When I think of vintage, I think of something timeless and valuable. My brother-in-law has taken an old 1964 Cordini and restored it to its true essence. To see the original colors and trim is a sight to behold. What was once ‘ordinary and everyday’ has now become valuable, beautiful, and in high demand.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word vintage is defined as: “Denoting something from the past of high quality and lasting value.” When we talk about vintage “Future Skills,” we’re referring to the skills that our parents and their parents took for granted. These were skills that were considered ordinary and everyday. They were learned, practiced, and developed from a young age, often without anyone being consciously aware of it. They were the cultural norm and standard of the day. From my perspective, Future Skills are a return to the skills of the past. They are timeless skills—skills that allow us to interact and engage with other people effectively.
According to the World Economic Forum [2], 10 of the top 16 skills needed for the future are going to be soft skills—skills like communication, social and cultural awareness, persistence, and grit. Some of these skills are “vintage” by nature and came naturally to those before us. Unfortunately, people intentionally developing these skills are few and far between. A generation is entering the marketplace that struggles to connect and communicate effectively, lacks social awareness, patience, endurance, and grit. Unless we purposefully engage in restoring these skills, we will face a significant dilemma in both the workplace and society.
There are many ‘vintage’ Future Skills we could explore, but we have chosen a handful that we feel, based on research and life experience, are crucially important. Over the next few weeks, starting with the topic of Identity Formation, we will begin to unpack the following Future Skills:
- Identity Formation
- Self-management
- Emotional Intelligence
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Adaptability
- Collaboration
People who intentionally develop these Future Skills will become more valuable and in high demand.
If you’re looking for more information on how you and your team can develop these much needed future skills please feel free to reach out to us.
