Soft Skill Developer
Regardless of what industry your in, status of your position, or personal relationships, strengthening your soft skills will always help you advance in life. Below you will find a range of curriculum designed to bring your best interpersonal, and professional self forward.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem solving skills are important in every job at every level. Unusual events can happen in any work place and it is up to the employees to make a decision of how to resolve it on the spot.
Acquire more technical knowledge in your field
Depending on your industry, it may be easier to solve problems if you have strong working technical knowledge. You can obtain more technical knowledge through additional coursework, training, or practice.
Seek out opportunities to problem solve
By putting yourself into new situations, you are likely in alignment opportunities to problem solve. You may find there are opportunities to volunteer for new projects in your current role, on another team or outside the workplace for another organization.
Do practice problems
Practice and role-play can be useful tools when learning to develop your problem-solving skills. You can find professional practice books for your industry and problem-solving scenarios online. Practice how you might solve those problems and determine if your potential solutions are viable.
Observe how others problem solve
You may have colleagues who are skilled problem solvers. Observing how those colleagues solve problems can help you improve your own skills. If possible, ask one of your more experienced colleagues if you can observe their techniques. Asking relevant questions can be helpful in applying them in your own career.
NEGOTIATING
Negotiating and persuasion skills are important as they enable effective communication, influence, and mutually beneficial outcomes. They are essential for resolving conflicts, building relationships, and advocating for interests, leading to improved leadership and overall effectiveness.
Active Listening
Practice active listening by fully focusing on the other person's perspective, asking clarifying questions, and paraphrasing their ideas to ensure a thorough understanding before responding or presenting counterarguments.
Effective Communication
Hone your communication skills by articulating your thoughts clearly, using persuasive language and evidence to support your points, and adapting your communication style to resonate with your audience.
Research and Preparation
Prior to negotiations or persuasive conversations, thoroughly research the subject matter, understand the needs and motivations of the other party, and prepare logical and compelling arguments that address their concerns and interests.
Building Relationships
Cultivate strong relationships with others by demonstrating trustworthiness, empathy, and respect. By building rapport and establishing mutual understanding, you can create a foundation of trust that can enhance your negotiating and persuasive abilities.
Negotiation Practice
Seek opportunities to practice negotiation skills, whether through role-playing exercises, real-life scenarios, or workshops. Reflect on each negotiation experience to identify areas for improvement and refine your strategies for future interactions.
RESILIENCE
Resilience is crucial because it empowers individuals to overcome challenges, setbacks, and adversity with strength and adaptability. It also enhances personal growth, well-being, and the ability to handle stress, make effective decisions, and thrive in different aspects of life.
Developing a Growth Mindset
Cultivate a growth mindset by viewing challenges and setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth. Embrace failures as stepping stones to success and adopt a positive and resilient attitude towards obstacles.
Self-Care and Well-being
Prioritize self-care activities such as exercise, adequate sleep, healthy eating, and engaging in hobbies to support your physical and mental well-being. Taking care of yourself builds resilience and provides a solid foundation for managing stress and adversity.
Building Support Networks
Surround yourself with a strong support system of friends, mentors, and colleagues who provide encouragement, advice, and emotional support during challenging times. Seek their guidance and perspective when facing difficulties.
Developing Coping Strategies
Identify and develop effective coping strategies that work for you, such as mindfulness, deep breathing exercises, journaling, or engaging in activities that bring joy and relaxation. Practice these techniques during stressful situations to manage emotions and maintain focus.
Learning from Setbacks
When faced with setbacks, take time to reflect on the experience, identify lessons learned, and determine how you can apply those
COMMUNICATION
Rather than just verbal, having proper communication skills means having a broad understanding and experience with the following: Active Listening, Friendliness, Confidence, Sharing Feedback, Volume and Clarity, Empathy, Respect, Non-Verbal Cues, and Responsiveness.
