Soft Skills Training Seen as Needed More Then Ever
Soft Skills Training Seen as Needed More Then Ever
"Accept the fact that we have to treat almost anybody as a volunteer..." ~ Peter Drucker, Father of Modern Management
Times have changed and in a free society where valuable members of your workforce can walk away at any moment for a better opportunity, leaders should (as management guru Peter Drucker says) "treat almost anybody as a volunteer." In order to lead volunteers, it takes an enormous amount of effort in soft skills and patience. It’s important to recognize that seismic shifts in workforce demographics are coming as baby boomers begin to retire in mass numbers. This will make the competition for talent even greater in the coming years. As a result, it will become even more critical for leaders to embrace soft skills training. Any company will gain the competitive edge when their leaders understand how to get better results through relationships and the added benefit of retaining their best people.
Recognizing the inability of current training courses in the leadership and team building fields to impact this issue on a truly compelling level, I began researching the best way to accomplish these goals. It became my passion to figure out how to grow leaders in this key area that was uniquely challenging for most. I found that the first step required was for leaders to learn to lead themselves. Only then can a leader truly see the steps it takes to lead and inspire others. This means coaching oneself first, which requires looking deep into the mirror. We all tend to focus on our strengths, but the areas we struggle with are often neglected and under developed. However, if you truly want to become a better leader, you must first honestly assess these areas that are holding you back. More often than not, this is a difficult task and requires some type of outside help. Once honest with yourself, you can then create an effective model for the people you lead on a daily basis.
This knowledge allowed me to begin creating a simple yet powerful curriculum to help leaders assess themselves and those they lead. It's accomplished through an interactive values-based card sorting exercise. This effective tool and the curriculum built around it is called a Leadership PowerLab, which helps teams and organizations create a more productive environment. Values-based leadership training focuses on teaching the nuts-and-bolts of personal leadership effectiveness. Even the old school leaders from yester-decade are more compelled to jump on board, because the interactive learning equips them to recalibrate themselves toward better relationships in a short amount of time. Their “recalibration” in turn produces the better results they so strongly desire. Through appreciation, honesty and respect, a workforce can be transformed from merely average to exceptional. In a sense, this “high-impact leadership training fit for the Blackberry-Attention-Span” is an effective crash course in learning and practicing empathy, but this is a powerful skill which should not be overlooked or underestimated.
Effective soft-skills training requires a commitment from within. It is difficult for many and it takes patience and practice. However, with the right mindset and the right tools, you can learn to become a more effective leader and the rewards (both short and long term) will prove to be well worth your effort!
Tom Schulte | CEO | Recalibrate Professional Development
Soft Skills Training Seen as Needed More Then Ever - To learn more about this author, visit Tom Schulte's Website.
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During my many years of working in executive leadership development training with people from around the world, I have repeatedly seen that one of the most difficult areas for leaders to grow in is in the area of “soft-skills”. Often times leaders prefer to ignore this part of their development, because it’s either not high on their priority list, or they can't grasp all the steps it takes to master the important elements involved in building relationships. Many "old school" leaders who came from the command-and-control mindset think that soft-skills training is wishy-washy and it is a waste of their time. Led by management styles that blossomed from around the time of the industrial revolution to the Vietnam War era, their approach was simple: "Just get the job done!" or, "My way, or the highway!" That used to be sufficient to get people to jump at their commands, but no longer.
"Accept the fact that we have to treat almost anybody as a volunteer..." ~ Peter Drucker, Father of Modern Management
Times have changed and in a free society where valuable members of your workforce can walk away at any moment for a better opportunity, leaders should (as management guru Peter Drucker says) "treat almost anybody as a volunteer." In order to lead volunteers, it takes an enormous amount of effort in soft skills and patience. It’s important to recognize that seismic shifts in workforce demographics are coming as baby boomers begin to retire in mass numbers. This will make the competition for talent even greater in the coming years. As a result, it will become even more critical for leaders to embrace soft skills training. Any company will gain the competitive edge when their leaders understand how to get better results through relationships and the added benefit of retaining their best people.
Recognizing the inability of current training courses in the leadership and team building fields to impact this issue on a truly compelling level, I began researching the best way to accomplish these goals. It became my passion to figure out how to grow leaders in this key area that was uniquely challenging for most. I found that the first step required was for leaders to learn to lead themselves. Only then can a leader truly see the steps it takes to lead and inspire others. This means coaching oneself first, which requires looking deep into the mirror. We all tend to focus on our strengths, but the areas we struggle with are often neglected and under developed. However, if you truly want to become a better leader, you must first honestly assess these areas that are holding you back. More often than not, this is a difficult task and requires some type of outside help. Once honest with yourself, you can then create an effective model for the people you lead on a daily basis.
This knowledge allowed me to begin creating a simple yet powerful curriculum to help leaders assess themselves and those they lead. It's accomplished through an interactive values-based card sorting exercise. This effective tool and the curriculum built around it is called a Leadership PowerLab, which helps teams and organizations create a more productive environment. Values-based leadership training focuses on teaching the nuts-and-bolts of personal leadership effectiveness. Even the old school leaders from yester-decade are more compelled to jump on board, because the interactive learning equips them to recalibrate themselves toward better relationships in a short amount of time. Their “recalibration” in turn produces the better results they so strongly desire. Through appreciation, honesty and respect, a workforce can be transformed from merely average to exceptional. In a sense, this “high-impact leadership training fit for the Blackberry-Attention-Span” is an effective crash course in learning and practicing empathy, but this is a powerful skill which should not be overlooked or underestimated.
Effective soft-skills training requires a commitment from within. It is difficult for many and it takes patience and practice. However, with the right mindset and the right tools, you can learn to become a more effective leader and the rewards (both short and long term) will prove to be well worth your effort!
Tom Schulte | CEO | Recalibrate Professional Development
Soft Skills Training Seen as Needed More Then Ever - To learn more about this author, visit Tom Schulte's Website.
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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