Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
OUR FOCUS IS YOU!
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
Soft Skills for Success in a Digital Workplace
Trish Bobst, National Curriculum Specialist Dianne Jackson, CTE InstructorCengage Learning LAUSD/[email protected] [email protected]
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
Soft Skillsfor Success in a
Digital Workplace
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
Workshop Packets
• Diagram Worksheet• Soft Skills Competency Checklist
Teacher Resource Materials Lecture Notes Classroom Activities
• Technological Tools and Terminology
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
Soft Skills & This Generation… Gen Y learners (most of our students):
Are busy multi-taskers; media-oriented Used to working on teams Remain close to parents who raised them to think they are
“stars” and “special” Optimistic & confident; want to be rich and famous
Are achievement-oriented; need structure and feedback Will negotiate anything Lack diplomacy
Bring an “entertainment attitude” to school Get bored quickly if it’s not FUN
Don’t think of computers & devices as “technology”
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
Why “Generation Y”…
• I've always wondered about this myself. Now I know........
- The Silent generation, people born before 1946.
- The Baby Boomers, people born between 1946 and1959.
- Generation X , people born between 1960 and 1979.
- Generation Y, people born between 1980 and 1995.
Why do we call the last one Generation Y? I did not know, but a caricaturist explains it eloquently ..Learn something new!
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Generation Y
Censured
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What are Soft Skills?
• Moss and Tilly termed these subjective requisites as “soft skills,” which are defined as skills, abilities, and traits that pertain to personality, attitude, and behavior rather than to formal or technical knowledge” (Moss and Tilly 2001, p. 44).
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
What are “Soft Skills” to you?
Oral and written communication Teamwork/collaboration Work ethic/self-motivation/dependability/honesty Critical-thinking/questioning/problem-solving Risk-taking Flexibility/adaptability Leadership/influencing Ability to work under pressure Creativity/innovation/resourceful Organizational/time management Attention to detail
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What Industry Says…
• Technical skill ALONE does not make someone competitive in the job market
– In fact, computer literacy skills are assumed!• Today’s workers demonstrate GAPS in:
– Communication skills– Team/interpersonal skills– Problem solving– Quantitative reasoning– Business process knowledge– Project management
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
What Employers Say…
Attributes Most Desirable in New Employees… Ability to work productively on a diverse team Oral & written communication skill Ability to think critically and analytically Resourcefulness in solving problems Ability to locate, organize & evaluate information from
multiple sources Creativity & innovative spirit Ability to understand and communicate quantitatively Sense of integrity and ethics Understanding of global cultures and values
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Employers also…
Expect colleges & universities to prepare students in these areas
63% say we are not doing our job 87% rate this preparedness as critical to the United
States remaining competitive in the global economy
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What Recent Graduates Say…
Provide balance between general knowledge and major-specific skills (72%)
Many end up in fields not closely related to major They AGREE with Employers!
Critical to success are: Teamwork skills Critical-thinking skills Oral & written communication skills
Yet majority don’t think college prepared them well (51%)
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
2003
#1 reason students chose to major in a particular subject
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
2003
They were interested in or passionate about that field
or subject.
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2009
#1 reason students choose to major in a particular subject
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2009
Career OpportunitiesJob Potential
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Maybe at one time this was true?
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Recently…
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Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
Which would you hire?
What if she added another certification? Now would you hire her?
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
There are different approaches
• Teach soft skills as a piece of your core subject (integrated throughout)
• Teach soft skills as a separate component of your core subject
– Teach one unit of “soft skills”– Then teach a few units of core subject
• Teach soft skills as an equal “piece of the pie”– Capstone, Assessment, Senior Project, etc.
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
Soft Skills – What % of grade?
• 10% will affect a letter grade• If you keep it less than 20%, it won’t affect a
grade in a big way
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Think about this…
• You could have great technical skills, but if you cannot communicate those skills, what good are they?
