Soft Skills
Soft Skills to Pay the Bills - Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success
Soft skills are personal attributes that enable you to work effectively with others. Soft skills inlcude communication, attitude, problem solving, teamwork, networking, professionalism and more. This material is created and provided by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Soft Skill #1: Communication
The activities in this section will not only help participants practice and recognize how they provide information to others, but also help them consider how others may prefer to receive information. It is important to reinforce with participants that communication skills involve give and take — and they can, indeed, be learned and strengthened over time.
Communication comes in many forms:
Verbal (sounds, language, and tone of voice)
Aura (listening and hearing)
Non-verbal (facial expressions, body language, and posture)
Written (journals, emails, blogs, and text messages)
Visual (signs, symbols, and pictures)
Read more about the soft skill of Communication.
Soft Skill #2: Enthusiasm & Attitude
The activities in this section seek to teach participants about the importance of enthusiasm and a positive attitude in the workplace. Participants will hear strategies for turning negative thinking into positive thinking and displaying and discussing enthusiasm during an interview and on the job.
Read more on Enthusiasm & Attitude.
Soft Skill #3: Teamwork
The activities in this section seek to teach participants about the importance of teamwork to workplace success and the specific role each individual on a team may play. Participants will learn about positive teamwork behavior and discover how their own conduct can impact others on a team.
Read more about Teamwork.
Soft Skill #4: Networking
The activities in this section focus on the process of networking and its relevance and importance to career development. Participants will learn about taking initiative and overcoming fear, informational interviewing, as well as potential guidelines to consider when using social networks, texting, and email for networking purposes.
Read more about Networking.
Soft Skill #5: Problem Solving & Critical Thinking
The activities in this section focus on learning how to solve problems in a variety of ways in the workplace. Participants will hear about how to properly tell the difference among criticism, praise, and feedback and reacting appropriately. The section will also review strategies for making ethical decisions, solving problems on a team with others, and learning how to take into account others' perceptions when assessing actions or statements in the workplace.
Read more about Problem Solving & Critical Thinking.
Soft Skill #6: Professionalism
The activities in this section focus on each of the five individual soft skills presented in this publication (communication, enthusiasm/attitude, teamwork, networking, and problem solving/critical thinking), but in a broader framework. This is because professionalism, is not one skill but the blending and integration of a variety of skills.
More about Professionalism.
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