It’s well known that leaders across all industries are concerned about the lack of soft skills in their employees. As business evolves, soft skills will become key differentiators in the workforce. Dale and Greg discuss the nuanced approach that is necessary in order to coach people to improve their self-awareness and develop their soft skills.
Listen to this podcast episode here
Key concepts in this episode include
- Communication touches all soft skills, so by improving communication, related soft skills are easier to address.
- Skills are behaviors used intentionally, which means they can be improved.
- Growing one’s self-awareness is key.
- There is a difference between skill-building and skill awareness. When shopping for soft-skill training, make sure you know what you’re buying, so you don’t waste resources.
- Many communication trainers treat the development of soft skills in the same way that hard skills are taught (do it this way). Developing soft skills requires a more nuanced approach that includes one-on-one coaching and helps people think on their feet.
- Beware the pitfalls of hiring too many different companies with inconsistent approaches to communication.
- Working on your communication must be like practicing tennis. It’s not enough to just work on the serve (what you’re saying). You must also work on the return (your response to what others say).
About Turpin Communication
Turpin Communication is a business communication training company. We build the skills presenters, meeting facilitators, and trainers need to achieve their goals, work more efficiently, and grow leadership capabilities. Our process is about simplification and personalization. We untangle confusing assumptions, clarify fuzzy definitions, and reject the tyranny of generic rules.
As communication trainers and coaches, Dale and Greg help businesspeople, or as they call them “Busy People at Work,” communicate more effectively and efficiently. They do that in workshop settings and private coaching sessions.