Ivana Ihnátová: Art and Stories Teach Us to Judge Less, Understand More, and See the World from Different Perspectives

Ivana Ihnátová works as an Education Expert at the National Bank of Slovakia. She specializes in education, talent policies, communication, and fostering cooperation. Throughout her studies and professional career, she has gained experience across various countries, sectors, and multicultural teams, all of which have shaped her view on the importance of soft skills. How do we learn to communicate, build trust, and stay open to new perspectives? Why are relationships and empathy often more crucial than professional knowledge itself? And how can culture, art, or simple curiosity change the way we approach the world and the people around us? This interview, which followed her workshop for Creative Industry Košice on the importance of networking, openness, and bringing theory into real life through small steps, offers the answers.

As part of the x-Inno Radar project, we look into the topic of expats—people who have spent or are spending time living and working in a country other than the one they were born in—and how international experience shapes their soft skills. In this context, you recently led a workshop for us titled Experience, Feel, Develop, which focused on networking, communication, techniques for overcoming stress and the fear of the unknown, and how art and culture develop our soft skills. To start, could you tell us a bit about your professional journey and personal growth in relation to soft skills? Where and at what stage of your life have you developed or utilized them the most?

My professional journey spans multiple sectors—from the private and non-profit sectors to public administration and civil service, including experience in international environments. After my studies, which took me to Prague, Lille, Antwerp, and Moscow, I returned to Slovakia and began working on projects at the intersection of talent, education, communication, and cooperation. These were often initiatives built entirely from scratch—projects that were still just ideas or in their very early stages. It was in these situations that I realized the true value of soft skills. When you are creating something brand new, having a good idea isn’t enough; you need to be able to explain it, get people on board, and build trust. Communication, networking, and the ability to facilitate discussion became an integral part of my work. At the same time, I realized how vital the quality of the relationships we build truly is. I deeply value collaborations where expertise meets humility and humanity. And I see the ability to build these relationships on a deeper level as one of the most important things soft skills have given me.

Why do you think soft skills are so essential today?

Soft skills have always been important; we just talk about them more today. They determine how we communicate, collaborate, and understand each other, not only in our professional lives but in our personal lives too. The ability to express oneself clearly, to listen to others, and to be empathetic and open to different perspectives helps us prevent misunderstandings and build quality relationships. It is also true that while professional knowledge is highly important, we often cannot fully utilize it without the ability to communicate or share it with others. We see this in the workplace all the time, especially when it comes to talent retention. People rarely leave a job because of the work itself, the salary, or the job description; they leave because of relationships and communication—very often with their direct supervisor. A manager’s ability to communicate, work with people, and build trust is therefore absolutely critical. At the same time, an individual’s ability to clearly communicate their expectations, needs, and feedback plays a major role. This two-way communication is the foundation of any successful collaboration.

In the soft skills development workshop you facilitated under the banner of Creative Industry Košice, you focused on communication, networking, mental resilience, and openness. Which of these skills do you think is the hardest for people to develop, and why?

I think it depends heavily on personality, experience, and the environment a person moves in. Developing any of these skills can be challenging. However, if I had to choose one, it would be openness to new perspectives. Unlike the others, this one is more about our internal mindset. Being open means being willing to admit that our view is not the only one, and being genuinely curious about different approaches. That is often where we run into barriers. It involves things like the fear of the unknown or the natural tendency to stick to what we know. Yet, by doing this, we sometimes narrow down our own horizons and miss out on everything the world has to offer.

You mentioned the concept of “curiosity over fear.” How do you personally apply this in a work environment? Can you share a specific moment where this mindset helped you?

Honestly, it’s something I have to consciously remind myself of, especially in moments when I feel uncertain or anxious about something. Just keeping this small thought in mind can be incredibly helpful. One specific situation from last year comes to mind, though it wasn’t strictly work-related. I was taking a sabbatical between jobs and got the opportunity to participate in the International Youth Forum on Creativity and Cultural Heritage in China, organized by UNESCO. It was a topic I was deeply interested in, but at the same time, I felt a massive amount of trepidation. Partly because of the environment—China is not the easiest country to navigate—and partly because, while the theme connected to what I do, it wasn’t exactly my primary area of expertise. That was the moment I tried to consciously tune into the “curiosity over fear” mindset. I started focusing more on what the experience could give me and the people I might meet. Despite my fears, I decided to go. In the end, it was an incredibly rewarding experience that taught me a lot and opened up new perspectives and contacts I probably never would have found otherwise.

