Soft skills

Soft skills
The key to success in the workplace
Shireen Harbin April 2017
1

In this short online course you will…
• Understand how soft
skills are important to
success in the workplace
• Understand how to use
soft skills to
communicate, manage
time, and solve problems
• Apply soft skills to specific
situations
2

Soft skills can be learned
• Soft skills are the personal
attributes that allow us to
effectively relate to others
• They:
o enhance personal
interactions
o lead to greater job
performance and satisfaction
o are interpersonal and can be
applied to a broad range of
situations
o encompass personality traits
(eg. optimism) and abilities
that can be practiced (eg.
empathy)
• Most important, soft skills can
be learned! 4

Soft skills are often neglected
• We often focus on
developing hard skills, such
as technology, knowledge,
or other skills related to
getting work tasks done
• Soft skills:
o build stronger work
relationships
o make work more
productive
o maximize career
prospects
o are directly transferrable
to any job, organization,
or industry
• It is worth investing in the
development of soft skills! 5

You solve problems every day!
• There are 4 steps to
problem-solving:
o Define the problem
o Generate alternate
solutions
o Evaluate
o Implement and re-
evaluate
6

You can’t solve a problem if you don’t
know what it is!
• A problem is often a
symptom of a larger issue
• Clearly define exactly
what the problem is
o this allows you to solve
the problem rather than
the symptom
• Move forward with
solutions to solve it
• Important when
emotions are high or
interactions are heated
o puts the focus back on
shared goals and allows
everyone to be heard 7

Take time to generate alternate
solutions
• Don’t just choose the first
solution
• Don’t push your preferred
solution to the exclusion of
others
• Generate alternate
solutions
• Discuss ways solutions
might play out and how to
overcome any obstacles
• As a group, decide which
ones to move forward with
• Apply active listening and
clear communication
throughout the process 8

How do we evaluate plans?
• Give all solutions equal
treatment
• Brainstorm benefits
• Anticipate problems
• Consider resources
available for each plan
o eg. people, time,
materials, funding
• As plans are evaluated, it
will quickly become clear
which are unworkable
• Narrow the list until the
most workable plans are
found
9

Don’t forget to re-evaluate!
• After the most workable plan is
chosen, its time to implement
it
o Communicate how the plan
will be implemented, what
each person’s role will be,
the expected goals and
outcomes
• Provide a timeline for the plan,
including when it will be re-
evaluated
• Communication and teamwork
are vital here
o People must feel that they are
part of the solution if you want
buy-in 10

Re-evaluation is often missed
• Take a few moments
to consider the
following question:
• Why is it important
to re-evaluate?
11

Why is it important to re-evaluate?
• Sometimes what appears
to be the most workable
plan on paper doesn't
play out when put into
action. It’s important to
re-evaluate so you can
gauge how well the plan
is working
• Depending on the results,
you may need to make
some changes or
implement a new plan
• Re-evaluation helps
determine whether the
original problem has
been solved
12

Summarizing problem-solving
• What have you learned
about problem-
solving?
• How will you use what
you’ve learned in the
future, in your
workplace or in your
personal life? Will your
approach be any
different? How?
• Next topic: Time
management
13

Time waits for no one…
• We will look at 4
topics under time
management
oScheduling
oPrioritizing
oManaging
distractions
oMulti-tasking
14

Master the art of scheduling
• Schedule work tasks
o Scheduling work tasks
makes them a priority
o Scheduling acts as a
reminder
• Scheduling takes time
to master
o Some tasks take more
or less time than
scheduled
• Don’t forget to
schedule breaks! 15

Do you schedule?
• Consider the following
questions:
• Do you schedule your
tasks?
• Do you schedule breaks?
• What types of tools do
you use to schedule your
time? (apps, Outlook, day
planner)
• Do you find scheduling
useful?
• What are other benefits
of scheduling?
16

Make it a priority
• Prioritizing ensures the
most important tasks
are dealt with
• It’s especially important
when working with
others
• Steps
o Determine what’s
important
o Slot priority items
into schedule first
17

Make it a priority
• Consider the
following questions:
• Why do you think
prioritizing is so
important when working
with others?
• What are consequences
of not prioritizing?
18

It’s important to prioritize when
working with others
• Prioritizing:
o prevents
miscommunication
o reduces conflict
o increases productivity
19

Prioritizing scenario
You come in to work on a Monday morning at 8am.
• You have 10 new emails in your Outlook inbox
• You have a meeting from 1130am-1230pm with your manager for your annual
performance review. You need an hour to complete the forms before the meeting.
You will need to update forms with comments after the meeting
• From 1230-130pm you are hosting a pot luck fundraising event. You are
responsible for collecting raffle tickets and donations (they go into two separate
envelopes and will need to be counted). You need to tell the 10 people who
brought food for the pot luck that you will be coming from a meeting and they
should set up without you. The room is booked from 12-2pm
• From 2-230pm, you have a weekly call with two team members to discuss a list of
issues. Out of this call, you will have action items to complete
You are leaving work at 4pm. How would you schedule your day?
Record your hourly schedule on a piece of paper.
20

