Skillsets

Learning how to learn is life's most important skill. 

- Tony Buzan

A skill is an ability or competence you learn. Strengths are skills and talents you have grown to a higher level through lots of practice.  Educators sometimes emphasize the critical skills as “hard skills” -- a functional or technical ability.  Educators and employers increasingly recognize soft skills are critical for success in the workplace and in life. There are many “soft skills” that help get things done in relationship with other people. Among others, soft skills include Adaptability, Communication, Creativity and Design Thinking, Dependability, Discipline, Motivation, Negotiations, Teamwork, Negotiations, and Work Ethic.

Class Resources

How to Build New Skills

From the Harvard Business Review: “We all want to be better at something. After all, self-improvement is necessary to getting ahead at work. But once you know what you want to be better at — be it public speaking, using social media, or analyzing data — how do you start? Of course, learning techniques will vary depending on the skill and the person, but there are some general rules you can follow.”

How to Learn Anything

Josh Kaufman specializes in teaching people from all walks of life how to master practical knowledge and skills. In his talk, he shares how having his first child inspired him to approach learning in a whole new way.