mandatory in school curricula across the world. We need to focus on individual character and not just qualifications. They are instrumental skills for the workplaces of the future and for building more cohesive societies.
