Essential Skills That Must Be Developed for the 21st Century

The 21st century is the age of swift changes, new technologies and innovations. These changes affect every aspect of our life, and the workplace is not an exception. Together with changing workplace, the needs for skills that are necessary for success are changing as well and are different from those needed in the 20th century. According to the collaborative report "Are They Really Ready to Work?", the most important skills that are needed in the 21st century are oral and written communications, critical thinking and problem solving, teamwork and collaboration" (Casner-Lotto and Benner, 253).

One of the most essential factors of success is communication. The ability to communicate effectively through speaking as well as in writing is highly valued and demanded in business. It is important to be an effective and compelling communicator and be able to express thoughts clearly. The better your communication skills are, the better the impression you will make on the people. To climb the ladder of success, every person should work at improving his or her communication abilities.

Business world is full of problems to be solved and decisions to be made; that is where critical thinking and problem solving are needed the most. People who think critically "exercise sound reasoning and analytical thinking, use knowledge, facts, and data to solve workplace problems" (Casner-Lotto and Benner, 259). Not every person is able to solve the everyday problems as well as interpersonal conflicts in a reasonable and creative manner. Critical thinking and problem solving are important skills in changing world.

It is impossible to compete in today's global arena without teamwork and collaboration skills. Not every decision can be made individually, and some tasks are time consuming if done by one person. Working in a team brings together different points of view and helps to get better and more effective results in the least amount of time. It is necessary not only to manage a group of people, but also be a part of that group. Business world requires the abilities to "build collaborative relationships with colleagues and customers and be able to work with diverse teams" (Casner-Lotto and Benner, 259).

The world is constantly changing, and today's successful and competitive employee has to be an effective communicator, a decision maker, and a team worker. Ability to communicate clearly, solve problems, make ethical choices, and work with people makes a person to stand out among others. One must be prepared for a different workplace - one that values innovation, imagination, creativity, and communication.

Works Cited

Casner-Lotto, Jill and Mary W. Benner." Are They Really Ready to Work?" Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum, 11ed.. Longman, 2010, pp 250-260.