Prioritizing scenario – Debrief
• Consider the following
questions:
• How did you find the
prioritization exercise?
Was it hard? Easy?
• What did you think of the
schedule you completed?
Could it have been done
differently?
• Are there any issues you
might not have
considered?
21

Prioritizing scenario – Debrief
• Did you consider…
o other tasks that may
be due tomorrow?
o delegating tasks to
others?
o interruptions or
distractions?
22

Finding your flow
Distractions happen!
• Determine your major
distractions
• Brainstorm solutions
• Distractions can’t be
eliminated, but they
can be minimized or
managed
23

Distractions can be minimized
Consider the following
questions:
• What are some
common types of
distractions?
• How can distractions
be minimized?
24

What are some common types of
distraction?
Possible answers:
• Checking
email/voicemail
• Colleagues
• Noise
• Clutter
• Spending too much
time on one task
(boredom) 25

How can distractions be minimized?
Possible answers:
• Establishing “open door”
hours
• Close door/ DND sign (when
might this not work?)
• Noise cancelling
headphones
• Check email/voicemail at set
times
• Let calls go to voicemail
• De-clutter workspace
• Schedule breaks
26

Multi-tasking is a myth!
• Multi-tasking is trying to do
more than one thing at a
time
• Studies show 30-40% more
time is spent on tasks when
multi-tasking
o Your attention is divided
• Leads to miscommunication
and errors
• Can damage relationships
o It can convey we’re not
interested in the person
trying to get our
attention
• It’s not the best way to
manage your time! 28

Summarizing time management
• What have you
learned about time
management?
future, in your
workplace, or in your
personal life? Will
your approach be any
different? How?
• Next topic: self-
confidence
29

Own it: self-confidence
• The greatest thing you can do for
your own success is to build and
learn to show self-confidence
• Self confidence is:
o the belief that you know what
to do and how to do it, that
you are good at what you do,
that you can handle any
situation that comes your way
o building yourself up, not
tearing others down
• When you are confident, you
make others around you feel
confident too
• Helps engender trust in you
• Demonstrates you are skilled and
adaptable
30

Studies show that confident people share many
of the same traits, even across cultures and
industries
• Consider the
following question:
• What are some traits
common to confident
people?
31

What are some traits common to confident
people?
• Possible answers:
o They are not afraid to be wrong
o They are willing to take a stand, even if
they end up being wrong
o They value what is right more than they
value being right
o They listen more than they speak
o They do not seek the spotlight, they
share it with others
o They ask for help
o They think in possibilities, not in
obstacles – they ask “why not?”
o They don’t put others down
o They aren’t afraid to look silly or foolish
o They acknowledge their mistakes
o They seek feedback from only those
who matter
o They accept compliments
o They walk their talk
32

How confident are you?
• Reflect on the following statements:
o I intuitively know what’s right
for me
o I walk my talk
o I am honest with others
o I am honest with myself
o I feel comfortable being wrong
o I am more interested in finding
out what is right than being
right
o It is not important to me that I
be right all the time
o I feel like I can meet any
challenge
o I operate well under pressure
o I do not put others down
o I like to share the spotlight with
others
o I have a clear vision for my life 33

How confident are you?
• Now that you’ve
reflected on those
statements, what do
you think are some
ways of building self-
confidence?
34

Surefire self-confidence building
tactics
• Dress your best
o Knowing you look good is key to
feeling good
o When you feel good you project
confidence
o Choose clothes that fit well and that
you feel good wearing
o Choose a haircut easy that’s to style
• Stand up straight
o Good posture is a quick, free way to
build confidence
o Stand up straight and keep shoulders
back. Don’t be afraid to take up space
o A bonus of good posture is that you
breath more deeply and get more
oxygen, which may mean you have
more focus
• Practice gratitude
o Practicing gratitude helps you see all
the blessings you have in your life
o It builds confidence and appreciation
for your life
35

Surefire self-confidence building
tactics
• Compliment others
o Shows you have concern and
appreciation for others
o A key trait of people who have
high self-confidence is that they
build up others
o The success of others does not
take away from your own
o Being a mentor can help build up
others’ self-confidence
• Accept compliments
o Too often. we say, “Yes, but…”
Instead, just accept the
compliment. Say, “Thank you.”
• Spend time with people who build
you up
o It helps to keep you positive 36

Summarizing self-confidence
• What have you learned
about self-confidence?
future, in your
workplace, or in your
personal life? Will your
approach be any
different? How?
37

That’s a wrap!
• What did you learn
today?
• How will you use the
information and skills
you have learned?
• Additional resources
(link)
38

Soft skills

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