The 20 Most Important Skills Everyone Needs To Succeed In A Digital World

Technology is changing our world to such an extent that the majority of children in school today will do jobs that don’t yet exist. And even for those of us already in the workforce, the jobs that we do will undoubtedly change – many will evolve, many will become obsolete, and many new jobs will emerge.

So, when we think about the essential skills for workplace success, we need to consider not just the jobs that exist today, but the sorts of jobs that may exist in the future. In a world in which more and more jobs (and parts of jobs) are given over to machines.

That said, you might be surprised by some of these essential skills for success. In this brave new digital world, essential skills will lean much more towards softer skills than you might think. Certainly, we will all need to be comfortable working with digital tools – but the overwhelming majority of in-demand skills will be soft skills. The things that machines can’t do, basically.

Based on my book Future Skills: The 20 Skills and Competencies Everyone Needs to Succeed in a Digital World, here are the 20 skills that I believe will be essential for success in a digital world.

This encompasses the digital skills needed to learn, work, and navigate everyday life in our digital world. So, we’re talking about things like using devices, software, and apps with confidence; communicating and collaborating via digital tools; handling data in an appropriate and safe way; keeping abreast of new technologies; and staying safe online.

No doubt about it, data is now a prized business asset, which means organizations of all kinds will want to employ data-literate individuals. In an average business context, data literacy means being able to access appropriate data; work with data confidently (creating/gathering data, keeping it up to date, etc.); extract meaning from data; and communicate those data-based insights to others. It’s also important to question the integrity and validity of any data you’re working with, rather than blindly following data.

This spans the huge variety of “hard” skills that are necessary for many jobs. If you’re an accountant, for example, your professional accountancy skills are technical skills. The same goes for a plumber, nurse, truck driver, lawyer, teacher, hair stylist, project manager, carpenter, software developer, and so on. Whatever the technical skills required in your field, invest in keeping those skills up to date.

Essentially, this means being aware of the dangers of being online or using digital devices – think hacking, phishing, privacy violations, cyberbullying, digital addiction, etc. – and having the tools to keep yourself (and your organization) safe.

In this era of fake news, social media bubbles, and information overload, critical thinking is right up there as one of the most vital soft skills to cultivate for success. To think critically is to think objectively, i.e., to analyze issues or situations based on evidence (rather than personal opinions, biases, etc.). Only then can you build a thorough understanding of what’s really going on and, in turn, make better decisions. This brings me to…

The world is now so fast-paced, requiring us to think and act faster than ever, and we have more information than ever before, making us prone to information overload. All of which complicates our ability to make good decisions. That’s why we must invest in our decision-making skills. For me, this also includes recognizing the impact that personal preferences, values, and beliefs have on judgment.

So long as there are humans in the workplace and human-to-human relationships, we will always need emotional intelligence and empathy. Emotional intelligence is the ability to be aware of, express, and control our emotions. An emotionally intelligent person is aware that their emotions influence their behavior and impact those around them and is able to manage those emotions accordingly.