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One morning, a factory manager decided to motivate his team with the charm of a drill sergeant on a bad day. He stood before his employees, arms crossed and declared with absolute certainty:
“If you don’t start working harder, I’ll find people who will!”
Silence. Crickets. You could hear a paperclip drop. Then, from the back of the group, one fearless employee casually raised a hand and said:
“Oh, perfect! My cousin’s been looking for a job. Want me to send you his résumé?”
Half the team burst out laughing. The other half quietly Googled “jobs that don’t involve terrifying morning meetings.” If only the manager had taken a soft skills course, he might have learned that inspiration works better than intimidation—and that threats are a terrible substitute for leadership.
What are soft skills and why do they matter?
As technology becomes as omnipresent as bad Wi-Fi at coffee shops, the demand for soft skills training is skyrocketing.
During my Level Up Leadership seminar workshops, HR professionals often share a familiar tale. They tell me:
“It took forever to convince the higher-ups that our managers needed this training. But after much persistence, we finally got the budget approved!”
I smile knowingly and reply:
“In all my years of leadership training, that struggle has been a universal truth for HR professionals. But hey, you’re here now, and that’s what matters!”
Two key reasons for the hesitation to invest in soft skills training are rooted in metrics and mindset.
Reason #1: The numbers game
If the budget request lands on the desk of an analytical, task-driven executive who speaks fluent “ROI,” soft skills training can feel like trying to sell them on the value of a hug–it’s just not quantifiable enough for their taste.
Post-training surveys might be full of glowing, reflective feedback like:
“This training opened my eyes to opportunities I hadn’t explored.”
“I’ve realized my weaknesses and now see where I need to grow.”
While this is music to an HR professional’s ears, it’s noise to the number-crunching executives who want hard data. They want charts, graphs and something resembling a revenue spike. But soft skills training is more like planting seeds. The results–better communication, improved teamwork and reduced attrition–take time to grow and are tricky to measure in a pie chart.
Reason #2: The “soft” problem
Then there’s the old-school, hard-nosed manager who hears “soft skills” and immediately tunes out. For them, anything labeled “soft” sounds, well, weak. They’re the kind of leaders who think their teams need more “hard-ass” (pardon my language) discipline, not this “soft” fluff about empathy and active listening.
These managers often cling to a command-and-control approach, barking orders like they’re auditioning for a military drama. And then they wonder why their top performers leave faster than donuts at a morning meeting.
To be fair, I get it. “Soft” doesn’t exactly scream strength, does it? Comparing “soft skills” to something like “Black Belt Six Sigma” is no contest. One sounds like a karate master; the other sounds like a yoga retreat.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills refer to personal attributes that shape how we interact with others and manage work and life situations. Soft skills are less tangible than hard skills, which are technical and task-specific (like coding or accounting). They encompass traits like communication, adaptability, leadership and emotional intelligence, influencing everything from teamwork to conflict resolution.
The reality: Soft is the new hard
Here’s the irony: soft skills are anything but weak in their impact. They’re the backbone of high-performing teams and thriving workplaces. They’re what make leaders approachable, colleagues collaborative and businesses resilient.
Investing in soft skills is about future-proofing your organization. Sure, the results may not come gift-wrapped in instant ROI metrics, but they show up in happier employees, stronger leaders, and lower attrition rates. And if those “old-school” managers could attend a session or two, they might even admit (begrudgingly) that it works.
So, the next time someone hesitates to approve the budget for soft skills training, remind them of this: while technology may automate tasks, soft skills drive connection, innovation and long-term success. And that’s a skill set no machine can replicate.
And hey, if calling it “soft” is the problem, let’s rebrand it. How about Essential Leadership Skills? Or better yet, The Secret Sauce for Workplace Success? Whatever it takes to get it past the budget gatekeepers!
Francis Kong will run his highly acclaimed Level Up Leadership - The Next Edge but strictly for forty participants. This whole-day event will happen on Feb. 25, 2025, at the Rockwell Club Function Rooms. For inquiries and reservations, contact Sylene Alonzo at +0976-638-8974 or Savee at 0917-533-6817. For more information, visit www.levelupleadership.ph.
