Subject: [IFETS-Discuss] hard and soft skills
phil@computermaster.com
Date: Sun 04 Jun 2000 - 07:57:51 MEST
From: phil@computermaster.com Subject: [IFETS-Discuss] hard and soft skills Date: Sat, 03 Jun 2000 22:57:51 -0700
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Perhaps this might go some way towards clarifying it:
This quote is from Eastern College (Pennsylvania)
"Business management majors at Eastern are provided a solid, balanced
foundation in all the major areas of business, including "hard" skills
(accounting, finance, statistics, operations management) and "soft" skills
(human resource management; leadership; business strategy and policy). "
http://www.eastern.edu/academic/undg/depts/business/management/career.html
Here I think we get closer to the difference. I think when we say "hard" we
mean something that is well-defined and capable of unambiguous testing.
Clearly any technical effort (such as operation of machinery) falls into
this category, but so do unambiguous management processes, such as
accounting. The output from such processes can be predicted based on the
inputs and the rules. "Soft" skills, on the other hand, do not rest on rigid
rule systems or technical operating manuals and we are therefore inclined to
give them "soft" or flexible boundaries within which to judge their
efficacy.
Clearly these terms are general; we occasionally see accounting that is too
creative and leadership that is too rigid.
"-)
Phil
-----Original Message-----
From: kcstarguy@aol.com [mailto:kcstarguy@aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, June 03, 2000 11:27
To: ifets-discuss@topica.com
Subject: [IFETS-Discuss] hard and soft skills
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Details of current discussion:
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These were mentioned
" hard skills we mean skills relating to the operation of any
technology (new or old) (thus: "technical") such as how to use a keyboard or
a pencil,
soft skills we mean skills that involve the manipulation of
ideas e.g. the ability to develop a slogan for a business concept or the
ability to manage people."
I would like to know why the top are "hard" and the bottom are "soft."?
I would like to venture it should be the other way around ?
Dr. Eric Flescher, (KCStarguy@aol.com)- Educational Technology
Consultant-Multimedia- Adjunct Faculty, Lesley College-Technology Magic and
Worlds to Explore-20 plus ways for using the internet for teaching, learning
and education model http://ada.lesley.edu/faculty/flescher/team1.htm
Dr. Eric Flescher (KCStarguy@aol.com) Project S.I.M. (Simulations,
Interdisciplinary internet and Metacognitive activities)
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