One of Hadfield’s colleagues, Bob Thirsk, spoke of the need for an ISS commander to be aware of the well-being of each of his five crewmates. Thirsk expressed his belief that the “soft skills” are more important than the operational skills.
Cory Gray, Grande Yellowhead Public School Division superintendent, also made mention of “soft skills” and the importance of their development in public schools, in an address to the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce this week.
Soft skills are those qualities that aren’t generally covered in textbooks. They determine how we react to and communicate with our colleagues and supervisors. They are those skills that allow employees to negotiate and resolve conflicts, develop teamwork, solve problems creatively or even effectively sell a product. They are interpersonal skills that allow for an office to run smoothly and interact effectively regardless of personal feelings or desires.
Gray mentioned a growing deficit of soft skills among young people today. Partly to blame is the Internet age, where young people find themselves interacting with peers via computer rather than face-to-face. There is also a trend for post-secondary students to concentrate on the hard technical skills of their profession, without valuing interpersonal skills. While technical skills are certainly important, the ability to negotiate and creatively solve problems as a team are valuable skills that many employers look for today.
Interacting via computer text or Facebook posts have some obvious limitations. While emoticons and Internet slang can display superficial emotions they are often deceptive or untruthful. Only through face-to-face interaction can a person determine the true emotional state of someone they are talking to. For centuries this has allowed humans to read between the lines of speech, determine intentions or even detect deception. However, while we have this ability naturally, like all skills, it requires practice to perfect and understand.
Having superior technical skills is very important and valuable. However, these skills alone have limits and if they are not effectively fused with soft skills the result is often limitations in personal growth as well as frequent interpersonal conflicts in the work environment.
After 20 years, Hadfield has earned his command, a position he considers the pinnacle of his career. Career building requires the ability to develop different skillsets, particularly those that create effective communication and interaction.
Today’s youth would be wise to consider and learn the valuable soft skills that put leaders like Hadfield in command of an orbiting spacecraft.
