Bridging the Soft Skills Gap

BRUCE TULGAN is the founder and CEO of RainmakerThinking, Inc., a management research and training firm, as well as RainmakerThinking.training, an online training company. Bruce is an adviser to business leaders all over the world and a sought-after keynote speaker, seminar leader, and author of numerous books, including the bestselling It's Okay to Be the Boss, the classic Managing Generation X, Not Everyone Gets a Trophy, It's Okay to Manage Your Boss, and FAST Feedback.

Acknowledgments xv Part One The Soft Skills Gap 1 Prologue Meet the Newest New Young Workforce 3 Chapter 1 The Soft Skills Gap 7 The Soft Skills Gap: Growing Steadily from Gen X to Gen Y to Gen Z 10 Something Much Larger Is Going on Here: The Post-Boomer Generational Shift 11 Gen Zers Are the Ultimate Non-Conformists in an Age of Non-Comformism 16 The Soft Skills Gap: The Missing Basics in Today s Young Talent 19 Face the Hard Realities of the Soft Skills Gap 29 Chapter 2 You Can t Hire Your Way Around the Soft Skills Gap 33 Staffing Strategy and Hiring 34 On-Boarding and Up-to-Speed Training 39 Performance Management and Talent Development 42 Ongoing Training 45 The Human Element: What Role Are You Going to Play? 49 Become a Teaching Style Manager 51 Take It to the Next Level 54 Chapter 3 Unlocking the Power of Soft Skills 55 Drill Down: The Missing Basics 58 Unlocking the Power of Soft Skills 60 Unlocking the Power: The Rest of This Book 65 Part Two How to Teach the Missing Basics to Today s Young Talent 67 Chapter 4 How to Teach the Missing Basics of Professionalism to Today s Young Talent 69 How to Teach Self-Evaluation 69 Self-Evaluation: Lesson Plan 1 Introduction 75 Self-Evaluation: Lesson Plan 2 Evaluating Yourself on Ability, Skill, and Will 76 Self-Evaluation: Lesson Plan 3 Evaluating Yourself on Productivity, Quality, and Behavior 77 Self-Evaluation: Lesson Plan 4 Evaluating Yourself on the Key Soft Skills Competencies 78 Self-Evaluation: Lesson Plan 5 Drill Down on Understanding the Key Soft Skills 80 Self-Evaluation: Lesson Plan 6 Explore Your Own Successes with the Key Soft Skills 82 How to Teach Personal Responsibility 84 Personal Responsibility: Lesson Plan 1 Introduction 86 Personal Responsibility: Lesson Plan 2 All the Factors That Are in Your Way 87 Personal Responsibility: Lesson Plan 3 Considering the Most Common Factors That Get in the Way at Work 88 Personal Responsibility: Lesson Plan 4 Response Power 89 How to Teach Positive Attitude 90 Positive Attitude: Lesson Plan 1 Considering Theories of How to Be Your Best at Work 93 Positive Attitude: Lesson Plan 2 Defining Good Attitude Behaviors with Your Team or Any Individual 94 Positive Attitude: Lesson Plan 3 Considering Common Bad Attitudes 95 Positive Attitude: Lesson Plan 4 Considering Good Attitude Behaviors 96 Positive Attitude: Lesson Plan 5 For Individual Employees Who Need an Attitude Adjustment 97 How to Teach Good Work Habits 98 Good Work Habits: Lesson Plan 1 Introduction 102 Good Work Habits: Lesson Plan 2 Self-Assessment 104 Good Work Habits: Lesson Plan 3 Self-Improvement Planning 106 Good Work Habits: Lesson Plan 4 Wellness 107 Good Work Habits: Lesson Plan 5 Planning a Wellness Initiative 108 Good Work Habits: Lesson Plan 6 Self-Presentation 111 Good Work Habits: Lesson Plan 7 Using a Time Log to Start Living by a Schedule 112 Good Work Habits: Lesson Plan 8 How to Make a Basic Project Plan 116 Good Work Habits: Lesson Plan 9 Taking Notes and Making Checklists 118 Good Work Habits: Lesson Plan 10 Doing a Time/Motion Study on Yourself 120 Good Work Habits: Lesson Plan 11 Spotlight on Follow-Through 121 Good Work Habits: Lesson Plan 12 Going the Extra Mile 122 How to Teach People Skills 123 People Skills: Lesson Plan 1 Interpersonal Communication 126 People Skills: Lesson Plan 2 Self-Assessing Interpersonal Communication 127 People Skills: Lesson Plan 3 Learning to Use the People List 128 People Skills: Lesson Plan 4 Putting More Structure into Your Communication 132 People Skills: Lesson Plan 5 Putting More Substance into Your Communication 134 People Skills: Lesson Plan 6 Preparing for Meetings 136 People Skills: Lesson Plan 7 Email Best Practices 137 People Skills: Lesson Plan 8 Communicating Remotely 138 Chapter 5 How to Teach the Missing Basics of Critical Thinking to Today