Abstract
According to FM 3-22 soft skills “build on the hard skills of Soldiers and contribute to the methods of teaching, coaching, and advising.” This paper will explore the difference between soft and hard skills and familiarize the reader with the concept of soft skills both in the Army and civilian life. It will outline the importance the Army places on soft skills through resilience training, equal opportunity training, and performance enhancement training, and it will discuss the effects soft skills have on the ability of leaders to achieve mission accomplishment and improve effectiveness. It will explore the repercussions of ignoring soft skills and how that translates in real world events.
Achieving Mission Success Through the Use of Soft Skills
Nearly every person on Earth uses some form of soft skill on a daily basis, both intentionally and unintentionally. How and when we use these skills can effect nearly every aspect of our lives, from how we accomplish tasks to our relationships at work and at home. I intend to show that using soft skills is not only valued by the Army, but that the Army has developed programs that focus on helping Soldiers and Leaders develop soft skills because the Army recognizes that the use of Soft Skills is vital to mission accomplishment in multiple domains.
Soft Skills Verses Hard Skills
Hard Skills
Hard skills are defined by the Army as “foundational skills upon which basic competencies are based”. Hard skills are tangible. Hard skills produce results. There is evidence of hard skills, they are the things you know how to do. They encompass tasks from starting an IV to typing to firing a weapon. Hard skills are what most people think of when we say someone is skilled at something. Outside the Army you would have a difficult time finding a definition of hard skills. The closest you will get is simply the word skill. It means “the ability to do something well; expertise” or “A...