Project Management and Soft Skills · - to decide how to invest their money, time and energy - to...

Prof. Roberto Verdone www.robertoverdone.org

Project Management and Soft Skills Roberto Verdone

www.robertoverdone.org [email protected]

www.linkedin.com/in/roberto-verdone

+39 051 20 93817

Office Hours: Monday 4 – 6 pm,

Viale Risorgimento 2 (upon agreement via email)

How to find my office: check on my website

A.Y. 2019-20 Credits: 3


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Cognitive Processes and Soft Skills


Outline

A. Cognitive Processes

B. Soft Skills


A. Cognitive Processes


Brain Left side

•  Analytical •  Temporal •  Language

•  Right part of body Right side

•  Systemic •  Spatial •  Associations •  Left part of body


Central Nervous System

brain stem

limbic system

neocortex (left/right)

cerebellum


brain stem

limbic system


cerebellum energetic

intelligence

systemic and analytical intelligence

emotional intelligence

body intelligence

Central Nervous System


Triune Brain*

brain stem

limbic system


cerebellum reptilian

superior

* Paul D. MacLean, “The Triune Brain in Evolution. Role in Paleocerebral Functions”, 1990.

intermediate


Theory of Two Systems*

brain stem

limbic system


cerebellum system 1

system 2

* Daniel Kahneman, “Thinking, Fast and Slow.”, 2011.


Theory of Two Systems


Theory of Two Systems System 1 comes first


Halo Effect*

* Edward L. Thorndike, “The Constant Error in Psychological Ratings”, Journ. Appl. Psych., 1920.



System 1 is fast and inaccurate




System 1 uses associations (the process managing intuitions)





System 1 uses parallel computation






System 2 uses sequential and symbolic computation







System 2 is lazy







System 2 is lazy

System 2 requires motivation







System 2 is lazy


Switching on System 2 requires effort, fatigue







System 2 is lazy


Switching on System 2 requires effort, fatigue

Storing in long term memory requires System 2


Theory of Two Systems

Applies to: •  Economics •  Psychology •  Marketing •  Communication •  AI •  Human Resources •  Education •  …


Stroop Effect*

I need a volunteer (he/she has to read few lines from my next slides) Please write “HI” on the chat to volunteer The first one will be selected Please switch on your mike and webcam Everyone else can do the exercise in parallel (without mike)

* John R. Stroop, “Studies of interference in Serial Verbal Reactions”, Journ. Exp. Psychol., 1935.


Stroop Effect*

Read as fast as possible the sequence of words in the next slide Do not say what you read: say the color of the font Example: you see Dog and say: “RED”, not “dog” Four colors: RED, GREEN, BLUE, PURPLE

* John R. Stroop, “Studies of interference in Serial Verbal Reactions”, Journ. Exp. Psychol., 1935.


Stroop Effect

Dog Cat Horse Bird Eagle Bear Dolphin Whale Octopus Monkey Snake


Stroop Effect

Purple Green Red Red Blue Green Red Blue Blue Green Purple

Dog Cat Horse Bird Eagle Bear Dolphin Whale Octopus Monkey Snake


Theory of Two Systems System 1 and System 2 INTERFERE


Bouba-Kiki Effect*

* Wolfgang Kohler, “Gestalt Psychology”, 1929.

I will show two shapes (one on the left, one on the right) One is named Bouba, one is Kiki Who is Bouba? Write on the chat: “LEFT” or “RIGHT” You can take few sec to decide, no hurry


Bouba-Kiki Effect*

* Wolfgang Kohler, “Gestalt Psychology”, 1929.



System 1 uses memory of your past experiences


Left and Right

I will show two faces (one on the left, one on the right) One is happy, one is sad Who is happy? Write on the chat: “LEFT” or “RIGHT” Take a decision as fast as possible; then wait two seconds and write on the chat


Left and Right



System 1 uses information stored in memory of your past experiences

System 1 uses information stored in memory of human experience


Theory of Two Systems: Decisions System 1 is better when decisions involve complex situations (e.g. choose a job, buy a house, invest money)

System 2 is better when decisions involve controllable situations (e.g. use a procedure, a model, to design something)


Theory of Two Systems: Engi’s vs Humans

(freely taken from Kahneman’s distinction*: Econ’s vs Humans)

Humans tend to be dominated by System 1 -  to decide how to invest their money, time and energy -  to choose whom to vote at elections -  to choose their jobs -  …

Engi’s are dominated by System 2 in any situation in professional and personal life (except hopefully for choosing their partners!)



