Pretty Please With Sugar On Top – Stop Using The Term "Soft Skills"

It is well past time for us to come up with another term for "soft skills". As defined, "soft" means that something is easy or not hard. "Soft skills" are personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively with other people. By contrast, hard skills or technical skills are defined as objective, quantifiable skills gained through training, school, or work experiences. The differentiation between the two emphasizes the importance of "hard skills" and fails to fully capture the critical value of "soft skills". The term "soft" is reductive and minimizes the impact and importance of these skills, which are actually critical for the success of attorneys.

Why does this matter? Words matter, and the way we define these skills has an impact on culture, perception, and training. For new attorneys coming into the workforce, they are placing value on the skills and training they need to develop. When new attorneys hear the term "soft skills", it suggests an inferior