SOFT SKILLS: the Missing Component That Prevents Many December 2019 Students from Blasting Off Into Their Careers
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SOFT SKILLS: The Missing Component That Prevents Many December 2019 Students From Blasting Off Into Their Careers Soft Skills: The Missing Component That Prevents Many Warm-up Students From Blasting Off Into Their Careers Challenge ErikChristensen Houston, TX MicheleHeston SACSCOC Annual Meeting 2019 2 Puzzle Challenge What Skills Did You Notice At Work? • Communication • Positive Attitude • Teamwork • Interpersonal Skills • Time Management • Willingness to Learn • Critical Thinking • Resilience • Problem Solving • Attention to Detail • Adaptability • Influencing • Creativity • Personal Skills • Leadership • Organization 3 4 Kindergarten to College Learning Outcomes Page 1 • Be able to explain what soft skills are. • Be able to describe why you should emphasize developing soft skills. • Be able to identify how to develop activities focused on developing soft skills. 5 6 SACSCOC AM 2019 – Houston 1 SOFT SKILLS: The Missing Component That Prevents Many December 2019 Students From Blasting Off Into Their Careers Note Taking Guide Page 2 Put notes Put here questions here Summarize What? here 8 7 Origin of the term “soft skills” U.S. Army training manual in the 1972 “skills, abilities, and traits that pertain to personality, A simple term for a attitude, and behavior rather than to formal or technical knowledge.” complex set of personal qualities 9 10 Many Other Names Soft vs. Hard Skills •Power Skills •Behavioral Skills Soft skills are character Hard skills are specific, •Employability Skills •Leadership Skills traits and interpersonal quantifiable, and • • Communication Skills Human Skills skills that characterize teachable abilities that •People Skills •Personal Skills a person's relationship can be defined and •Emotional Intelligence •Interpersonal Skills with other people. measured. 11 12 SACSCOC AM 2019 – Houston 2 SOFT SKILLS: The Missing Component That Prevents Many December 2019 Students From Blasting Off Into Their Careers Hard and Soft Skills Should be Taught in Tandem Soft Skills Get a Bad Rap! •General public says.. •Research says.. •They’re soft. •They are hard! Hard Skills •Not measurable or •They are measurable and teachable. teachable! •Not very important. •They are important! Soft Skills 14 Changing Nature of Soft Skills Bad News Some people are innately better than others at soft skills No longer easy to tell the tone of voice 15 16 Good News Which is most important? A. Teamwork Soft skills can be trained, coached, and developed B. Communication C. Positive Attitude D.Critical Thinking E. Professionalism F. Time Management 17 SACSCOC AM 2019 – Houston 3 SOFT SKILLS: The Missing Component That Prevents Many December 2019 Students From Blasting Off Into Their Careers Why? Because there is a need! 19 20 The Disconnect Reframing the WHY Considered Essential Rated Proficiency by Competency by hiring managers college graduates Teamwork/Collaboration 97.5% 77.0% We must be willing to Critical Thinking/Problem Solving 99.2% 55.8% disrupt the way we do Professionalism/Work Ethic 100% 42.5% Oral/Written Communications 95.9% 41.6% business or someone Leadership 68.6% 33% else will! Career Management 47.1% 17.3% National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 21 22 21st Century Challenge What amount of job success attributable to soft skills excellence? 80% of executives believe we need to fuse the three R’s with the four C’s A. 27% Critical Thinking Reading B. 46% Creativity WRiting C. 65% Collaboration ARithmetic D. 85% Communication 23 SACSCOC AM 2019 – Houston 4 SOFT SKILLS: The Missing Component That Prevents Many December 2019 Students From Blasting Off Into Their Careers What percent of executives rate soft skills at What percent of executives report least as important as technical skills? difficulty finding talent with soft skills? A. 43% A. 36% B. 63% B. 55% C. 78% C. 73% D. 92% D. 89% “We hire for hard skills. We fire for soft skills.” https://www.ispot.tv/ad/dSpg/mcdonalds-skills-that-work-for-you 27 28 Shoulder Partner Activity Discuss with your shoulder partner what soft skills are and why they are important in the workplace How? 30 29 SACSCOC AM 2019 – Houston 5 SOFT SKILLS: The Missing Component That Prevents Many December 2019 Students From Blasting Off Into Their Careers Teaching Soft Skills Follow the Universal Design for Learning • Enable demonstration of learning through multiple modalities Cannot be done in a vacuum but must be… • Encourage the use of technology • Introduced • Include opportunities for “do-overs” • Developed • Provide instructions identifying steps to completion • Refined • Encourage students to present their own thoughts and opinions • Practiced • Provide feedback in multiple