Your training approach includes strong practical elements, ranging from speed networking to working under stress. What do you see as the key factor that helps people translate theoretical knowledge about soft skills into their everyday lives?

For me, the key is that we actually need to try these skills out in real life. I know it can be tough in the beginning, and we often have to push past our fears, but practicing is the only way we can gradually improve. Self-awareness is also closely tied to this. It’s important to notice how we react in different situations—what helps us and what holds us back. For example, I know that when I speak in public, my hands give me away. If I hold a piece of paper, they start to shake. So, I try not to hold any paper, eliminating that barrier and finding a format that works better for me. Another crucial element is working with small steps. Instead of trying to make massive changes that rarely last, it is much more effective to take small, realistic, and specific steps consistently. It helps to set a clear, realistic goal, ideally with a specific time frame, and perhaps link it to a habit you already have. That’s exactly what we worked on during the workshop. For instance, we tried setting goals like: “Once a week, I will ask a question during a meeting,” or “Every Monday morning, I will reach out to one new person on LinkedIn who works in a field that interests me.” It is this combination of real experience, self-awareness, and small steps that helps transfer soft skills from theory into actual behavior.

You have experience across multiple sectors and countries. Has your perception of soft skills changed through these different environments?

Yes, absolutely. Mostly in the sense that today, I better understand different environments and their specific nuances, barriers, and opportunities. Having worked in the private, non-profit, and public sectors, I feel I’ve learned to be slower to judge and quicker to try and understand the context. Every environment functions differently. For example, the non-profit sector is often more flexible, while public administration involves more processes and constraints. On the flip side, NGOs often face limited resources, whereas the public sector has different capabilities in this regard. Every environment has its pros and cons. Thanks to this, I can now better recognize why and how things work—or don’t work—and look for connections and suitable ways for them to collaborate. Beyond my professional experience, my university studies gave me a lot in this regard. As part of an international Joint Master’s Degree program based on a consortium of several universities, I studied in a cohort of 32 students from various countries, and we lived and studied in three different countries. This experience taught me intercultural communication above all else, and showed me how to cooperate with people from entirely different backgrounds and cultures. Because of these experiences, I can see the bigger picture and the complexity of situations more clearly today, while also realizing how vital it is to remain open and try to understand others.

Networking and communication can be a major source of anxiety for many. Is there a way to develop these skills even if someone doesn’t naturally feel up to it, or if they are more of an introvert?

I think the foundation is very similar to my answer about general soft skills development—it comes down to a combination of experience and self-awareness. If we know that networking or communication aren’t our strong suits or don’t feel natural to us, we can find a way that suits us better or feels less draining. For instance, some people find it helpful not to attend an event alone, but to go with someone. It’s also useful to “know people who know people”—meaning, leveraging existing contacts and asking to be introduced to people we’d like to meet. For others, it might feel more natural to start a conversation online, such as via LinkedIn, and transition to face-to-face contact later. At the same time, it’s important to realize that not everyone needs to be the center of attention in a large group. Many people thrive in smaller conversations or one-on-one meetings, where they can go deeper and build more meaningful connections. That’s why I believe the key is to find your own way, know your strengths, and build on them. Simultaneously, we can always find coping mechanisms for the situations we find more challenging.

At the end of the workshop, the topic turned to how art and culture shape our empathy. Do you personally see a direct link between cultural experiences and our ability to use soft skills in daily practice?

For me, definitely. I believe that art, culture, and stories have a powerful impact on how we perceive the world and the people around us. On one hand, they show us that we are not alone in our experiences. We can identify with stories or characters and better understand our own emotions. On the other hand, they expose us to perspectives and situations we haven’t experienced firsthand, helping us see things from a different angle. Because of this, we learn to be less hasty in our judgments and make more of an effort to understand others. For example, in stories like Anna Karenina, we see that situations we might quickly condemn at first glance are actually far more complex. But it’s not just about being a “spectator.” We don’t have to be professional artists. The very act of creating giving our thoughts and emotions a physical form, helps us process our feelings, release tension, and manage what we are going through. That is why I see the connection between culture, art, and soft skills as entirely natural. They help us develop empathy, openness, and the capacity to better understand ourselves.

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This project is supported by the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE program, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.