Observe good communicators around you
Identify professionals, family and friends who consistently communicate ideas and information clearly with respect, empathy, and confidence. Observe and take notes on the specific ways they communicate with others. [Do they use a certain tone of voice in some cases? When? How do they explain complex information, ideas, or instructions? What kinds of emotion do they use when communicating, if any? How do their communications affect others?]
Ask a close friend or colleague for constructive criticism
It can be hard to know how you are perceived as a communicator. To get an objective opinion, ask a trusted friend for their honest feedback. Understanding your areas of improvement for communication can help you identify what to focus on.
Practice improving communication habits
Many communication skills are habits you have developed over time. You can improve those skills by practicing new habits that make you a better communicator. That might include being more responsive to communications when they are sent, reminding yourself to give eye contact, practicing giving positive feedback and asking questions in conversations.
Attend communication skills workshops or classes
There are several online and offline seminars, workshops and classes that can help you be a better communicator. These classes may include instruction, roleplay, written assignments, and open discussions.
Seek opportunities to communicate
Seek out opportunities both on and off the job that require you to use communication skills. This will help you keep good skills fresh while also allowing you the opportunity to practice new skills.
WORK ETHIC
Employees with a strong work ethic exhibit a particular set of values and behaviors which make them stand out as highly coveted team members and praise-worthy employees. These characteristics consist of reliability, dedication, discipline, productivity, cooperation, integrity, responsibility, and professionalism.
Act as an ambassador of the company
Maintain a positive attitude toward the company in both professional and personal interactions. Seek ways to further the business even if they’re outside the scope of your job. For example, a finance professional may pass a potential lead along to a sales representative.
Prioritize your professional responsibilities
Maintain good attendance, return promptly from lunch and arrive for meetings early. Strive to make personal appointments that don’t interfere with your work schedule and only take personal calls on your cell phone when you’re at lunch.
Seek professional development
Independently seek ways to improve your work performance, such as taking night classes, attending weekend seminars or reading industry publications.
Review your work
Submit thorough work that you have double-checked for quality and consistency. Manage your time properly so you can deliver projects early and give each task the time and attention it requires.
Show respect to others
Speak politely to and about others in the workplace. Keep your interactions professional to show your respect for others.
TEAMWORK
Teamwork skills are the qualities and abilities that allow you to work well with others during conversations, projects, meetings or other collaborations. Traits of a good team player consist of responsibility, open communication, honesty, active listening, empathy, awareness, and good collaboration skills
Get honest feedback
It can be difficult to identify your own areas of improvement. Finding a trusted friend, colleague or mentor that can offer you honest feedback about your teamwork strengths and weaknesses can help you improve them.
Set personal goals
Using both your own observations and feedback from others to form achievable, relevant and time-constrained goals can help you improve one teamwork skill at a time. Using the SMART goal framework is an easy way to set appropriate goals for your career.
Practice
It takes time and practice to see improvements in your skill set. Pay close attention to your teamwork interactions throughout the day both in and out of work. Take mindful steps to practice the specific qualities you are trying to build.
Mimic others with strong teamwork skills
When you see examples of great teamwork, take note and identify why the interaction stood out to you. Apply those qualities in your own interactions when working with others.
RESEARCH
Research skills are our ability to find an answer to a question or a solution to a problem utilizing the ability to gather information about your topic, review that information and analyze and interpret the information in a manner that brings us to a solution. Individuals who are good at researching, also have good attention to detail, problem-solving skills, time management skills, and note taking skills.
Make an outline
The first thing you should do when starting any research project is to make an outline to help guide your research. Your outline should include a plan for the questions you need to research and the information you need to arrive at a decision. It should also include a plan for how you will divide your research project into manageable parts and a schedule detailing when each piece of your project should be complete.
Know your sources
The internet has made locating information more accessible, but not every source is credible. It is important to know how to find reliable sources and analyze information to determine whether or not it is credible. To ensure you are gathering accurate information, try to verify information from one source by using another. Locate the original information source to verify its reliability.
Learn to use advanced search techniques
When you are using the internet for research, most search engines allow you to use advanced search preferences to customize your search results. These search techniques will help you find the information you are looking for from credible sources more efficiently.
