In a nutshell, and in comparison to hard skills, I would say that while hard skills enable us to understand and technically perform our work, soft skills are what make it possible to collaborate and work efficiently as a team.
Both are essential. The good news is that they can be learned and developed; the not-so-good news is that if soft skills are not practised consistently, they lose their value.
Soft skills are what enable us to work efficiently in a team, communicate clearly, collaborate, seek solutions and resolve conflicts.
What are their main characteristics?
I may be simplifying the answer again, but I would say that soft skills are those that help us to get to know ourselves better and contribute positively to the group.
While hard skills depend on acquired technical knowledge, soft skills are developed through practice, experience and interaction with others.
What examples are there?
I have always been interested in and drawn to the subject of evolution and the idea that it is not the strongest species that survives, but the one that best adapts, as Darwin postulated. This concept not only applies to nature, but can also be applied to our society and our businesses.
Understanding this idea teaches us to relate to each other more efficiently: to communicate clearly, to accept change, to lead with generosity, to seek collective solutions and to cultivate empathy, creativity and integrity. All these qualities are good examples of soft skills and, without us realising it, they sustain the harmony of groups, just as in a well-coordinated orchestra.
In any case, if I had to choose a starting point, it would be curiosity. It is the spark that awakens questions and opens the way to analysis. From it comes the impulse to find simple and effective solutions, true to the spirit of Ockham’s razor, which reminds us that, in the face of complexity, the simplest option is often the most appropriate.
Thanks to curiosity, we have people who make a difference. They are the ones who ask relevant questions and, thanks to experience and intuition, are able to anticipate risks and foresee scenarios.
Why are they so important?
Soft skills act as the glue that holds the group together, the catalyst for good times, the source of ideas and the engine that enables difficult conflicts to be resolved.
Used well, they make the difference between a good job and an excellent one.
A simple example of good use is the so-called “Scheherazade effect”, the ability to capture attention and arouse interest through storytelling. It is a skill that can be learned. However, if it is used only for personal gain, without seeking the good of the team or contributing solutions, and only to get through another day without real involvement, it ends up creating problems: it weakens the team, damages projects and harms the organisation.
How do they differ from hard skills?
Hard skills are the technical and specific competencies required to perform the duties of a job.
Soft skills, on the other hand, are cross-cutting and can be applied in virtually any role or professional context.
How do they complement each other?
A study conducted by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation and the Stanford Research Centre indicates that nearly 85% of professional success is due to soft skills, a conclusion that was already reflected in a landmark analysis more than a century ago.
Fifteen per cent of hard skills are absolutely necessary, and 85% of soft skills are what give you value.
Throughout my professional life, I have participated in numerous projects and performed a wide variety of roles. My best experiences and most satisfying results have always come from teams made up of professionals of different ages and with very diverse backgrounds: philologists, psychologists, biologists, mathematicians, chemists, physicists, engineers, computer scientists, lawyers, economists and specialists in vocational training disciplines, among many other fields. This diversity allows us to view challenges from multiple perspectives and has been key to tackling complex technical projects and digital transformations.
When I have seen teams or initiatives fail to meet initial expectations, one of the causes that needs to be reviewed is always the same: a lack of soft skills for collaborating, communicating and working as a team.
To what extent does the impact of new technologies affect soft skills?
New technologies offer us valuable tools for putting some soft skills into practice. Applications for organising tasks, managing breaks using the Pomodoro technique or improving our work habits, important to our company.
With new technologies, we can train ourselves independently at any time: from corporate platforms to open courses and informative content focused on developing soft skills.
In a time of rapid change driven by artificial intelligence, we have models that can guide us, give us feedback, and help us practise these skills. A simple exercise is to use your favourite AI to set a context, present a problem, and ask it to respond using the different coloured hats from Edward de Bono’s technique. I’m sure you’ll be surprised. Even so, the final decision on how to act in each context always rests with us.
And now we have intelligent agents: assistants capable of executing tasks, analysing scenarios and supporting decision-making. They will be important allies in the correct application of soft skills, from managing situations with customers to mediating internal conflicts. Technology is advancing, but its true value depends on how we use it.
