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Submitted by jbpowell on
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Does anyone have any recommendations for Soft Skill training? Sounds like a broad question but that's how the question was posed to me. My manager asked if I was interested in taking any Soft Skill training. Sounds great but I’m not sure where to focus or start.

jhack's picture

Start by defining soft skills.

What would you like to do better? Improving peer relations? Improving your ability to give effective feedback to your team? Better conversational skills?

Knowing exactly what skills you're trying to develop will help identify the right next steps. "Soft skills" is just too vague to be actionable.

One more thought. Suggest to your manager that you attend one of the Manager Tools conferences. (I have yet to do so, but I am trying to swing it - I have no doubt it'll be incredibly valuable).

John

jbpowell's picture
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Thanks for the response! I guess I need to do a little 'soft soul' searching. Good luck getting to the conference…I just signed up for it last week.

AManagerTool's picture

I'd use it for justification to go to a Manager Tools conference....LOL

jhack's picture

I recommended the MT conference as part of a personal development plan - it seems clear that much of the value would come from soft skills development. Make sure that your development needs would be met. You should make your boss look good because you developed the skills expected of you.

John

ashdenver's picture

Given the capitalization on "Soft Skill" I'm curious if you're intending to refer to the SkillSoft collection of courses.

[quote]SkillSoft is pleased to be able to bring our high-quality, instructionally effective Web-based learning and performance support tools to the community of higher education. With our end-to-end e-learning solution, SkillSoft is uniquely positioned to assist colleges and universities accomplish a wide variety of institution-critical goals. Our educational product model is flexible, allowing you to utilize SkillSoft courses in any of the following areas:

Staff Training and Development
Credit toward Undergraduate Degree Programs
Continuing Education and Non-Credit Certificate Programs
Alumni Relations
Executive Education
Contract Training
Faculty Adoption
e-learning Resource for campus Libraries [/quote]
If this is the case, I think recommendations would depend on what your organization does (would customer service courses be helpful?), what your job requires (would an accounting or professional writing course be right?) and what your goals are (would you aim for management-oriented courses?).

At one point, I thought I'd be able to zip through a Grammar & Punctuation course for quick & easy credit toward my training plan requirements but that sucker was HARD! I gave up on it and went for something easier - Sexual Harassment in the Workplace! LOL

tplummer's picture

I recommend 7 Habits for Highly Effective People, and Myers Briggs. Both will begin to open doors on how to handle the more human side of work.

ccleveland's picture

I know a couple of people that have taken and recommend [url=http://www.dalecarnegie.com/]Dale Carenegie leadership courses[/url]. I've not taken any of the courses, but I can recommend reading [url=http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780... to Win Friends and Influence People[/i][/url]. (I belive it's a M-T recommended book.)

CC

jconnor330's picture

You might want to visit www.quicknowledge.com - there are several courses in this area geared toward people who want to expand or refresh their knowledge of a topics (ie: review handling disruptive employees before having that discussion - or - making effective presentations before a biggie) etc.

John

Mark's picture
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Hey the Effective Manager Conference IS soft skills.

Further, we will be doing a managerial communications conerence later this year. Some call it a 201 class, but we don't intend to suggest that the EMC is a pre-requisite. (Though it would help greatly).

Carnegie is excellent. EXCELLENT.

Mark

Glenn Ross's picture

As Mark said, Carnegie is excellent. I took the basic course in 1988 and it made a [b]HUGE[/b] difference in my life, both personally & professionally. While the books are good, I believe every manager should do three things:
1. Read Peter Drucker''s [b]Effective Executive[/b]
2. Listen to MT, then practice what Mark and Mike preach
3. Take the Dale Carnegie human relations course, then practice Dales principles on a daily basis in both your personal and professional life.

Each one of the actions above complement and reinforce the other two.

I thought so much of the course that I spent 18 months training to become one of their avocational instructors. I did that in addition to my career, but had to quit when I began traveling too much to make the classes.

When I retire, I may return to doing it again.

Glenn