Over the past decade, I've noticed that technical skills get you hired, but soft skills decide whether you get promoted. Yet most of us only start working on communication, empathy, and adaptability after a setback at work. My last performance review made that painfully clear when my manager said I was technically excellent but hard to collaborate with. So here's my question: should soft skills training be a mandatory part of every professional development plan, or are they best learned through experience alone?