Sub Heading

Main HeadingMay 2015 1

Steven Truman

Succeeding beyond the technical

Soft Skills in the workplace

Hypothetical #1

• Interview situation30-40 minutes into the interview

Interviewer: Could you tell me how many tennis balls would fit into this room?

Candidate: ???

Hypothetical #1Interviewer: Could you tell me how many tennis balls would fit into this room?

• Volume: H x W x D?• Regular shaped room?• Furniture and people excluded?• Standard championship ball?• Gravity environment?

• Assume compression factor of 0.9 from layer 2 upwards decreasing by 0.5% for every layer of balls.

• Assume each layer of balls fits into the holes between the layer of balls below. i.e. Height of two layers of balls ≠ 2 balls

• Ask questions• Make assumptions• Work in a low information environment• Reasoning• Apply a process

Hypothetical #1Interviewer: Could you tell me how many tennis balls would fit into this room?

• Question behind the question• Testing Technical versus

methodology• Assessment of the person

Hypothetical #1Interviewer: Could you tell me how many tennis balls would fit into this room?

• Ask question• Make assumptions• Work in a low information environment• Reasoning• Apply a process

• Inexperienced or junior interviewer• Levels of respect• Trying to catch you out in the interview• What are they trying to learn about you?• What is the question behind the question?

Hypothetical #2

• In the elevator with the CEO

CEO: How are you?Employee: ???

Hypothetical #2

• In the elevator with the CEOCEO: How are you?

Employee: Are you familiar with project XYZIt’s aimed at bringing about (insert end result of project)It will really benefit the organisation because...My role in the project is...Ask a relevant interesting question

Let know if you need more information or anything else I can help you with.

Hypothetical #2

• In the elevator with the CEO

• Think like the person you are talking to• Put yourself in their shoes – what are the issues they have to deal with

• budgets • strategy• organisational development• leadership• organisational culture

• Show your positivity• Make a connection

• Elevator pitch <30s must be work related• Don’t complain that Peter leaves a mess in the kitchen

What are Hard Skills?

Hard Skills

Technical or academic Science degreeSoftware developerCivil Engineer

Easy to define Apply scientific process to a problem.Write a program to find your location of a map using your phone GPSDesign a bridge

Measurable CertificationUniversity Degree

Can be easily taught Online@UniversityIn the workplace

What are Soft Skills?Soft Skills

Non Technical CommunicationActive listeningSee things from all viewpoints (Poly View)Can see the grey – not all black & whiteEase around peopleRelates to the big pictureSituations are not staticGenerally positive (but not delusionally so)Knows who they are \ where they want to be

Hard to define But easy to spot

Not easily measured But you know when it’s good

Not easily taught But can be learnt with experience & willingness

Why Are Soft Skills Significant

• How important is this really?• Technology is the easy bit• Knowing yourself is a lot harder• Transferrable across industries, fields, and job titles• Recruiters: beyond technical competencies on your CV • No one can know everything about their field.• Ability, willingness, capacity to learn new things quickly is key.

This is a soft skill.

Soft skills

Communication

Stakeholders

Expectations

Management & Leadership

Externallyfocussed

Soft skills

Active Listening

Strengths

PsyCap

Positive Psychology

Conflict

Appreciative Inquiry

Internallyfocussed

Communication

• hh

After Williamson 2009 (sltinfo.com)

• Shannon-Weaver model of communication (1948)• Osgood-Schramm circular model of communication (1955)

What about the noise and the medium?Culture VerbalLanguage WrittenBody language

Stakeholders• An individual, group or organisation who may affect, be affected by,

or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity or outcome of the project. (Project Management Institute)

• Who is who?• What are they about?• What is important to them?

Stakeholder Management

Tools & Techniques

• Power & Influence grid• Influence & interest grid• Interest & Impact grid• Salience Model

Expectations Management• What is required from you, your group, your project?• Are they realistic?• Do they align?

Tools & TechniquesGap analysis

Engagement AnalysisKey message sheets

Issue logs

Political Awareness

• Not Left vs Right• Political Antennae• Power is knowledge• Power and Influence• Organisational structure (Who reports to whom)• Organisational view of you and your role• Affiliates and cliques• Who is moving up \ down \ sideways• Learn to ‘read’ people• Build you personal brand

Tools & TechniquesChange Readiness Audits

360⁰ Feedback

Foucault (1977)(Power \ Knowledge)

Management vs Leadership

Subject Management Leadership

Role Stability Change

Decision Making Makes Facilitates

Approach Plans around constrains Sets and leads direction

Vision Short to medium term Long term

Control Influence & negotiate Charm & Charisma

Culture Endorses Shapes

Values Results Achievements

Concerns Doing the thing right Doing the right thing

Focus Managing work Leading people

Human Resources Subordinates Followers

Grace Murray Hopper You manage things; you lead people

Active Listening

• Listen more than you talk• Enquire to understand the speaker’s point of view• Explain in plain language – alter to match the listener, watch for jargon

• Pay attention• Show that you are listening• Provide feedback• Respond appropriately• Defer judgement• Short words of encouragement• Open questions

after Hirst & Gilchrist (2013)

Active Listening Technique Examples

Encouraging Can you expand on that point...

