by Paula Quinsee
A recent Harvard Business Review article highlights a study indicating that 10% of U.S. jobs will be automated this year, with predictions that nearly half of all U.S. jobs could face automation within the next decade. Jobs most susceptible to automation are those involving repetitive and routine tasks, such as reading X-rays, truck driving, and stocking warehouses.
The Rising Importance of Soft Skills
As automation advances, employers are increasingly valuing candidates with "soft skills" like adaptive learning, good decision-making, and teamwork. These are inherently human skills that are difficult to automate. It would make sense that our education system focus not only on how people interact with technology (e.g. IT and coding skills), but also on developing skills that technology cannot easily replace - soft skills are the skills that will keep humans ahead of robots.
The Soft Skill of Emotion in Human Connection and Communication
Emotion is a critical component of human interaction and communication, influencing nonverbal cues and empathy. It interacts with our decision-making processes and plays a vital role in critical thinking, creative problem-solving, effective communication, adaptive learning, and sound judgment.
93% of employers reported that a candidate's ability to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than their qualifications, and as a result are seeking candidates who can learn adaptively, make good decisions, and work well with others.
Soft Skills Are a Key Factor To Building Trust in the Workplace
Human interaction, connection and communication goes a long way to building trust in the workplace and hinges on three key elements:
Competence: Do they know what they are doing, or can they figure it out if they don’t? (self-awareness, self-development)
Character: Do they have integrity? (how are they showing up)
Caring: Do others matter to them? (can they relate to others)
By focusing on these key areas, both employers and employees will thrive in a world that is increasingly becoming automated through technology and AI.
If you are not familiar with Patrick Lencioni's book "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" it's worth a read - he lists lack of trust as one of the 5 key factors that contributes to causing dysfunctional teams.
Staying ahead of the curve by prioritising the development of your soft skills and building trust within your teams, will ensure that together, you can navigate the future of work with confidence.
Looking for some solutions for your organisation or team? Get in touch, we would love to have a chat and explore how we can help you solve for this.
Paula Quinsee is the Founder of Engaged Humans, facilitating connection between individuals and organisations. She is a certified Imago Relationship Therapy Educator and Facilitator, NLP Practitioner, PDA Analyst, Coach and Trainer. Paula is also the author of 2 self-help guides: Embracing Conflict and Embracing No as well as an international speaker, advocate for mental health and activist for gender-based violence. For more info: www.engagedhumans.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulaquinsee/
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