Soft Skills for Success in a Digital Workplace

Course Technology ▪ Delmar ▪ South-Western

OUR FOCUS IS YOU!

Trish Bobst, National Curriculum Specialist Dianne Jackson, CTE InstructorCengage Learning LAUSD/DACEtrish.bobst@cengage.com dcj21201@lausd.net

Soft Skillsfor Success in a

Digital Workplace

Workshop Packets

• Diagram Worksheet• Soft Skills Competency Checklist

Teacher Resource Materials Lecture Notes Classroom Activities

• Technological Tools and Terminology

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”

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!

Generation Y

Censured

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).

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

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

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

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

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%)

#1 reason students chose to major in a particular subject

They were interested in or passionate about that field

or subject.

#1 reason students choose to major in a particular subject

Career OpportunitiesJob Potential

Maybe at one time this was true?

Recently…

Which would you hire?

What if she added another certification? Now would you hire her?

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.

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

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?

What are Soft Skills?

• Abilities for understanding communication

• Interpersonal Skills that complement technical skills

• Emotional intelligence• The capacity to behave appropriately

Communication

Professionalism

Problemsolving

Teamwork Soft Skills

for Success in aDigital Workplace

Verbal Communication

Organizing messages Nonverbal communication Giving and receiving feedback

• 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

Nonverbal Language

• Maintain eye contact• Present pleasant facial expressions• Gesture appropriately• Maintain good posture• Keep your distance

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

Written Communication

Emails and Memos Writing Cover Letters Proofreading and Revising

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

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

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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Shorter Text:

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TEAMWORK

Reflects the larger organization

Completes projects quicker

Offers creative solutions

Professionalism

Managing Your Image Practicing Good Grooming

and Hygiene Managing Time

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

Practicing Grooming & Hygiene

• Bathe every day• Groom facial hair• Care for your hair• Keep your breath fresh• Maintain foot health

Managing Time

• Time-wasting activities• Plan your day• Identify Set priorities• Block distractions• Vary the types of tasks you perform• Be flexible

Problem Solving

• Defining a problem• Identify Yourself as a Problem Solver• Recognize Problems

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

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

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

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

The digital workplace is where work is what you do, not a place

where you go to.

Soft skills are what you learn after you know everything

Building a Framework

for the Future

Students Learning Soft Skills

Job Success

Soft Skills in Action

• Participating as member of a team• Teaching others new skills• Exercising leadership• Communicating competently

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Soft Skills for Success in a Digital Workplace

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