Practice
One of the best ways to develop any new or existing skill is to practice. You can practice developing research skills by creating small research projects for yourself to work on that can help you with a current life event. For example, if you are planning a vacation, you can practice researching different activities and prices of hotels and transportation. If you are looking for a job, you can practice researching information about different positions and companies
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Conflict resolution is the art of addressing differences and finding common ground that enables everyone to work together peacefully. Individuals who have good conflict resolution skills, typically also have good active listening skills, perspective talking skills, mediation skills, problem solving skills, responsibility, and a bias for action.
1. Stay calm and maintain steady body language
2. Find a private, comfortable place to discuss the conflict
3. Acknowledge that a problem exists
4. Agree to find a resolution
5. Work to understand the perspective of everyone involved
6. Take note of what triggered the conflict
7. Identify opportunities for compromise
8. Agree on a plan for resolution
9. Check in to make sure the agreement is lasting
10. Involve HR or another third party if the conflict continues
CRITICAL THINKING
Developing critical thinking skills enables individuals to analyze complex situations, evaluate options, and make informed decisions. It fosters problem-solving abilities, promotes creative thinking, and enhances overall decision-making competence, which are crucial for personal and professional success.
Analyzing Situations
Break down complex issues into smaller components to identify key factors and variables. Conduct thorough research to gather relevant information and utilize critical thinking frameworks. Identify patterns and evaluate potential risks and benefits associated with each course of action.
Evaluating Options
Generate potential solutions, assess feasibility, and weigh the pros and cons of different alternatives. Analyze potential risks and rewards to make informed decisions, anticipating and planning for obstacles.
Problem-Solving
Define problems, generate and evaluate solutions, and break them down into manageable tasks. Develop action plans with clear steps, and adapt strategies based on feedback and evaluation.
Decision Making
Identify criteria, assess available data, consider short-term and long-term implications, seek input from stakeholders, and make timely decisions based on analysis and evaluation.
Critical Reflection
Reflect on past experiences, seek feedback, challenge assumptions, update knowledge and skills, and embrace a growth mindset for ongoing improvement.
NETWORKING
Building professional relationships and effective networking skills are essential for career growth and personal advancement. Strong connections provide opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and access to valuable resources. Effective communication and relationship-building contribute to a positive work environment and open doors to new opportunities.
Building Professional Relationships
Attend events, utilize social media platforms, participate in professional organizations, initiate conversations, and seek opportunities to collaborate and share knowledge.
Effective Communication
Express thoughts clearly, practice active listening, seek clarification, use appropriate channels, and continuously refine communication skills.
Collaboration
Foster a collaborative approach, actively participate in team projects, share knowledge and resources, demonstrate flexibility, and appreciate diverse perspectives.
Building Trust
Demonstrate reliability, maintain confidentiality, handle sensitive information with professionalism and integrity, and show respect and support for others' ideas and contributions.
Professional Etiquette
Adhere to workplace norms and expectations, maintain a positive attitude, and engage in respectful and professional behavior in all interactions.
STRESS MANAGEMENT
Learning effective stress management techniques is vital for maintaining overall well-being and achieving work-life balance. By recognizing and managing stressors, individuals can improve their resilience, prevent burnout, and enhance their physical and mental health, leading to increased productivity and overall satisfaction.
Recognizing Stressors
Identify personal and work-related stressors to gain awareness of factors that may impact well-being and performance. Develop strategies to manage and mitigate stress effectively.
Coping Strategies
Implement stress management techniques such as deep breathing exercises, mindfulness, or engaging in hobbies to reduce stress levels and enhance resilience. Seek support from colleagues or professionals when needed.
Work-Life Balance
Strive to achieve a healthy balance between work and personal life, ensuring sufficient time for relaxation, self-care, and pursuing interests outside of work. Set boundaries to maintain well-being and prevent burnout.
Building Resilience
Develop skills and practices to bounce back from setbacks and adapt to challenging situations. Cultivate a positive mindset, practice self-reflection, and engage in activities that promote emotional well-being.
