Soft Skills in a Facebook World
Beverly Amer, Principal Lecturer, ACC & ISM in the W. A. Franke College of Business
Our students come to us for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is guidance and training as they prepare to enter meaningful careers and professions. Colleges and universities have long been regarded as the preparation grounds for students to gain the necessary technical skills and knowledge required to enter such positions, but not the “softer” side of working in a professional role. Until now.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, employers are putting more time and money into learning about the “soft skills” of job applicants: namely, personality traits, communication skills, problem-solving aptitude, and just plain ability to get along with others on a team. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and others have been regularly surveying their members to determine which skills are most in demand. Guess what? Communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking ability—all “soft skills”– make the list. LinkedIn, the popular business-based social networking site, found similar results in its surveys.
So what are we, as educators, to do? Yes, the technical skill and knowledge are critical. However, employers are now looking to us for help with these soft skills to round out career readiness in our graduates. Yet if you have ever looked at your students while conducting class discussion, you have likely seen more than a few smartphones or tablets, with social media vying for your students’ attention (no, they are probably NOT taking notes, and yes, this is a breakdown in soft skills!). Perhaps paying attention and focusing on the discussion occurring around them should be on the soft skills list, as well.
I’ve written a workbook for college students on practicing soft skills, and I have presented on the topic at conferences around the country. As attendees have talked about this issue, everyone agrees that college students need to develop soft skills, but most instructors are reluctant to add them to their already “full” courses. Some instructors say they are not perfect role models, themselves, and they don’t want to be held up to high standards for communication, problem-solving, and social skills. Others say it’s really the family’s job to teach these things, not ours. Yet here we are: the university is the last door through which many of our students will pass, and they’re missing this part of their preparedness.
May I suggest the following? There are small steps that we, as educators, can do to assist our students in developing their soft skills without affecting the course content already in place. For starters, try holding students accountable for deadlines, requiring civil and thoughtful remarks in class discussion, demanding logical and fact-based arguments in support of opinions, and making them do the dreaded group work. To address communication skills, you might provide students guidance on what you consider acceptable etiquette. For example, my students are told how to format a business email message, complete with opening salutation, respectful body, and proper closing. For problem-solving and critical thinking skills, you might continue to require those challenging individual assignments that go beyond simple pattern matching of the exercises worked in class. My ISM 120 class requires students to take personal responsibility for meeting deadlines on computer-based homework that requires hours of time-on-task each week to complete. Teamwork skill can only be developed through practice, so in-class small group discussions and out-of-class larger projects will lead to valuable lessons in how to deal with different personalities and value systems. In my class, small groups regularly discuss current events and work on projects that test their ethics and require debate so that students come to a group consensus on what to submit for their team.
Will your students thank you now? Not right now, perhaps. However, their employers – and perhaps even society! – will. And wouldn’t it be great if our students were considered first with recruiters because they have the entire package: both technical skills AND soft skills?
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