Just call me a softie  (as in soft-in-the-head.)  I was browsing thru Liz Strauss’ blog “Successful and Outstanding Bloggers” (SOB’s for short) and ran across her 2006 article “10 Skills Critical …” and thought to myself, no way. 

I don’t think I could muster all those skills in a lifetime.  It would be nice, but my brain would have a functional and personality meltdown!  My choice — have Scottie beam me back to 2002 or earlier when I at least thought I knew what was going on.

Take a gander at her list of “required” skills:

1. Deep independent thinking and problem solving.
2. Mental flexibility
3. Fluency with ideas
4. Proficiency with processes and process models
5. Originality of contributions
6. A habit of finding hidden assumptions and niches
7. A bias toward opportunity and action
8. Use all available tools, including the five senses and intuitive perceptions in data collection
9. Energy, enthusiasm and positivity about decision making
10. Self-sustaining productivity

These are the skills she says we’ll need going into the 21st century. 

Ouch!  I knew I had a long way to go, but now I have to get out my dictionary and hit a few wiki’s just to figure out what I don’t know.

Now before you assume this is going to be a bashing article, keep a few things in mind. 

• First, I think Liz is an excellent author and communicator.  I don’t know her personally, but I’ve been reading her blog for the past few months.  And have enjoyed her insights and viewpoints.
• Second, I do NOT consider myself an author, or a writer, and I’m probably a lot less than an “average” communicator.  My claim to fame is being able to use spell check most of the time, and I can fix complicated equipment - usually.  So you have to realize I’m speaking from a “shaky” personality base and working with a really limited skill set.

Here’s my problem.  That list of traits seems like an impossibility.  I don’t know if I would ever be able to conjure up the fortitude I’d need to start developing the skills on the list.  I guess this is really a case of being out gunned when it comes to having a large collection of “mental marbles.”  My sack feels half-empty compared to Liz’s 2-1/2 sacks!

I do know one thing.  If you’re going to accomplish anything, no matter what the area, you have to stay focussed.  So, instead of figuring out what I can do to develop the traits listed above, I’ll stay glued to the projects at hand.  At least that way I won’t feel so out-classed.

Tags: , Liz Strauss, Skills Critical to Your Future