TIME MANAGEMENT
Effective time management skills are essential for maximizing productivity, meeting deadlines, and achieving personal and professional goals. By prioritizing tasks, minimizing distractions, and allocating time efficiently, individuals can improve their focus, reduce stress, and achieve a better work-life balance, leading to increased efficiency and overall satisfaction.
Setting Priorities
Assess tasks and responsibilities to determine their urgency and importance. Prioritize and allocate time and resources accordingly to ensure timely completion.
Meeting Deadlines
Manage time effectively, set deadlines for tasks, and utilize tools such as calendars or task lists to stay organized and avoid procrastination. Plan and allocate time for each task based on its complexity and importance.
Productivity Techniques
Utilize time management techniques such as creating schedules, setting goals, and minimizing distractions. Identify peak productivity periods and allocate them to tasks that require focus and concentration.
Task Delegation
Recognize when it is appropriate to delegate tasks to others to optimize time management and ensure the efficient use of resources. Communicate effectively and provide clear instructions when delegating responsibilities.
Continuous Improvement
Regularly review and evaluate time management strategies to identify areas for improvement. Seek feedback from colleagues or supervisors and adapt techniques to enhance productivity and efficiency.
PROFESSIONALISM
Demonstrating professionalism in the workplace is crucial for establishing a positive reputation and advancing in one's career. It encompasses ethical behavior, a positive attitude, and adherence to workplace norms and standards. Acting professionally builds trust, fosters positive relationships, and enhances credibility, positioning individuals for long-term success.
Positive Attitude
Maintain a positive and professional demeanor, both in interactions with colleagues and when representing the organization. Display enthusiasm, motivation, and a willingness to contribute to the team's success.
Workplace Etiquette
Adhere to appropriate workplace behavior, dress code, and standards of conduct. Respect diverse perspectives and cultural differences. Practice good communication and active listening skills to foster positive relationships.
Integrity and Ethics
Uphold high ethical standards, demonstrate integrity, and act in an honest and trustworthy manner in all professional interactions. Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information responsibly.
Professional Development
Take ownership of professional growth by seeking opportunities to develop new skills, attending training or workshops, and staying updated with industry trends. Show a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
Accountability
Take responsibility for one's actions, meet commitments, and follow through on promises. Accept constructive feedback gracefully and use it to learn and grow. Take ownership of mistakes and work towards resolving them.
ADAPTABILITY
Adaptability skills can include a variety of skill sets that can essentially help you adapt to and deal with change positively and proactively. Some examples of these important soft skills include communication skills, interpersonal skills, problem solving skills, creative & strategic skills, teamwork skills, and organizational skills.
Be aware of changes in your environment
One key method that can help you develop your adaptability skills is to be aware of changes in your work environment. For instance, you might observe the finance team's new budget and stay updated on current allowances if your team's responsibilities involve the use of company funds. You might also remain aware of policies, procedures, and other operational processes to stay abreast of changes to various company practices.
Develop a growth mindset
Being adaptable also means being willing to learn and try new things. Developing a growth mindset can positively influence your ability to take on new challenges, find new opportunities to develop your knowledge and contribute to new projects. Your willingness and motivation to keep improving upon your skills can also show your employer your commitment to your professional growth.
Set goals for yourself
Another method that can help you develop your adaptability skills might be to set goals for yourself. For instance, if you feel you might be weaker in your nonverbal communication or tend to procrastinate when expected to complete challenging tasks, you might set a goal to work on each aspect of your skills so you can improve your overall ability to adapt to changes in the workplace.
Ask for feedback
As you develop throughout your career, you might think about requesting feedback or constructive criticism from your managers to help you improve on your weaker skills. Positive and constructive feedback can be beneficial for setting goals and achieving success in your career.
Learn to acknowledge and accept change
Learning to acknowledge changes in your career can help you prepare yourself and adapt to differing circumstances. Additionally, learning how to be willing to accept change can be an effective step toward recognizing when you need to make adjustments to make transitions smoother for yourself.