forms • Reinforced • Include opportunities for students to collaborate • Provide opportunities for students to ask questions 31 32 Learning Content should be… Implementation Options • Engaging and fun • Offer as a stand-alone course (1-2 credits) • Easy to understand and complete • Relevant to their needs • Embed components into curriculum of every • Applicable not only to workplace but their personal lives program as well • Offer as CWE course • Presented in ways that make it easy to digest and retain 33 34 Recommended Framework Discussion 1. Discussion • Start the class with a short overview of the topic 2. Activity • Engage in discussion 3. Conclusion/Reflection • Present a situation and ask for comments 4. Extension Activity • Show a video and then discuss 35 36 SACSCOC AM 2019 – Houston 6 SOFT SKILLS: The Missing Component That Prevents Many December 2019 Students From Blasting Off Into Their Careers Activity Examples Activity • Perform a skit • Engage students in a fun, yet meaningful, • Journaling activity Critical Thinking activity focused on a specific soft skill • Discuss a quote Creativity Collaboration • Draw a concept map • Easy to understand and relevant Communication • Analyze a photograph • Applicable to both workplace and home • Unfolding case study • Presented so it easy to digest and retain • Watch a video then discuss/reflect 37 38 Conclusion/Reflection Extension Activity • Summarize what should have been learned from the • After-class assignment to assess the learning activity that was accomplished • Ask students some reflective questions • Individual or group assignment • What would you do? • Options: • What would you tell your friend? o Post online for others to comment o Present in class at next meeting o Submit for evaluation and grade 39 40 Extension Activity Examples • Create a poster presentation Teaching Critical Thinking • Create an infographic Creativity • Develop a hands-on activity Collaboration Time Management Communication • Write and perform a skit • Create an internet scavenger hunt • Create a Facebook wall • Make a video 41 42 SACSCOC AM 2019 – Houston 7 SOFT SKILLS: The Missing Component That Prevents Many December 2019 Students From Blasting Off Into Their Careers Time Management Discussion • In small groups, define time management and • Effective planner • Time control multitasking • Organizing time • Time optimization • Make a list of skills involved in managing time • Prioritization of tasks • Time scheduling • Process of planning time • Timing • Compare lists with other groups • • Time allocation Working time arrangement • Can you be effective doing two or more tasks at the • Time analysis same time? Let’s find out! 43 44 Teaching Time Management Activity Activity Example - Part 1 • Write down your typical morning routine while simultaneously counting out loud backwards from 100 by ones Page 6 30 Seconds • Record the number of words you wrote and the number you reached 45 46 Activity Example - Part 2 Conclusion • Write down your typical morning routine • Compare your results from Parts 1 and 2 30 Seconds • What observations did you notice? • Record number of words you wrote • Now, how effective do you think you are at • Now, count backwards from 100 by ones multitasking? 30 Seconds • Share some apps related to time management • Record the number you reached 47 48 SACSCOC AM 2019 – Houston 8 SOFT SKILLS: The Missing Component That Prevents Many December 2019 Students From Blasting Off Into Their Careers Extension Activity • Write a case study on time management Teaching • Develop a hands-on activity on time management Communication • Write a reflective journal • Find and review 10 apps related to time management • Create an Internet scavenger hunt related to time management 49 50 Communication Discussion • Able to listen • Read body language • Communication comes in many forms (e.g., verbal, aural, • Listening • Storytelling non-verbal, written, visual) • Negotiation • Verbal communication • Can you give me an example of each? • Nonverbal communication • Visual communication • It is important to understand your preferred • Persuasion • Writing reports/proposals communication method and those you work with • Presentation • Writing skills • Communication skills are some of the most desired skills • Public speaking employers look for 51 52 Activity Example • Fold your sheet of paper in half • Get a sheet of paper (last page of handout) • Now, tear off the upper right-hand corner • Hold it in front of you • Fold the paper in half again and tear off the upper • Close your eyes and listen carefully to my left-hand corner directions • Fold in half again in half • The rules: No peeking or questions! Last page • Now tear off the lower right-hand corner 53 54 SACSCOC AM 2019 – Houston 9 SOFT SKILLS: The Missing Component That Prevents Many December 2019 Students From