1. The Hard Truth
about Soft Skills
Soft Skills can increase Job Retention and Improve
Advancement

2. - The Definition of Soft Skills
- The Benefits of Soft Skills
- The Training of Soft Skills
To Understand Soft Skills, Let’s
Look at These Areas…
Soft Skills can increase Job Retention and
Improve Advancement
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3. The Definition of Soft Skills
The Benefits of Soft Skills
The Most-Valued Soft Skills
The Training of Soft Skills
Here is how it is
used:
• Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an
individual's interactions, job performance and career
prospects.
• Unlike hard skills, which describe a person's technical
skill set and ability to perform specific tasks, soft skills
are broadly applicable across job titles and industries. It's
often said that hard skills will get you an interview but
you need soft skills to get -- and keep -- the job.*
*http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/soft-skills.
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4. Common Elements of
Employability Skills
Common elements of general employability skills (Bold = Soft Skills)
 Basic Functional Skills: i.e., literacy, number skills, uses of basic technology
 People-related skills: i.e., communication, interpersonal, teamwork, emotional
intelligence (EQ or EI)
 Conceptual/thinking skills: i.e., collecting and organizing information, problem-
solving, planning, thinking innovatively and creatively, process thinking
 Personal skills and attributes: i.e., being responsible, resourcefulness,
flexibility, self time-management, personal self-esteem
 Business skills: i.e., innovation mindset, industry and enterprise sills
 Community skills: i.e., civic or citizenship knowledge and skills.
 Technical Skills: i.e., Programming, specific tool use skills, database
management, statistical analysis, research
The Definition of Soft Skills
The Benefits of Soft Skills
The Most-Valued Soft Skills
The Training of Soft Skills
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5. Soft
Skills Hard
Skills
Employability
Skills
The Definition of Soft Skills
The Benefits of Soft Skills
The Most-Valued Soft Skills
The Training of Soft Skills
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6. The Definition of Soft Skills
The Benefits of Soft Skills
The Most-Valued Soft Skills
The Training of Soft Skills
Summary:
Soft skills are the character traits that enhance a
person’s interactions, and job performance. They are
personal attributes that relate to an individual’s
likeability, and functional attitude toward work.
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7. The Definition of Soft Skills
The Benefits of Soft Skills
The Most-Valued Soft Skills
The Training of Soft SkillsExamples
Positivity
Communications
Integrity
Teachability
Collaborative
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8. The Definition of Soft Skills
The Benefits of Soft Skills
The Most-Valued Soft Skills
The Training of Soft Skills
1. Benefits for the Employer
• Improved employee engagement
• More pleasant work environment
• More productivity
• More efficiency
• Less conflict
• Less confusion
• Better customer satisfaction
• More profit
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9. The Definition of Soft Skills
The Benefits of Soft Skills
The Most-Valued Soft Skills
The Training of Soft Skills
2. Benefits for the Employee;
• Getting hired
• Staying employed
• Career planning
• Less conflict
• Less confusion
• More personal growth
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10. The Definition of Soft Skills
The Benefits of Soft Skills
The Most-Valued Soft Skills
The Training of Soft Skills
“According to a study of what corporations
seek when they hire MBAs, the three most
desired capabilities are communication skills,
interpersonal skills and initiative – all of
which are elements of emotional
intelligence.”
(Caudron, S., 1999)
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11. The Definition of Soft Skills
The Benefits of Soft Skills
The Most-Valued Soft Skills
The Training of Soft Skills
• Because of the benefits we have already mentioned
• Because it’s good for society, as a whole, to have more people
who:
• Are polite and considerate
• Are able to collaborate
• Have a sense of responsibility to their jobs
• Have integrity, honesty
• Connect and communicate
• Many organization have hard skills training but struggle with
soft skills training
• Soft skills training does not do well with standard
methodologies, in my opinion
Training - Why?
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12. What would happen if we could provide training in these areas to allow each person to realize his or
her maximum potential and to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to:
A. Evaluate personal attitudes and work habits that support career retention and advancement.
B. Evaluate team member roles to describe and illustrate active listening techniques:
 Clarifying
 Encouraging
 Reflecting
 Restating
 Summarizing
C. Evaluate conflict resolution skills as they relate to the workplace:
 Constructive criticism
 Group dynamics
 Managing/leadership
 Mediation
 Negotiation
 Problem solving
D. Evaluate time management strategies and their application to both personal and work situations.
E. Evaluate strategies for career retention and advancement in response to the changing global
workplace.
F. Evaluate the impact of lifelong learning on career retention and advancement.
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13. The Definition of Soft Skills
The Benefits of Soft Skills
The Most-Valued Soft Skills
The Training of Soft Skills
• Hire a professional coach to train internal coaches
• Set up a coaching environment for training
• Build relationship pods to allow cross silo interactions &
communications
• Provide easy access to books & videos
• Understand this is an ongoing process
• Schedule in house seminars
• Encourage role-play sessions & modeling of behaviors
• Integrate soft skills topics in all training
• Remind your students that soft skills are part of the
evaluation process
Training - How?
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14. Let us help you set up your
soft skills training team
 Transformative Leadership Group
 PO Box 939
 Batavia, IL 60510
 Office: 630-454-4821
 Email: ron@tlg-rwme.us
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