For Success in the Workplace Joanne Baldassari, M.S., CRC James Sarno, M.Ed., CRC Somerville Area...

for

Success in the WorkplaceJoanne Baldassari, M.S., CRCJames Sarno, M.Ed., CRCSomerville Area Office MRC

5 Middlesex Ave. Somerville, MA2007

Soft Skills

• Presentation developed by Joanne, Jim and the Somerville Area Office of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission.

• Please note that numbers in the lower right-hand side of some slides refer to the references cited at the end of the presentation.

What are Soft Skills?• Non technical skills, abilities, and traits

required to function in a specific employment environment

• Abilities needed to – get a job– stay employed– advance

• Soft Skills include problem solving, personal qualities and work ethic, communication, and interpersonal and teamwork skills

GOALS

• Build confidence

• Understand employer expectations

• Learn and practice effective communication

• Identify strategies for overcoming common employment barriers

• Improve skills in problem solving, decision making, and anger management

• Develop your ability to handle change

OUR ASSUMPTIONS• Livelihood is a journey, not a destination. Use

this job so it works on your behalf• Any job you do is worth doing well• You get as much from your job as you put into it• Attitude matters!• The small daily choices you make impact what

happens• Success on the job is related to learnable skills and

behavior

1

INTRODUCTIONS

• What is your Job Goal?

• What do you hope to gain from this workshop?

• Why did you leave your last job?

Why are Soft Skills Important?

What Employers WantTop 10 Qualities

1. Communication skills (verbal and written)

2. Honesty and integrity

3. Teamwork skills

(works well with others)

4. Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)

5. Motivation/ initiative

6. Strong work ethic

7. Analytical skills

8. Flexibility, adaptability

9. Computer skills

10. Self confidence

2

TOP SOFT SKILLSDesired by Employers

• Show up to work, every day on time

• Be able to work effectively in teams

• Demonstrate initiative, ask for more work when finished with assigned work

• Be flexible, take on new assignments with a positive attitude

• Provide good customer service to both internal and external customers

• Take pride in doing a good job; demonstrate a can do attitude

• Demonstrate high personal standards

• Report to work in appropriate, professional dress attire

• Be able to resolve conflicts in the workplace

• Be eager to learn

3

DEALING WITH CHANGE

PREPARING FOR THE WINDING ROAD OF

TRANSITION• We have all gone through

many life changes

• Change requires us to

go through transition-

set of stages that lead to new beginning

• What can you expect when adjusting to a new job

Map of transition to a new job

• Stage 1

Lost in the forest

• Stage 2

Finding your bearings

• Stage 3

Heaven or hell

• Stage 4

You are adjusting

4

Traveling Tips for the Winding Road of Transition

• Identify the stage you’re in

• Recognize your expectations

• Stay focused on what is going right

• Know the rules of the road- clarify what is expected from others

• Use your support network

• Take the journey one mile at a time

• Be flexible in your perspective5

MEETING NEW PEOPLE

Taking advantage of a clean slate

“I always wanted to be somebody,

I guess I should have been

more specific.”

Lily Tomlin

Starting relationships out on the right foot

SESSION 2

ATTITUDE

AND

COMMUNICATION

CHOOSING TO THINK POSITIVE

• NEGATIVE THOUGHTSNEGATIVE THOUGHTS

• BASED ON POWERLESSNESS

• FOCUSED ON OTHER PEOPLE OR THE SITUATION

• POSITIVE THOUGHTSPOSITIVE THOUGHTS

• BASED ON YOUR CONTROL OF THE SITUATION

• FOCUSED ON WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE THE SITUATION BETTER

BREAKING BAD HABITS OF THE MIND

• DWELLING ON THE PASTDWELLING ON THE PAST

• HOLDING GRUDGESHOLDING GRUDGES

• COMPARING YOURSELF COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERSTO OTHERS

• BLAMING OTHER PEOPLEBLAMING OTHER PEOPLE

• ALWAYS THINKING THE ALWAYS THINKING THE WORSTWORST

• DOUBTING YOURSELFDOUBTING YOURSELF

• NURSING OLD WOUNDSNURSING OLD WOUNDS

• NOTICING OTHER NOTICING OTHER PEOPLE’S FAULTSPEOPLE’S FAULTS

• FEELING SORRY FOR FEELING SORRY FOR YOURSELFYOURSELF

• COMING UP WITH COMING UP WITH EXCUSESEXCUSES

• PUTTING DOWN YOUR PUTTING DOWN YOUR DREAMSDREAMS

• DOUBTING EVERYONE DOUBTING EVERYONE ELSEELSE

Keep your head

• Read the signs!

• Take a time out.

……..and keep your job!

• Figure out what you are angry about!

• Get bigger than your anger!

• Choose your best response

Communication

People in organizations typically spend 75% of

their time in an interpersonal situation

7

Social psychologists estimate…...

There is a 40-60% loss of meaning in the

transmission of messages from the sender to

receiver!8

Did you know that the majority of communication

is non-verbal?

