March 11, 2026

I’ve been interested for a long time in the idea of soft skills. I even helped produce a podcast focused on this called Skilled by Design. Tom Bay has done a lot of work in this arena. As has Seth Godin.

I recently found Dr. Marvin Berkowitz’s book PRIMED for Character Education: Six Design Principles for School Improvement to have the best definition, and one that I will adopt and use frequently. I only wish I had come up with it.

I use the notions of organic vs. mechanical concepts, metaphors, and terminology. So much of what we say and do in education is framed in terms of mechanics. We teach. We transfer knowledge. We control behavior. We manage classrooms. We engineer school change. And so on. Instead, I want to hear us talking about and enacting more organic processes. We should nurture learning and development. We should foster understanding and human flourishing. We should educate for character. Humans are organic entities (p. 5).

Organic skills are what have traditionally been termed the soft skills. The beauty of this view is that they are the skills that continue to grow and develop. You can’t perfect these skills, for as soon as you are proficient, a new level is unlocked.

Mechanistic skills are the hard skills of math, engineering, and science. There’s a definitive answer. There’s a clear evidence of mastery. It’s less context-dependent. You can make a multiple choice test on mechanistic skills, but if you try to make a multiple choice test on organic skills, you’re sure to have some argument.

My friend Jeff Becker just created a new software to share his organic skills video lessons for schools. Check it out, and if you want to be part of a pilot with that, just apply here.

All the best,

Jethro

PODCAST Episode

How to Prioritize Problems with Eric Makelky and Jethro Jones Transformative Principal 523

Eric Makelky and Jethro Jones discuss strategies for prioritizing challenges in school leadership, emphasizing the importance of focusing on a single impactful goal, such as classroom engagement, and reframing how to handle competing demands like state testing, graduation, and staffing

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Concepts & Frameworks

The Empathy-First Framework

Before launching your next big initiative—whether it’s a new schedule, discipline strategy, or tech platform—take 30 minutes to talk with three people who will be affected by it. Sit down with a teacher, a student, and a parent. Ask them three simple questions: What’s working? What’s frustrating? What’s missing? When I led a school-wide advisory redesign, we started with these empathy interviews.

We learned that students didn’t feel seen, and teachers felt it was just another thing. That shaped the entire rollout. Empathy isn’t a just an organic skill—it’s a strategic advantage. When you start by listening, your decisions hit closer to the real need. Don’t assume. Ask. Then build.

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Your keynote today at ASTE about finding that 'one thing' tied in directly with keynote speaker Mawi's message about making a MAD goal. Making it measurable, attainable and deadline driven. Powerful stuff here at ASTE. I am always recharged after being here. Thank you for helping be a part of that and best of luck to you at reaching your goal.

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Jethro Jones

Transformative Principal

Education and leadership nerd, and founder of Transformative Principal. You might know me from my latest books, How to be a Transformative Principal and SchoolX, and the longest running ed leadership podcast, Transformative Principal.