In today's article we will look at the most important lessons we learned about soft skills from the researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Managers must be able to define problems
While critical thinking, collaboration and problem solving is part of almost any job, managers are most successful if they can identify the problems they face with their teams. The definition of a problem should include five elements:
- a reference to something that is vital to the company, and a connection to a clear goal of the company,
- a clearly defined distinction between the current state and the goal,
- measurable goals,
- neutral approach to causes and solutions,
- achievable range.
Millenials are lagging behind in soft skills
While they usually aren't lacking technical expertise and skills, their ability to communicate and solve problems is worse. The return on investment in soft skills training for the youngest generation of employees can triple costs, according to the MIT calculations. However, the training must be closely linked to needs of the employers.
Soft skills can help overcome socio-economic differences
The economic problem of today is not the lack of work or people, but the ability to find the right people for the right jobs. The solution can be to teach critical thinking instead of traditional memorization. That will require cooperation between companies, governments and educational institutions.
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