Abstract
The field manual identifies two types of skills: hard and soft skills (Army Support to Security Cooperation, 2013, p. 103). Although hard skills such as military training are the foundation of any successful operation, depending on the nature of the mission soft skills such as sociocultural competence may determine whether a particular mission succeeds or fails. Soft skills also form the basis of successful leadership and are, therefore, essential for those in leading positions.
Introduction
The major challenge of working in the military is the fact that military operations are not only complex but also take place in a variety of cultural settings. Some operations may take place in an isolated, foreign setting, and necessitate having some level of cultural awareness. As such, the military profession requires not only tactical proficiency but possession of sociocultural and communicative skills, which allow military personnel to operate effectively in a variety of vastly different cultural settings. Although military training is the foundation of any successful operation, depending on the nature of the mission sociocultural competence and communicative skills of the military personnel may determine whether a particular mission succeeds or fails.
Soft Skills versus Hard Skills
The field manual identifies two types of skills: hard and soft skills (Army Support to Security Cooperation, 2013, p. 103). Hard skills are related to the core of military operations and include occupational training, warrior skills, marksmanship, etc. (Army Support to Security Cooperation, 2013, p. 103). Such skills include those competencies which can be objectively measured in years of training or experience, the number of successful operations, etc. Hard skills are core skills that allow soldiers to make it through the hardships of war.
Soft skills are built upon hard skills but include communication skills and sociocultural competence necessitated by the nature of military operations (Army Support to Security Cooperation, 2013, p. 103). Such skills are sometimes called people skills and cannot be measured objectively as they describe the complex nature of the interpersonal behavior. The examples of soft skills are social skills, ability to build rapport, ability to lead, cultural awareness, and others. Soft skills are just as important as hard skills because they are the foundation of cooperation, decision-making, problem-solving, planning, etc.
The Influence of Soft Skills in the Success or Failure of a Mission
The influence of soft skills on the outcome of operations depends on the circumstances in which the military operation takes place.
Military operations that take place abroad emphasize the importance of effective communication between the military and local populations. Today the United States Army takes part in a number of different operations, which have various goals. Such goals may include “conventional combat, counterinsurgency, peacekeeping, stability and reconstruction, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief” (Caligiuri, Noe, Nolan, Ryan, & Drasgow, 2011, p. 11). Such operations occur in different cultural settings and may be significantly different from homeland operations due to the interaction between local peoples.
The responsive nature of most military operations also means that there is no certainty where the next operation might take place. The next destination may pose unique challenges due to local traditions and customs, values, and beliefs. Military training and combat experience may not be enough for the operation to succeed in such circumstances. Such foreign operations almost certainly require some level of cooperation between the United States Army and local groups. Successful cooperation with different cultural groups requires an understanding of local cultures and languages.
Such understanding is broadly defined as sociocultural competence and allows the military to effectively operate in unfamiliar circumstances. Without sociocultural competence, it would be impossible or very difficult to communicate with local groups abroad. Unless soldiers have some understanding of the local traditions and values, they might behave in such a way that is considered offensive or inappropriate in another culture and facilitate conflict, putting the whole operation at risk.
Alternatively, if a soldier has an understanding of the local culture and is fluent in a foreign language, they will be able to gain support or find themselves a way out of difficult circumstances. In order to effectively perform the assigned mission in a different cultural setting, the military has to possess such soft skills, as foreign language knowledge and sociocultural competence.
The Importance of Soft Skills for Leaders and Subordinates
While the communication between the military and local groups might be necessary for some circumstances, such as peacekeeping operations in foreign nations, effective communication inside the army forces is the foundation of any successful operation.
Communication allows the leader and their subordinates to coordinate their actions to achieve a common objective. Although the plan of operations is developed by the commander, due to the scope and complexity of military operations, the commander relies on their staff to assist them in the decision-making process. Staff officers are responsible for broadening the understanding of current operations by developing situational awareness and assisting the commander in building their situational understanding by providing relevant information and recommendations regarding military operations.
In order to achieve situational awareness, staff continuously collects, processes, and presents data from all sources which impact military activities and affect their potential outcome. The key to achieving situational awareness in a foreign setting is sociocultural competence. For subordinates, such soft skills as cross-cultural and sociocultural competence allow them to effectively process the information about the setting of the military operations.
Soft skills also form the basis of successful leadership and are, therefore, essential for those in leading positions. The main component inherent to the concept of leadership is organizing the work of people in order to achieve a certain goal. Leadership can be viewed as a process of influence, rather than the event since it describes a series of interactions which occur between a leader and their followers (Army Leadership, 2012, p. 9). The main functions of a leader are establishing direction, aligning people and motivating and inspiring them. In order to perform these functions, the leader has to possess communicative skills, be a good listener, and be able to clearly communicate the plan of action. All of these skills are soft skills.
Another important point to consider is the diversity of the United States Army forces. Army forces are made up of people of different ethnical backgrounds, who have different views and values. The United States Army allies, such as NATO, are also culturally diverse. This requires the leaders and subordinates to exhibit culturally appropriate behaviors and possess cultural agility in order to cooperate in the most efficient manner. Culturally agile commander would be able to lead effectively by behaving in a culturally conscious manner, and culturally agile soldiers would be able to adapt their behavior in accordance with the circumstances (Army Leadership, 2012, p. 9).
Conclusion
In the light of unknown political changes, it is important for the military personnel to consider the role soft skills play in a mission’s success or failure. Soft skills allow soldiers to “quickly, comfortably, and effectively work with
people from different cultures and in multicultural settings” (Caligiuri et al., 2011, p. 4). While hard skills are the basis of any successful operation, missions which take place in unfamiliar cultural settings require sociocultural competency for success.
References
Army Leadership. (2012).
Army Support to Security Cooperation. (2013).
Caligiuri, P., Noe, R., Nolan, R., Ryan, A., & Drasgow, F. (2011). Training, Developing, and Assessing Cross-Cultural Competence in Military Personnel.