• Aren’t Soft Skills more like…
Life Skills?
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What are Soft Skills?
• Abilities for understanding communication
• Interpersonal Skills that complement technical skills
• Emotional intelligence• The capacity to behave appropriately
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Communication
Professionalism
Problemsolving
Teamwork Soft Skills
for Success in aDigital Workplace
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Verbal Communication
Organizing messages Nonverbal communication Giving and receiving feedback
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• Start with what your listener needs to know• Limit the amount of information• Eliminate unnecessary words• Make your messages relevant to your listener• Take a direct approach
Organizing Your Messages
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Nonverbal Language
• Maintain eye contact• Present pleasant facial expressions• Gesture appropriately• Maintain good posture• Keep your distance
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Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Emphasize the positive• Be tactful• Depersonalize negative messages• Provide solutions• Choose your location and timing• Give others permission to disagree with you
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Written Communication
Emails and Memos Writing Cover Letters Proofreading and Revising
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Scenario Email Memo Other
1. Many people need to receive the same short message 2. You want quick answers to one or more questions 3. You are responding to a colleague’s e-mail 4. Your manager asks you to confirm a decision 5. You are inviting others to a meeting 6. You are updating a simple procedure 7. Meeting participants need to review the details of a plan 8. You are circulating a new set of formal company policies 9. You want to express enthusiasm to a colleague 10. You need to resolve a conflict 11. Your message is confidential
Appropriate Uses for Email and Memos Check One Box
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Cover Letters
• Address your reader by name• Identify the position• Highlight your most relevant skills• Conclude with a call to action• Follow up with interesting prospects
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Proofreading & Revising
• Take a break• Slow down• Become familiar with your mistakes• Check your spelling and grammar manually• Ask a colleague to look it over
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Make This Text Shorter:
Travel all around the world and have fun doing it with Quest Specialty Travel.
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Shorter Text:
Travel the world with Quest Specialty Travel.
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TEAMWORK
Reflects the larger organization
Completes projects quicker
Offers creative solutions
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Professionalism
Managing Your Image Practicing Good Grooming
and Hygiene Managing Time
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Managing Your Image
• Your image is the sum of your observable characteristics
• Your presentation signals your role in the organization
• Your image affects your career path• Your image reflects that of your company
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Practicing Grooming & Hygiene
• Bathe every day• Groom facial hair• Care for your hair• Keep your breath fresh• Maintain foot health
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Managing Time
• Time-wasting activities• Plan your day• Identify Set priorities• Block distractions• Vary the types of tasks you perform• Be flexible
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Problem Solving
• Defining a problem• Identify Yourself as a Problem Solver• Recognize Problems
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Problem Solving
• Identify yourself as a problem solver• Recognize problems• Select an intuitive approach for solving
problems• Select a systematic approach for solving
problems• Make decisions
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Recognize Problems
Do’s Don’ts• Consider problems as
opportunities to find innovative solutions
• Define and then redefine the problem
• Don’t ignore problems until they are too big to solve easily
• Don’t stick to your original conception of the problem if you are having trouble finding a solution
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Select an Approach
Do’s Don’ts• Use your intuition for simple
problems• Follow a systematic process
for complex problems• Review and reconsider the
problem, your goals, and possible solutions
• Consider the problem from different perspectives
• Don’t create a detailed procedure that is difficult to complete or duplicate
• Don’t jump to conclusions
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Make Decisions
Do’s Don’ts• Consider all the alternatives
before selecting one• Trust your intuition, but make
sure the facts support your decision
• Don’t make rash decisions• Don’t second guess yourself
if you feel you made the right choice
Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western
The digital workplace is where work is what you do, not a place
where you go to.
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Soft skills are what you learn after you know everything
else.
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Building a Framework
for the Future
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Students Learning Soft Skills
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Job Success
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Soft Skills in Action
• Participating as member of a team• Teaching others new skills• Exercising leadership• Communicating competently
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