Skills of the Future

The book, The formative five: Fostering grit, empathy, and other success skills every student needs, provides great insight and thoughts on the mindset and skills that one will need to obtain in order to succeed in the future workplace.

So much is changing in the world at such a fast pace that it is hard to keep track of it all. Hoerr believes this is due to the invention of new ways to communicate. The growth of technology has changed and impacted all lives. This has provided many benefits however, it has come at a cost.

The rapid spread of technology has affected so many aspects of the world today ranging from environmental stability to the skill set required for the workplace. Technology is taking over many task-oriented jobs. “Our ability to exert self-control and make wiser choices will become ever more important” (Hoerr, 2017).

“Who you are is more important than what you know” (Hoerr, 2017).

The development of soft skills is more important now than ever. Technology has provided us with the ability to interact with those across the world. It is imminent that we will be interacting with others who are different than we are which is why it is so important to have value empathy and accept others. Who you are as a person and what you value will ultimately lead to success in the future workplace.

Because machines will only continue to take over task-oriented jobs, critical thinking and analyzing problems will be beneficial skills to obtain in the workplace. In addition, creative thinking and decision-making will also be favorable. A machine cannot take these skills away.

Hoerr concludes “that the challenges confronting us require collaborative solutions with people of all kinds working together” (2017). The ability to form effective relationships with those in the workplace and communicate effectively will lead to prosperity.

Hoerr, T. (2017). The formative five: fostering grit, empathy, and other success skills every student needs. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.