Soft Skills Training Seen as Needed More Then Ever

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

To learn more about this author, visit Tom Schulte's Website.

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