14.05.2024

WHAT ARE THE META SKILLS THAT COMPANIES LOOK FOR IN THEIR EMPLOYEES

"Technology is literally creating new jobs, eliminating others, changing the nature of work and the nature of jobs as we know them. The future is becoming more unpredictable and creating an ever-increasing environment of uncertainty and anxiety among workers." This was said by Svetlana Doncheva - director of the Center for Project Management at the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) to the participants in the "Time for Update" conference.

"It is becoming increasingly clear that the main characteristic of the labor market will be its constant change, and lifelong learning - a basic principle for adaptation and professional development. And this is exactly where the role of meta skills comes in, as the key to a more successful future. Many consider these to be the only sure-fire skills of the future because they are the skills that enhance a person's ability to develop by learning and quickly applying new knowledge. Through meta skills we can develop, learn and apply other skills. And what we can say for sure is that learning becomes a permanent part of the work process. Unfortunately, these are skills that are often undervalued by both employees and employers. Very often, meta skills are equated to the so-called soft skills, for which each of us writes a word or two about them at the end of our CV.

The general perception of soft and meta skills is that they are something that accompanies the core, most important technical professional skills and are rather aspirational in nature. You will hardly find them in the curricula either. It is believed that because they are associated with human behavior and reflect psychological states and attitudes, they are something you either have or don't have, Doncheva explained.

According to her, this is not true. These are skills that can be built and developed just as successfully as any other skill. It is also true that in the coming time of revolutionary changes in business, they will be one of the most sought after. Because they will contribute to faster adaptation, faster learning of new skills and professional development.

She cites a prediction by futurist Alvin Toffler, who in 1970 predicted, "The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and learn again."

The expert points out which meta skills are most in demand

First of all, it is the ability to know each other well.

Knowing ourselves means having a very clear picture of our current abilities and skills, but also of our deficits and limitations. The ability to self-observe, to be self-critical is key to mastering this skill. Empathy is also a key skill on the path to self-knowledge. In this case, by empathy we mean the ability to accept with gratitude and respect the negative feedback we receive from others, and this is difficult. It is difficult to accept criticism as something other than insult, aggression, hurt, hostility. But it is the ability to accept it coolly, to separate it from personal feelings and draw conclusions for yourself, that will bring you closer to better self-knowledge.

A classic example of the lack of ability to assess the situation soberly is the popular comment of the head of Microsoft Steve Ballmer from the time when Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone. Laughing, he says it's the world's most expensive phone that doesn't even have a keyboard, making it completely unsuitable for business. A replica that evaporates billions in revenue for Microsoft. An example is that when you do not have a clear view of the situation, you fail to adapt to change. The same challenge will stand not only before the companies, but also before us - the workers, on our way forward.

Of course, the meaning of self-knowledge is to give ourselves a clear idea of where we are, but also where we want to go. And here comes the turn of the second very important meta skill – setting and achieving specific goals in one's professional development. This will allow us to be aware of the change we need to initiate in order to adapt to the new situation.

In order to achieve change faster, it is necessary to be flexible, creative and sustainable.

Flexibility will provide us with the ease of abandoning skills that are no longer needed and the willingness to replace them with new ones. A calculator is a convenient way to do simple calculations, but if we throw it in the trash and concentrate on our Excel skills, we will work faster and more efficiently.

Being creative doesn't just mean coming up with new and unique ideas, it means being able to come up with solutions to old and new problems. At the core of this skill is actually analytical thinking – being able to analyze the different aspects of a problem and thus generate ideas, identify obstacles, take action. Being creative also means having the courage to do things that no one else has done. Courage, of course, goes with the belief that you are on the right path.

And here comes the next skill – resilience. Resilience as perseverance and endurance - qualities that will help us in difficult situations, in cases where we have failed. For me, this is the most important skill.

In conclusion, she points out that a cardinal change of mindset is needed. We all have to go through this change and face a different future in which we will have to be more responsible to ourselves, to the decisions we make, and to be aware that refusing to change, staying in the comfort zone will lead to inevitable marginalization of the labor market, to occupying low-paid positions, to poverty. And that will be our conscious choice. The opposite will guarantee us swimming on the crest of the wave, believes Svetlana Doncheva.