Learning to Balance Technology and Soft Skills

Is technology making us smarter, or stunting our emotional intelligence? It’s not an easy question to answer. Our handheld devices give us access to a seemingly infinite database of information. Children are learning how to interact with Artificial Intelligence (AI), students are learning how to program, and the workforce is shifting towards automation.

Technology has become so vital to the world we live in that it’s hard to imagine life without it. Going a full hour without a smartphone, tablet, computer, or smart assistant just doesn’t happen. In fact, the thought of disconnecting from our devices doesn’t make us feel free – it makes us feel anxious.

In academic and professional environments, we stress how important it is to learn STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math). But life is much larger than a series of equations that can be solved by information and statistics. If you really want to excel in your personal and professional life, you also need to build your soft skills.

What are Soft Skills?

Soft skills are at the core of our human nature. They dictate the way we communicate, respond to difficult situations, and manage our relationships. Some examples of soft skills include:

• Critical thinking
• Communication
• Collaboration and team building
• Leadership
• Problem Solving
• Personal Responsibility

There is power in numbers. Technology has expanded our information networks, but it has reduced the need to be around and interact with other people. Although the quantity of our conversations and relationships is on the rise, the quality of our interactions is dwindling.

Technology Can’t Solve Everything

Imagine that you and your colleagues are having a disagreement at work. You’ve found a way to modernize the office work flow that will save everyone time and energy. You’ve embraced this technology and are ready to take the next step, but your colleagues aren’t too keen on the idea of changing the way it’s always been. Sound familiar?

Pitching your team on the perks of technology won’t make a difference unless you know how to communicate with them. To get them on your side, you need to apply your soft skills: empathize with their needs, make sure everyone has a voice, and most importantly: be patient. No matter how simple or practical an idea or practice might seem, remember that being a digital native is a relatively new dynamic in the business world.

Alternatively, imagine that you’re so tech-savvy that you’ve scored a job working from home. You’ve got all the know-how to run a one-man operation from behind your computer screen. When it’s time to get yourself out there and promote your business, you’re having trouble connecting to your target market. In this situation, having an exceptional product or service and the flexibility to communicate from anywhere isn’t enough. You need to have an empathetic personality and strong social skills to grow and retain your customer base. Technology distracts us from one of our basic human needs: establishing emotional connections.   

Balancing the Virtual with the Genuine

In reality, most of the people going to college or entering the workforce are already digital natives. Technology is only a weakness when we let it consume us – it reduces the need for us to nurture our interpersonal relationships.  

Learning how to use technology and apply it to our daily lives is crucial, but it’s not an all-encompassing solution to our personal development. Soft skills are equally as important to individual growth and productivity.

Case and point: we need to learn to balance the virtual with the genuine. We cannot let our dependence on technology take away the very characteristics that make us human. True success is the result of finding synergy between our soft skills and technological capabilities.