s Young Talent 139 How to Teach Proactive Learning 139 Proactive Learning: Lesson Plan 1 Proactive Learning 143 Proactive Learning: Lesson Plan 2 Open Mind 147 Proactive Learning: Lesson Plan 3 Suspend Judgment, Question Assumptions, and Seek to Learn 150 Proactive Learning: Lesson Plan 4 Question Assumptions 152 Proactive Learning: Lesson Plan 5 Research 153 Proactive Learning: Lesson Plan 6 Study Skills Building Knowledge 156 Proactive Learning: Lesson Plan 7 Practice Skills Building Skill 158 Proactive Learning: Lesson Plan 8 Contemplate Competing Perspectives to Build Wisdom 160 How to Teach Problem Solving 162 Problem Solving: Lesson Plan 1 Introduction 165 Problem Solving: Lesson Plan 2 Preventing or Avoiding Problems Before They Happen 166 Problem Solving: Lesson Plan 3 Ready-Made Solutions to Commonly Occurring Problems 168 Problem Solving: Lesson Plan 4 Common Denominators and Underlying Principles 170 Problem Solving: Lesson Plan 5 Applying the After Action Review Tool 171 Problem Solving: Lesson Plan 6 Using the After-Action Review Tool to Learn from Others 173 How to Teach Decision Making 174 Decision Making: Lesson Plan 1 Introduction 177 Decision Making: Lesson Plan 2 Information Analysis: Simple Pros and Cons 179 Decision Making: Lesson Plan 3 Cause and Effect: Positive Outcomes 181 Decision Making: Lesson Plan 4 Cause and Effect: Negative Outcomes 182 Decision Making: Lesson Plan 5 Applying the After-Action Review Tool 183 Decision Making: Lesson Plan 6 Using the Decision/Action Tree 184 Chapter 6 How to Teach the Missing Basics of Followership to Today s Young Talent 187 How to Teach Respect for Context 187 Respect for Context: Lesson Plan 1 Introduction 191 Respect for Context: Lesson Plan 2 Reading the Structure, Rules, Customs, and Leadership 192 Respect for Context: Lesson Plan 3 Where Do You Fit? 194 Respect for Context: Lesson Plan 4 How Can You Adapt? 195 Respect for Context: Lesson Plan 5 Context-Limiting Factors 196 Respect for Context: Lesson Plan 6 Complicated Relationships 197 Respect for Context: Lesson Plan 7 Positive Contexts 198 Respect for Context: Lesson Plan 8 Negative Contexts 199 Respect for Context: Lesson Plan 9 Dealing with People with Bad Attitudes 200 Respect for Context: Lesson Plan 10 Dealing with People with Great Attitudes 201 How to Teach Good Citizenship 202 Good Citizenship: Lesson Plan 1 Introduction 206 Good Citizenship: Lesson Plan 2 The Respect for Others Model 208 Good Citizenship: Lesson Plan 3 The Best Interests Model 210 Good Citizenship: Lesson Plan 4 The Civic" Model 211 Good Citizenship: Lesson Plan 5 The Communitarian Model 212 Good Citizenship: Lesson Plan 6 The Common Sense Model 213 Good Citizenship: Lesson Plan 7 The Solid Standards Model 215 Good Citizenship: Lesson Plan 8 The Personal Sacrifice Model 217 Good Citizenship: Lesson Plan 9 The Theodore Roosevelt Model 219 Good Citizenship: Lesson Plan 10 Create Your Own Model 220 How to Teach Service 221 Service: Lesson Plan 1 Introduction 225 Service: Lesson Plan 2 Common Myths About Service in the Workplace 227 Service: Lesson Plan 3 Realities About Service in the Workplace 228 Service: Lesson Plan 4 Myths Versus Realities in the Workplace 229 Service: Lesson Plan 5 The Be a Great Employee Model of Service 234 Service: Lesson Plan 6 The Service Approach to One-on-Ones Between Managers and Direct Reports 235 Service: Lesson Plan 7 The Service Approach to Meeting Attendance and Participation 237 Service: Lesson Plan 8 Helping Your Boss Monitor Your Performance 239 Service: Lesson Plan 9 Putting Yourself on a Performance Improvement Plan 240 How to Teach Teamwork 241 Teamwork: Lesson Plan 1 Introduction 245 Teamwork: Lesson Plan 2 Defining the Dimensions of Teamwork 247 Teamwork: Lesson Plan 3 Your Role in Relation to the Mission 249 Teamwork: Lesson Plan 4 Coordinating, Cooperating, and Collaborating with Others 250 Teamwork: Lesson Plan 5 Supporting and Celebrating the Success of Others 252 Teamwork: Lesson Plan 6 Identifying Your Go To People and Building Relationships with Them 253 Teamwork: Lesson Plan 7 Becoming a Go To Person for Others 254 Teamwork: Lesson Plan 8 Using Influence to Get Things Done 255 Teamwork: Lesson Plan 9 Consider the Lessons About Teamwork from This U.S. Air Force Special Operations Team 256 About the Author 259 Index 261