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Stand Out
Book

Stand Out

5 Key Skills to Advance Your Career

Debra Stevens
Pearson Education Limited, 2021
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Eye Opening
  • Well Structured

Recommendation

The robots aren’t coming – they’re already here. In an increasingly automated world of work, how can you stand out? Soft skills training expert Debra Stevens says the answers lie in developing the qualities and capabilities that make you human. Stevens offers valuable insights into the neglected – but much-needed – skills of engaging with people, listening, empathizing, collaborating and inspiring. A full half of the book comprises a practical five-week program to start developing these capabilities. Stevens’s writing style is breezy and approachable; you’ll read the book in an afternoon. Building the skills will take a lot longer, but the author offers plenty of online resources to assist.

Summary

To stand out in the automated workplace of the future, you’ll need uniquely human skills.

The rise of automation is unexpectedly bringing human skills to the fore. Machines can’t do everything – they can’t truly listen, engage with people or collaborate, and they lack the ability to empathize or inspire. And as automation takes over the mundane tasks that humans currently perform, it creates opportunities and entirely new jobs focusing on uniquely human capacities and skills. In the automated future, both work and customer experience could become more enjoyable. For example, nurses and doctors will gain time to listen to patients’ stories, and teachers will be able to attend to individual students’ unique needs. This shift is already taking place across all areas of work.

After decades of prioritizing technical skills, employers are now clamoring for the capabilities that only humans can bring. And as recruiters increasingly seek candidates who possess these uniquely human skills, they’re having trouble finding them. These skills have atrophied in many people, due to the modern world’s social isolation and overreliance on technology...

About the Author

Debra Stevens is the founder of Dramatic Training Solutions, specializing in communication, behavior, leadership and other soft skills. She is also the author of Brilliant Customer Service.

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