Theory of Two Systems: Engi’s vs Humans

(freely taken from Kahneman’s distinction*: Econ’s vs Humans)

Humans tend to be dominated by System 1 -  to decide how to invest their money, time and energy -  to choose whom to vote at elections -  to choose their jobs -  …

Engi’s are dominated by System 2 in any situation in professional and personal life (except hopefully for choosing their partners!)


Management roles

Engineering roles


Test S2 (via Google Form) www.robertoverdone.org à Teaching à PMSS à Test S2 DO YOU FEEL MORE •  ENGI or •  HUMAN

? In general, while assessing yourself, you have to wander: “if I had to motivate my own assessment, what situation/event could I tell regarding myself?”


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B. Soft Skills


Soft Skills include the cluster of personality traits, communication, language, personal habits, interpersonal skills, ability in managing people, leadership, etc., that characterize relationships with other people.

Soft Skills


Soft Skills

C = 100 * (x*K + y*S + z*A) [%]

0 < K, S, A < 1 0 < x, y, z < 1 ; x + y + z = 1

K S

Competence (C)

A

Soft Skill

Knowledge (K) Skill (S) Aptitudes (A)


Soft Skills: Dublin Descriptors Cycle descriptors adopted in 2005 as the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area. A descriptor includes the following five components:

•  Knowledge and understanding à K •  Applying knowledge and understanding à S •  Making judgements à A •  Communication à A •  Lifelong learning skills à A


Soft Skills: World Economic Forum Top ten skills of the future (after 2020)

1.  Complex problem-solving 2.  Critical thinking 3.  Creativity 4.  People management incl. leadership 5.  Coordinating with others incl. communication, teaming 6.  Emotional intelligence 7.  Judgement and decision-making 8.  Service orientation 9.  Negotiation 10. Cognitive flexibility

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/07/the-skills-needed-to-survive-the-robot-invasion-of-the-workplace



1.  Complex problem-solving 2.  Critical thinking 3.  Creativity 4.  People management incl. leadership 5.  Coordinating with others incl. communication, teaming 6.  Emotional intelligence 7.  Judgement and decision-making 8.  Service orientation 9.  Negotiation 10. Cognitive flexibility



Soft Skills / Categories •  Cognitive:

problem solving creativity …

•  Managerial: multitasking project management …

•  Relational: communication leadership team working …

•  Personal: adaptability …


Soft Skills discussed in this course •  Elementary Soft Skills:

- ability to persuade - para- and non-verbal communication - assertiveness - emotional intelligence

•  Complex Soft Skills:

- inter-personal communication - public speaking - leadership - team working - precision and timeliness

... plus project management


4. Soft Skills: Ability to Persuade

Ref: Christophe Morin, Patrick Renvoisé, “The Persuasion Code”, 2018.

The ability to convince people. Very important in marketing roles, for sales engineers: if you sell something, you need to persuade your customer to buy.


The ability to convince people. Very important in marketing roles, for sales engineers: if you sell something, you need to persuade your customer to buy. However:

-  if you teach, you sell (your knowledge) -  if you design, you sell (your project) -  if you lead, you sell (your visions) -  if you do research, you sell (your achievements) -  …

4. Soft Skills: Ability to Persuade

Ref: Christophe Morin, Patrick Renvoisé, “The Persuasion Code”, 2018.


Para-Verbal Communication. The art of using voice: 1) tone, 2) rhythm, 3) volume, 4) timbre. Non Verbal Communication. The art of using the body: 1) gestures, 2) position, 3) gaze, 4) proximity.

4. Soft Skills: Para- / Non Verbal Comm.

Ref: Albert Mehrabian,“Nonverbal Communication”, 1972.


The ability to express your ideas clearly and efficiently while establishing good relationship with others. Assertiveness allows to build constructive relationships while you: -  express properly your feelings; -  choose how to behave in situations; -  grow your self-esteem; -  find the best way to say “no”; -  defend your rights; -  …

4. Soft Skills: Assertiveness

Ref: Domenico Di Lauro, P, “Manuale di comunicazione assertiva”, 2011.


Emotional Intelligence measures your ability to -  express, -  recognise, -  control emotions (yours, and of others).

4. Soft Skills: Emotional Intelligence

Ref: Daniel Goleman, “Emotional Intelligence”, 1995.


4. Soft Skills: Inter-Personal Comm. The ability to behave properly with others. Communicating efficiently. Being accepted by others. Attracting focus and trust. Mostly in face-to-face situations.