Studies suggest over 90% of the meaning we derive from

communication, we derive from non-verbal cues that the other

person gives .

9

• Body Language • Tone

10

And………………..

• Tactile

• Use of– time

– space

– image

11

Listening is an………...

• Art

• a discipline

• and like other skills requires self-control

Hearing becomes listening only when you pay attention to what is said and follow it very closely

Show you are listening by:

• Your body language

• echoing words

• making eye contact

• Nods of your head

• keeping your body open

• leaning toward the speaker

SESSION 3

PERSONAL QUALITIES

AND

HABITS FOR SUCCESS

“The most powerful learning experiences often result from making mistakes”“

The important thing is that we don’t keep repeating the same

ones over and over again.

6 Hot Tips for Making Fresh Mistakes

• Learn from your mistakes

• If your mistake hurts someone, apologize

• Let your mistakes come from good intentions

• Not everyone will appreciate your mistakes

• Expect at least one mistake a day

• Most problems can be transformed by looking at them differently

12

List 3 mistakes you worry about on this job

• A.

• B.

• C.

BENEFITINGFROM

PRAISE AND CRITICISM

Tips for responding to feedbackIf the feedback is positive

• Take a deep breath, smile and say – “THANK YOU.”

• Being able to take positive feedback gracefully is an important workplace skill!

13

Tips for responding to feedbackIf the feedback is negative

• Deal only with the situation in front of you

• Separate the facts of the situation from your feelings about it – Don’t listen to details about what did or didn’t

happen; listen for clues that lead to solutions!

• Know that your version of the truth is not everyone else’s version

14

Tips for responding to feedbackIf the feedback is negative

• Change your focus from “winning” to “agreeing”– Focus on solutions rather than on what went

wrong

• Cool off before responding!!

• Focus your time, energy and thoughts on areas where you have control

15

WORKPLACE CULTURE“When in Rome, do as the Romans do”

Workplace Culture

• Workplaces have their own cultures

• Rules are both written and unwritten

• Keep your eyes open and learn what to do

• Ask questions

16

Learn the unwritten rules:

• Dress code

• Personal use of equipment and resources

• Time and downtime

• Do’s and don’ts

• Unusual circumstances

• How people relate to each other

17

COWORKER AND CUSTOMERRELATIONS

Communicating with the customer

AVOID• “I don’t know”• “You want it by

when?”• “That’s not my job”• “That’s not my fault”

REPLACE WITH• “I’ll find out”• “I’ll get this to you as soon

as I can”• “This is who can help you”• “Let’s see what we can do

about this”

18

Communicating with the customer

AVOID• “You need to talk to the

manager”• “Calm down”

• “I’m busy right now”

• “Call back”

REPLACE WITH• “Let me see how I can help

you”• “I am so sorry for your

(inconvenience, disappointment, frustration)”

• “I’ll be with you in just a moment”

• “I will call you back”

19

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as

Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a street sweeper

who did his job well.’ ”Martin Luther King, Jr.

Suggestions for going the EXTRA MILE

for your employer• Do more than you are asked and contribute

more than what is required

• If you don’t have anything to do, find something to do

• Look for ways to make things better

• Volunteer to do the things that seem to fall between the cracks

20

Suggestions for going the EXTRA MILE

for your employer• Make a game of your work in a way that

improves it

• Give your full attention to your work

• Offer to learn a new task

• Look for solutions to problems you find

21

“If you make your job important, it’s likely to return the favor.”

Anonymous

Material used in this presentation taken from outside resources is referenced on the following slides.

This presentation and the original material found within it was developed by:

Joanne Baldassari, M.S., CRC

James Sarno, M.Ed., CRC

Somerville Area Office MRC

1 Davis Square Somerville, MA

Phone: 617-776-2662

References

1. Bissonnette, Denise (1999). 30 Ways to Shine As a New Employee. Chatsworth,CA: Milt Wright & Associates, Inc., p 3-7.

2. National Association of Colleges and Employers. Bethlehem, PA. Available at http://www.jobweb.com/Resumes_Interviews_guide/comp.htm

3. Hansen, Randall, Ph.D., Hansen, Karen. What Do Employers Really Want? Top Skills and Values Employers Seek from Job- Seekers. Available at

http://www.quintcareers.com/job_skills_values.html

4. Bissonnette, p 14-15.

http://www.jobweb.com/Resumes_Interviews_guide/comp.htm



References

5. Bissonnette, p 16-176. Sierra Pacific Network. Available athttp://mirecc.stanford.edu/content/ptsd/monitoring_anger.htm

7. Northeastern University College of Business Aministration

Available at http://web.cba.neu.edu/~ewertheim/interper/commun.htm



http://mirecc.stanford.edu/content/ptsd/monitoring_anger.htm

http://web.cba.neu.edu/~ewertheim/interper/commun.htm



References





12. Bissonnette, p 38-39




References







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