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Soft Skills and Teamwork

Key to Promotion and Personal Advancement

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Why Soft Skills Matter

• Typical personnel ads call for• Proven team skills• Strong verbal, written skills• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and team

skills• Interpersonal and communication skills• Good people skills, superior communication skills,

must work well with diverse teams

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Why Teamwork Works

• Better decisions• Faster response• Increased productivity• Greater “buy-in” • Less resistance to

change• Improved employee

morale• Reduced risks

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Five Phases of Team Development

• Forming• Storming• Norming• Performing• Adjourning

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Analyzing Positive and Negative Team Behavior

Positive Team Behavior• Sets rules, abides by them• Analyzes tasks, defines

problems• Contributes information and

ideas• Shows interest, listens actively• Encourages members to

participate• Synthesizes points of

agreement

Negative Team Behavior• Blocks ideas of others• Insults and criticizes• Wastes the group’s time• Makes inappropriate

comments• Fails to stay on task• Withdraws, doesn’t

participate

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Six-Step Procedure for Dealing With Conflict

• Listen• Understand the other point of view• Show a concern for the relationship• Look for common ground• Invent new problem-solving options• Reach an agreement based on what is fair

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Methods for Reaching Group Decisions

• Majority• Consensus• Minority• Averaging• Authority rule with discussion

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method?

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Characteristics of Successful Teams

• Small size, diverse makeup• Agreement on purpose• Agreement on procedures• Ability to confront conflict• Use of good communication techniques• Ability to collaborate rather than compete• Acceptance of ethical responsibilities• Shared leadership

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During the Meeting

Before the meeting

Meetings – Duties of Meeting Leader

After the Meeting

• Decide whether a meeting is necessary• Include only key participants• Prepare agenda. Include topics, times,

names

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Meetings – Duties of Meeting Leader

• Start on time and begin with preview, agenda• Appoint a secretary to take minutes and a recorder

to track ideas• Encourage participation but avoid digression• Deal with conflict openly. Let each party speak• After reaching consensus, confirm agreement

During the Meeting

Before the meeting

After the Meeting

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Meetings – Duties of Meeting Leader

• Summarize results achieved• End on time• Distribute minutes a few days later• Remind team members of assignments

During the Meeting

Before the meeting

After the Meeting

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• Arrive early and prepared; silence your phone

• Bring a positive attitude; stay calm, pleasant

• Contribute respectfully; wait turn, raise hand

• Give credit to others; help summarize

• Express your views in the meeting, not later

• Follow up by completing assigned tasks

Meetings – Duties of Meeting Participant

The Listening Process and Its Barriers

ActionInterpretationPerception Evaluation

COMMON LISTENING BARRIERS

InattentionPrejudgmentFrame of referenceClosed-mindednessPseudolistening

Hearing impairmentNoisy surroundingsSpeaker’s appearanceSpeaker’s mannerismsLag time

Mental Barriers Physical and Other Barriers

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Some Examples from the Web

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK4iU_CrwPM&feature=related

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP55nA8fQ9I&feature=related

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzcaW7c98_s&feature=related

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Ten Keys to Building Powerful Listening Skills

1. Control internal and external distractions

2. Become actively involved3. Separate facts from

opinions4. Identify important facts5. Avoid interrupting

6. Ask clarifying questions

7. Paraphrase to increase understanding

8. Capitalize on lag time

9. Take notes

10. Be aware of gender differences

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Ten Myths About Listening

Listening is a matter of intelligence

Fact:Careful listening is a learned behavior

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Ten Myths About Listening

Speaking is more important than listening in the communication processFact:Speaking and listening are equally important

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Ten Myths About Listening

Listening is easy and requires little energy

Fact:Active listeners undergo the same physiological changes as a person jogging

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Ten Myths About Listening

Listening and hearing are the same process

Fact:Listening is a conscious, selective process. Hearing is an involuntary act

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Ten Myths About Listening

Speakers are able to command listening

Fact:Speakers cannot make a person really listen

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Ten Myths About Listening

Hearing ability determines listening ability

Fact:Listening happens mentally—between the ears

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Ten Myths About Listening

Speakers are totally responsible for the communication success

Fact:Communication is a two-way street

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Ten Myths About Listening

Listening means only understanding a speaker’s words

Fact:Nonverbal signals also help listeners gain understanding

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Ten Myths About Listening

Daily practice eliminates the need for listening training

Fact:Without effective listening training, most practice merely reinforces negative behaviors

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Ten Myths About Listening

Competence in listening develops naturally

Fact:Untrained people listen at only 25 percent efficiency