Ref: Paul Watzlawick and others, “Pragmatics of Human Communication”, 1967.


4. Soft Skills: Public Speaking The ability to present in public. Communicating efficiently. Attracting focus and trust. Convincing your audience. In any situation where you are talking in front of an audience: -  you are a teacher -  you are a trainer in a company -  you are called to present your ideas to the rest of the team -  …

Ref: Cesare Sansavini, “L’arte del public speaking”, 2018.


4. Soft Skills: Team Working The ability to work efficiently in a team. Having the “right attitude”: constant desire to achieve team (not individual) results


4. Soft Skills: Leadership The ability to be accepted as a leader. Articulating visions. Having the “right attitude”. Achieving visions.

Ref: Ben Horowitz, “The Hard Thing About Hard Things”, 2014.


4. Soft Skills: Precision and Timeliness The focus on quality of work, deadlines, scopes. A fundamental attitude for engineers A very useful attitude for all the others


Test S3 (via Google Form) www.robertoverdone.org à Teaching à PMSS à Test S3 RATE YOURSELF IN TERMS OF …

•  Ability to Persuade (PERS) •  Para-Verbal & Non Verbal Communication (PNVC) •  Assertiveness (AS) •  Emotional Intelligence (EI) •  Inter-Personal Communication (IPC) •  Public Speaking (PS) •  Team Working (TW) •  Leadership (LEAD) •  Precision & Timeliness (PT)

1 = VERY BAD 2 = BAD 3 = AVERAGE 4 = GOOD 5 = VERY GOOD In general, while rating yourself for any of these skills, you have to wander: “if I had to motivate my own rating, what story/event could I tell regarding myself?”


The list of soft skills discussed in this course

•  PERS The ability to convince people. •  PNVC Para-Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication. •  AS The ability to express your ideas with good relationships •  EI The ability to express, recognise, control emotions. •  IPC The ability to behave properly with others. •  PS The ability to present in public. •  TW The ability to work efficiently in a team. •  LEAD The ability to be accepted as a leader. •  PT The focus on quality of work, deadlines, scopes.

Soft Skills


C = 100 * (x*K + y*S + z*A) [%]

•  PERS x = 0.2 y = 0.4 z = 0.4 •  PNVC x = 0.1 y = 0.4 z = 0.5 •  AS x = 0.1 y = 0.3 z = 0.6 •  EI x = 0.1 y = 0.2 z = 0.7 •  IPC x = 0.1 y = 0.4 z = 0.5 •  PS x = 0.4 y = 0.4 z = 0.2 •  TW x = 0.3 y = 0.4 z = 0.3 •  LEAD x = 0.1 y = 0.1 z = 0.8 •  PT x = 0.1 y = 0.5 z = 0.4

Soft Skills


Which of the two systems dominate?

•  PERS System 2 over others’ System 1 •  PNVC System 1 •  AS System 1 •  EI System 1 •  IPC System 1 •  PS System 2 over others’ System 1 and 2 •  TW System 1 and 2 •  LEAD System 1 •  TP System 2

Soft Skills


Message of the Day

If you are an Engi, be aware that most of your life you will meet Humans

and they will judge you based on their pov

If you are a Human, be aware that you might often deal with Engi’s

and they will behave with you based on their pov

Whatever you are, be aware of others’ pov


Don’t forget your homework!

•  Test S2 and S3 (via Google Form) by Apr 22, 12 am www.robertoverdone.org

à Teaching à PMSS


Example of questions for the written text •  The limbic system is primarily responsible for:

1.  emotions 2.  cognitive intelligence 3.  motion intelligence 4.  memory

•  The “halo” effect shows that

1.  often people recognise what is nice and what is ugly 2.  often people believe that a nice person is also happy 3.  often people believe that a nice person is sad 4.  often people believe that a nice person is intelligent

•  The Stroop effect:

1.  shows there is interference between System 1 and System 2 2.  shows System 1 and System 2 do not interfere 3.  shows beautiful persons are luckier in life 4.  shows that we always look left first


Example of questions for the written text •  According to Kahneman:

1.  System 1 is lazy 2.  System 2 uses associations 3.  System 1 comes first 4.  System 1 is slow

•  The Dublin descriptors include:

1.  leadership 2.  communication 3.  ability to persuade 4.  emotional intelligence

•  Emotional intelligence is the ability to...

1.  feel like the other feels 2.  express emotions 3.  express, recognise emotions 4.  express, recognise, control emotions


See you next week

Project Management and Soft Skills · - to decide how to invest their money, time and energy - to...

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