Put down those knitting needles. Stop darning. Reading a
paper map? Forget about it.
Those are just three of the skills you no longer need to
survive or thrive in the twenty-first century.
That’s according to the Daily Mail in Great Britain, which
conducted a poll to determine what are—and are not—the essential skills for
living. Turns out typing, Googling, and being able to navigate every manner of
online services are pretty much all you’ll need.
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| Google your way to success in the 21st century. |
Even though I write about workplace issues, I found this article
interesting. These are the skills for living successfully and productively
right now, and they apply in many ways to the workplace as well. I’m not sure I
agree with all of them, but it’s an interesting exercise to look through them.
Are you up-to-date?
The top 20 essential skills to know:
1. Googling
2. Operating a mobile device
3. Connecting to the Wi-Fi
4. Online banking
5. Learning to cook
6. Being able to turn off the water at the mains
7. Knowing what goes in which recycling bin
8. Knowing about privacy settings online
9. Using a calculator
10. Using a self-service checkout
11. Searching and applying for jobs online
12. Using Google maps
13. Updating/installing computer programs
14. Being able to use satellite navigation
15. Touch typing
16. Reheating food in the microwave
17. Online airport check-in
18. Uploading photos
19. Communicating via Facebook
20. Changing settings on the thermostat
And the 20 skills deemed no longer essential:
1. Darning
2. Knitting
3. Polishing brass and silverware
4. Baking fresh bread
5. Putting up a tent
6. Writing postcards
7. Sewing
8. Knowing the phone numbers of friends
9. Servicing the car yourself
10. Understanding pounds and ounces
11. Dinner party etiquette
12. Writing letters
13. Speaking a foreign language
14. Knowing capital cities
15. Understanding feet and inches
16. Putting up a shelf
17. Learning car journeys in advance
18. Being able to change a tire
19. Neat handwriting
20. Knowing how to spell long words.
Of the top 20 essential skills, three are decidedly low-tech
and old-fashioned: #5, learning
how to cook; #6 being able to turn off the water at the mains; and #7 knowing
what goes in which recycling bin. There is something comforting that in the digital age, you still need to know how to shut off your water and make dinner (and no, I don't think reheating in the microwave, #16, counts).
 |
| Google's great, but you still need to know how to shut off the water. |
I was surprised to see navigating your own thermostat as a new
essential skill, until it occurred to me that gone are the old-fashioned, super
simple dial thermostats, where with the simple turn of your wrist or flip of a
little switch you could adjust the temperature. If your thermostat is like
mine, you need a PhD to operate it. In fact, I must admit I have no idea how to
work it.
On balance, I think the essential skills are spot on. Typing is more important than ever; being able to do things online instead of
in person or making a special trip is smart (banking, checking in at the
airport, paying bills, etc.); using the Internet to network and find work is essential; etc.
But some of skills the Daily Mail deemed non-essential still
seem absolutely critical to me, especially in the world of work. For example,
dinner table etiquette. The ability to converse intelligently, politely, and
congenially with others—whether you are around a dinner table, conference
table, or at an event—is absolutely essential. Not everything is digital; we
still have to get along in person, and etiquette should always be an essential skill.
Writing, too, is an essential skill, and that goes for
actually putting pen to paper as well as electronic missives. Whether it’s a postcard, a letter, or a short
note, the ability to write a good note is essential. If you’ve ever been on the
receiving end of well-crafted handwritten thank-you note, you know what I’m
talking about. And until there is no more ink or paper on the planet, I expect every smart working person to send a handwritten note whenever
And come on. If you drive your own car you MUST know how to
change your own tire!
But, all in all, the list is pretty accurate, and it speaks
volumes about the way we live today. Our lives are online. We stream and synch
and digitize and download. And I am all for doing as much online as possible and
availing yourself of as much technology as you can. But call me old-fashioned;
I still think you should be able to write a decent thank-you note and change
your own tire.
Here’s a link to the article:
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