Created a life filled with magical moments. I have always been open to experiences that challenge our senses and prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the real world is a distraction. For example, I was in China visiting the Forbidden Palace and saw a very tall floating Buddha, my two local guides did not see him! I did. I was zapped with one look from this guy and it changed my energy permanently. And no, I wasn’t drinking or smoking anything! LOL!

Having a soft skills curriculum in place should be a simple decision for organizations, and many think that they already have a good one. However, I bring a human development perspective to the discussion and 35+ years in the field. First, here’s what I consider to be some simple organizational truths, some may even say common sense!

In today’s world of constantly evolving information technologies, most companies are willing to invest more heavily in their Information Technology (IT) function. And well they should! IT has repeatedly demonstrated that it can have a wondrous effect on a company’s productivity, ability to serve customers, and cost efficiency. A successful IT organization can deliver significant competitive advantages.

In 2019, 6.6% of Fortune 500 CEOs were women; as of 2021, that number has grown a whopping 2.6% to 8.2%. Women make up 27% of the 117th Congress, which is up 50% from the last decade. The S&P has improved the most, with women moving from 25% to 30% of positions on BoDs.

Why do so many people, even people who are great at their jobs, experience so much frustration and defeat at work? Often it is because they find themselves in situations where soft skills are essential, yet they lack a clear strategy.

Covid-19 turned millions of employees into remote workers in what seemed like a nanosecond. Many managers started to wonder if their staff were really working or enjoying bon-bons while watching a binge-worthy series on Netflix.

Many believe that the term soft skills needs to be changed as it is a misnomer – soft is associated with femininity and weakness. Some renaming suggestions thus far include power, human, people, communication, and emotional intelligence. While we understand the concern, we believe that adding the word “strategic” provides that edge that many feel is missing from the term.