Critical Soft Skills in the Workplace “How to Play Nice in the Sandbox"

Critical Soft Skills in the Workplace“How to Play Nice in the Sandbox"

What are Soft Skills?

• Cluster of personal qualities, habits, attitudes and social graces that make someone a good employee and compatible to work with

• Personal attributes that enhance an individual’s interactions, job performance and career prospects

Soft Skills …

• Are often described by using terms often associated with personality traits, such as:

• Optimism• Common Sense• Responsibility• A sense of humor• Integrity

And abilities that can be practiced but require the individual to genuinely like other people) such as:• Empathy• Teamwork• Leadership• Communication• Good Manners• Negotiation• Sociability• The ability to teach

Hard skills will get you an interview but you need soft skills to get AND KEEP the job.

• With business being done at an increasingly fast pace, employers also want people who are;

• Agile

• Adaptable

• Creative at solving problems NOT creating them

Common soft skills employers are looking for and will be assessing

STRONG WORK ETHIC• Are you motivated and dedicated to getting the job done, no matter what?

• Will you be conscientious and do your best work?

POSITIVE ATTITUDE

• Are you optimistic and upbeat?

• Will you generate good energy and good will?

GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS

• Are you both verbally articulate and a good listener?

• Can you make your case and express your needs in a way that builds bridges with colleagues, customers and vendors?

TIME MANAGEMENT ABILITIES

• Do you know how to prioritize tasks and work on a number of different projects at once?

• Will you use your time on the job wisely?

PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS

• Are you resourceful and able to creatively solve problems that will inevitably arise?

• Will you take ownership of problems or leave them for someone else?

ACTING AS A TEAM PLAYER

• Will you work well in groups and teams?

• Will you be cooperative and take a leadership role when appropriate?

SELF- CONFIDENCE

• Do you truly believe you can do the job?

• Will you project a sense of calm and inspire confidence in others?

• Will you have the courage to ask questions that need to be asked and to freely contribute your ideas?

ABILITY TO ACCEPT AND LEARN FROM CRITICISM

• Will you be able to handle criticism?

• Are you coachable and open to learning and growing as a person and as a professional?

FLEXIBILITY/ADAPTABILITY

• Are you able to adapt to new situations and challenges?

• Will you embrace change and be open to new ideas?

WORKING WELL UNDER PRESSURE

• Can you handle the stress that accompanies deadlines and crises?

• Will you be able to do your best work and come through in a pinch?

Three Major Employer Expectations

• Dependable. Employers expect employees to show up for work on time and be honest and reliable

• Professionally dressed and groomed. Employers expect employees to be clean, neat, and professional in their appearance and follow dress codes

• Skilled. Employers expect employees to have the necessary, training, experience, skills, and credentials

to do the job.

Another way to think about how to succeed comes from thinking about why people DON’T succeed.People lose their jobs because they:• Are unreliable and absent or late too

many days

WHY PEOPLE GET FIRED

• Refuse to follow direction• Lie on their resumes or applications or

while on the job

• Cannot get along with other workers or their supervisors

WHY PEOPLE GET FIRED

• Steal from their employers• Have unacceptable grooming or clothes• Use work time for personal business• Cannot do the work, work too slowly, or

make too many mistakes.• Do not follow safety rules

WHY PEOPLE GET FIRED

Ask yourself, Would your current or former supervisors use any of those reasons to describe your employment history?

WHY PEOPLE GET FIRED

• A 2014 survey by CareerBuilder.com showed that 27 percent of the workers surveyed were late at least once a month. The most common reasons they gave included being held up by traffic(31%), oversleeping(18%), dealing with bad weather(11%), and taking children to school or daycare(8%).

Other reasons included delays in public transportation, pets, spouses, and television and Internet usage. About a third of the employers surveyed said they have had to fire employees for being late.

• Be Honest• Pay Attention to How You Look• Monitor Your Progress• Report to Work on Time• Solve Your Scheduling Problems• Make a Plan for Your life Outside of Work

Meet employer expectations

Ideally, all employers would be clear about what they expect from employees and would provide the necessary training, guidance, and feedback to help employees meet those expectations. Ultimately it is the employee’s responsibility to make sure that they are doing their job well.

Have a positive attitude every day

• To succeed, you have to work smart. Attitude is a major part of why people are let go. Whether you are looking for a job, starting a new one, or wanting to improve your performance on your current job, other people– your boss, coworkers, and your customers will be looking at you, judging you.

They’re trying to make up their minds whether you fit into their workplace. Your words, gestures, and actions will tell them everything they need to know.

YOUR ATTITUDE CHECK LIST Arrive early and stay late Ask for more responsibility Smile and be friendly Volunteer to help others Learn on your own time Encourage others’ ideas Ask for more training Accept new assignments willingly Accept help from others

YOUR ATTITUDE CHECK LIST

Respond defensively Interrupt others Complain Make unrealistic promises Ignore others Gossip Act like a know-it-all Blame others Put tasks off to the last minute

LOOK FOR WAYS TO ENJOY YOUR WORK

Be positive Let your supervisor know you care about your

performance within the organization Volunteer for new assignments Transfer to a new job at the same organization Teach or mentor others Ask for what you want

LEARN YOUR JOB AND DO IT WELL

Identify skills you need to improve Take advantage of on the job training Connect with others Keep learning

GET ALONG WITH OTHERS Don’t underestimate the importance of getting

to know the people in your workplace. Not getting along is one of the main reasons for being unhappy with a job and one of the top reasons people are fired.

Getting along with others includes: • Respecting your supervisor• Being a team player• Take direction with an open mind• Respect others’ work areas• Pay attention to how you communicate with

others

• Resolve conflicts quickly• Respect others by listening to them• Learn how to handle difficult coworkers• Think about the customer

Getting along with others includes:

MANAGE TIME & TECHNOLOGY WELL WHILE ON THE JOB

It’s easy to abuse technology. The phone is right there. The computer is right there. You’re not hurting anyone by using them for personal contact right? WRONG This is another form of theft from the employer if you spend your time managing your personal life on the cell phone, computer or by texting throughout the day

Workplace phone etiquette• Limit personal calls while at work

(incoming and outgoing). Schedule contacts during your break or lunch hour. If you must take a call keep it short.

• Phones should be on vibrate so as not to bother others

Never use a phone: When driving a car, operating potentially dangerous machinery, in the company bathroom, when waiting on a customer and during a meeting

Workplace phone etiquette

DOS AND DON’TS OF COMPUTERS AT WORK

DO• Protect your password• Use the computer as you have been

trained to do• Route computer messages to only the

people who need them

DO • Follow procedures to avoid introducing viruses

to the internal computer network• Clean out your email inbox regularly• Follow policies and report security issues

DOS AND DON’TS OF COMPUTERS AT WORK

DOS AND DON’TS OF COMPUTERS AT WORK

DON’T• Use your work email to forward jokes, video clips,

pictures or other non work related items.• Spend work time surfing the web for pleasure• Use email or social media to gripe about co

workers

• Visit any inappropriate sites• Access information that does not apply to your job• Complain about your workplace on Facebook,

Twitter, or other social media sites

DOS AND DON’TS OF COMPUTERS AT WORK

BE A PROFESSIONAL• Start building your professional

reputation- You can build on your reputation by making a few simple additions to what is typically expected of you.

• Think like a supervisor- progress from thinking about only yourself to thinking like a supervisor who sees the big picture

• Develop your network• Reach out to work your way up• Expand your network on line• Choose a mentor

BE A PROFESSIONAL