Technical and technological skills will take on greater importance. There will be a growing need for people who can understand and fix systems--from computer systems to product distribution systems to plumbing systems.

    Visionary skills will be in demand. The ability to gather and absorb a wide range of input ,then use that knowledge, understanding, and perspective to guide organization into future, will be vital.

    Numbers and measurement will be important, of course, but smoothing the flow form month to month, from quarter to quarter will be essential for highly profitable long-term performance. Practically every company will have to move away from today's obsession with looking ahead only as far as the next financial reporting period.

    Ability to organize will definitely be important in the corporation of the future. Everywhere there will be a need to organize something: resources, workflow, marketing mix, financial opportunities, and much more, all will demand high levels of organization  and reorganization.

    Persuasive skills will be used in many ways by the corporation of the future, the most-effective individuals will be those who know how to present information and ideas so that others can understand and support  a particular position. Good salesmanship will be essential in many more interactions than we consider today, especially inside the organization.

    Communication skills--careful listening, clear writing, close reading, plain speaking, and accurate description--will be invaluable. In tomorrow's fast-paced business environment there will be precious little time to correct any misunderstandings. Communications breakdown may well become a fatal corporate disease.

    Ability to learn will be above everything else in importance--empowering people to grow in effectiveness and help their companies achieve desired objectives. Some of this skill is innate, but many people enhance their ability to learn--and to relate different aspects of learning--through college and university courses. We believe the liberal arts education experience will prove to be the most valuable type of education for tomorrow's leaders.

    The top employees of the coming century will be flexible, creative and motivated toward making a positive difference in the world. They will seek balance, growth and fulfillment in both their work and home environments. The corporation of the future must respond to these needs and desires; otherwise they will find themselves hampered by a lack of qualified people to accomplish the organization's work.

译文：21世纪合格人材必备7大技能

1．技术专长与创新能力——将更加重要。今后将越来越需要在计算机、产品推销和管道工程等方面既懂理论又有实践经验的人。

2．想像能力——将是一种需要。这种能力至关重要，它可收集和获取广泛而大量的知识信息，并对其中一些知识、思维方法及观察视角加以借鉴，以便引导公司走向未来。

3．数字与计算——固然很重要，但是保证月与月之间的衔接、部门与部门的配合都顺利通畅将是实现长期高效运作的关键所在。实际上，每个公司都必须改变那种只做下一个财政年度计划的错误观念。

4．组织能力——在未来的公司的运作中无疑是十分重要的。无论到哪儿，组织工作都是必不可少的，如调拨财力物力、设置工作流程、制定市场营销战略、寻找赢利机会等等，所有这些都需要高水平的组织与改组能力。

5.说服能力——将以各种方式在未来公司中发挥作用。工作 最有成效的员工将是那些懂得如何表达信息和思想以便能够得到别人理解与支持的人，出色的游说能力在未来更多的人际交往中将是必不可少的，特别是在公司内部。

6．交流能力——听得认真、写得明白、看得仔细、说得清楚、叙述准确——将具有无可估量的价值。在未来快节奏的工作环境中，人们惜时如金，容不得半，点疏漏。交流障碍很可能成为未来公司致命的问题。

7．学习能力——将在上述各种能力中占据最重要的地位，因为它使人能够提高工作效率，帮助自己的公司达到预期目的。这种能力一部分来自个人夭赋，当然也有不少人通过 接受高等教育提高自己的气习能力和各种知识的融会贯通能力。我们认为，大学文科教育积累的经验将证明是对明天的领导者们最有价值的教育形式。

21世纪最出色的公司雇员将富有灵活性和创造性，并有志于做出不同凡响的创举。他们将在事业和家庭两方面寻求平衡、发展与完善。未来的公司必须对雇员必备技能加以考核，否则，公司的发展就会困工作中缺乏合格人才而受限制。