4 Human Skills that will be Valuable in the Future
Technology can never replace them
The mainstream media loves to shower doom and gloom stories on us about how technology will render humans useless one day. They describe a future world where robots will be performing all tasks and possibly even making all decisions after the singularity.
But I got news for them.
The basic skills that humans can provide are not only irreplaceable; they are exclusive — and no machine can ever mimic them. After all, didn’t humans create the technology, to begin with?
Whenever feeling discouraged by our place in this technologically driven world in which we find ourselves, just a simple reminder is needed regarding the powerful human skills we possess.
These 4 human skills have always been valuable and are sought after by smart employers — and they always will.
Problem Solving
The ability to solve the everyday problems in any organization is the most cherished skill in the world today — bar none. Please do yourself a favor and read that sentence again and etch it permanently into your brain.
When you have a reputation for making problems disappear, everyone forgets about your education level, your gender, your race, or anything else about you. Because in most cases, your value surpasses any prejudices that superiors may have of you.
However, you must realize that their prejudices will exist until they realize your value.
To be considered as a problem solver, it takes time to be recognized as such. Until the reputation is earned, volunteer yourself to help whenever problems arise. You will automatically stand out because most people run away from problems.
Communication
Yes, we hear all the time about the importance of communication. Yet given that fact, why do so many of us still suck as communicators?
Skilled communicators know that humility plays a huge role in effective communication. The first act of humility is that we must spend more time listening. Good communication requires precision, and that can only come from attentive listening.
When the other person speaks, we should devote our mental energy to hearing their story, not to what we plan on saying next. Nothing kills communication quicker than a mismatched response to someone — they will tune us out every time.
Written communication is equally important — especially in today’s world of reports and emails. The written word also requires humility. The golden rule of writing is understanding that other people really do not want to read your reports and emails.
Therefore, we need to accommodate our readers by making our documents easier to read. Using bullets to emphasize important takeaways and headers to allow skimmers to consume our words will go a long way with those who read our written words.
Adaptability
Too many of us want to cling to a world that doesn’t change. The flip side of living in a society with all these wonderful gadgets of comfort and technology is that it’s all driven by change. There’s no getting around that fact.
Rather than bitch about it, we are better served to adapt and help others to do the same. Busted schedules, budgets, and operating plans are perhaps becoming more normal than routine these days.
Whenever you are unwilling to adapt, your superiors begin excluding you from important projects. And guess who gets replaced first when budgets get slashed in the future?
Like problem-solving, adaptability requires a certain attitude. Problem-solving requires a willingness to help; adaptability requires the willingness to roll with punches and change your focus when needed. Believe me, managers love people who can adapt to changing situations and, more importantly, are willing to adapt.
Innovation and Imagination
Employers highly value the ability to think outside the box and provide a unique vision. The good news is that, like any other skill, innovation can be learned and improved.
Many of us tend to think that we aren’t creative or have no imagination, but this is not true. Every one of us has a certain degree of innovation. But we must understand that our powers of innovation will vary from one arena to another.
We may be more innovative about organizing our office than designing a banner for an advertising campaign. Admittedly, sometimes we work in a field where creativity isn’t our strongest suit, but we can still improve.
Creativity and generating ideas is something we must be willing to give away. Understand that there will always be others who want to take credit for your good ideas. Do not let yourself get caught in the politics of innovation, if it occurs, it will only hamper your future ideas.