Clarifying What do you mean by...In what sense do you mean xyz...

Restating So what you are saying is...What you mean here is that...An example of that could be...

Reflecting (verbal) You seem to be advocating a certain view here...

Reflecting (non-verbal) From your smile, I think you enjoyed...

Summarising So it’s all about...So from what I understand from you...

Validating I think I am seeing it in a different perspectiveI appreciate explaining this problem to me

Building What about if we did...Have you thought about...Another way to look at it is...

Active Listening

Know your Strengths

• Strengths not weaknesses• Behaviours in which we excel• Activities that invigorate• Know your signature strengths• Work in teams with different strengths

Biswas-Diener & Kashdan (2010)Buckingham & Clinton (2001)

Kashdan & Minhas (2010)Linley & Harrington (2007)

Peterson & Seligman (2004)

Screw it, let’s do it (2011)

Know your Strengths

Strengths approach leads to:• Engagement• Higher work satisfaction• Lower employee turnover• Raw performance

Tools & Techniques:Myers BriggsDISCVIA assessment

VIA Strengths

StrengthAppreciation of beauty Kindness

Bravery Leadership

Creativity Love

Curiosity Love of learning

Fairness Perseverance

Forgiveness Perspective

Gratitude Prudence

Honesty Self-regulation

Hope Social intelligence

Humility Spirituality

Humour Teamwork

Judgement Zest

VIA Institute on Character

Psychological Capital

PsyCap

Optimism

Hope

Resilience

Self efficacy

SupportiveOrganisational

Climate

PositiveOrganisational

Outcomes

Luthans (2002)

Luthans foundations of Psychological Capital

Positive Psychology

• Instead of treating what is wrong with people, treat what is right

• Positive emotions• Positive individual traits (Strengths based approach)• Positive institutions

Seligman (2000) – Positive PsychologySeligman (2005) – Authentic Happinesshttp://bit.ly/1KyYttu

TED Talk - Seligman

Positive Psychology

Positive people and organisations can:• See new possibilities• Bounce back from setbacks• Connect with others• Be more engaged• Become the best version of yourself• Positive emotions are contagious in the workplace

•The Losada Line – 3:1 positive to negativeFrederickson (2009) – PositivityFrederickson and Losada (2005)

Why is it important?

How to build Positivity

• Be open• Create high quality connections• Cultivate kindness• Develop distractions• Dispute negative thinking• Spend time with nature• Learn and apply your strengths• Practice mindfulness• Ritualise gratitude• Savour positivity• Visualise your future

Frederickson (2009) – Positivity

Managing Conflict

• Conflict is more than a disagreement• Continues to fester when ignored• We respond based on perceptions• Trigger strong emotions• Opportunity for growth

after Hirst & Gilchrist(2012)

Disagreement over motivations, values, perceptions, ideas, or desires

Healthy vs Unhealthy ConflictHealthy Conflict Unhealthy Conflict

Rational debate BickeringProblem focussed not people focussed

Verbal abuse

Emotions kept in check Not listeningCalm, non-defensive, respectful Inability to compromiseRespect for each others views Blaming and avoiding blameClear and thoughtful communication

Personalising

Readiness to forgive and forget Disrespectful or submissiveRigid and unbending in views

after Hirst & Gilchrist(2012)

• Directing• Cooperating• Avoiding• Harmonising• Compromising

Kraybill Conflict Style Inventory

Appreciative Inquiry

We create our organisations based on our anticipations of the future. The image of the future guides the current behaviour of any system – Cooperrider (2007)

Cooperrider & Srivasva (1990)Cooperrider, Whitney and Stavros (2008)

People and organisations that apply core principles of AI can:

• Enhance their personal relationships and communication• Build enthusiasm, ownership, commitment and a sense of

purpose

Appreciative Inquiry

Cooperrider & Srivasva (1990)Cooperrider, Whitney and Stavros (2008)

• AI is about asking questions that strengthen people’s capacity to understand, anticipate, and heighten positive potential.

• Focussed on positive organisational core.

• Organisations and people have assets, capabilities, and strengths to be located, affirmed, leveraged and encouraged.

• Strengths based approach – what is strong, not what is wrong.

Appreciative Inquiry

Problem focussed approach Appreciative Enquiry

What is wrong or broken What is strong and workingProblem focussed (needs) Asset focussed (strengths)External focus Internal focusLooks backwards Future lookingCan isolate groups or individuals RelationshipsAmplifies problems Amplifies strengths

Discourages, demoralises Commitment, confidenceChange based on resource needs Change from within

Appreciative Inquiry – 4D model

Are Soft Skills Significant?

• How important is this really?• Technology is the easy bit• Knowing yourself is a lot harder

Questions and comments?