Soft Skills

***************************************************** Conflict *****************************************************

Conflict
	Conflict is a perception—meaning it only really exists if it’s acknowledged by the parties that are experiencing it.
Conflict vs Competition
	Competition is a rivalry between two groups or two individuals over an outcome that they both seek.

Views
	Traditional view: conflict is bad
	Human Relations View: conflict is inevitable – we should learn to embrace it
	Interactionist view: work group that was completely harmonious and cooperative was prone to becoming static and
	non-responsive – conflict is necessary to keep the group creative and moving forward

Types of Conflict
	Intrapersonal: when a person’s own roles, goals and values diverge
	Interpersonal: difference in goals, values, styles between two or more people who are required to interact
	Intragroup: Conflict over goals or procedures within a team
	Intergroup: conflict among groups within or outside an organization over goals or procedures

Sources of Conflict in an Organization
	- Interdependence
	- Uncertainty and resource scarcity
	- Reward systems
	- Goal incompatibility and differentiation
	- Interdependence describes the extent to which employees rely on other employees to get their work done.
	- Resource scarcity also leads to conflict. If there aren’t enough material and supplies for every worker, then those who do get
		resources and those who don’t are likely to experience conflict.
	- An organization’s reward system can be a source of conflict, particularly if the organization sets up a win-lose environment for
		employee rewards – employee of the month award
	- Goal incompatibility occurs when departments are differentiated on basis of their goals.

Incompatibility
	- Communication
		- Semantic issues
		- Misunderstandings
	- Structure
		- Organizational Structure
	- Personal variables

Intention
	- A lot of conflicts are escalated because one party infers the wrong intentions from the other person.
	- There are five different ways a person can respond to the other party’s statements or actions:
	- Competing: One party seeks to satisfy his own interests regardless of the impact on the other party.
	- Collaborating: One party, or both, desire to fully satisfied the concerns of all parties involved in the conflict.
	- Avoiding: One party withdraws from or suppresses the conflict once it is recognized.
	- Accommodating: One party seeks to appease the opponent once potential conflict is recognized.
	- Compromising: Each party to the conflict seeks to give up something to resolve the conflict.

Behaviour
	- Statement
	- Actions and Reactions

Outcomes
	- Functional: when conflict is good
	- Dysfunctional
		- Discontent
		- Severs ties
		- Dissolves the group

Conflict management styles
	- The avoiding style of conflict resolution is one where one has low concern for his or her ultimate goal and low concern for his or her relationship with the other.
	- The accommodating style of conflict resolution is where one party focuses on the needs of the other, and not the importance of the goal.
	- The competing style of conflict resolution is defined by one party pushing ahead with his or her own mission and goals with no concern for the other party in the conflict.
	- The compromising style shows moderate concern for other and moderate concern for goals.
	- The collaborating style is one where there is high concern for relationships and high concern for achieving one’s own goal.





***************************************************** Creative Thinking *****************************************************

Definition
	- Think Differently
	- Find new ways of problem solving
	- A skill which lets you consider things from a fresh perspective and different angles.
	- An inventive thought process which results in surprising conclusions and new ways of doing things.

Techniques involved
	- Brainstorming
	- Negative brainstorming
	- The Insight Game
	- Mood boards
	- Random Words
	- Story Boarding
	- Metaphorical thinking
	- Mind Map: Developed by Tony Buzan
	- Brainshifter

Theorists
	- Sternberg and Lubart – talked of novelty and appropriateness
	- Plucker – novel and useful within a social context

Benefits
	- ability to create the best solutions to daily demands, which provides value to clients and your own business;
	- improvement on problem-solving for not only work-related matters but also those in your personal life;
	- higher workplace involvement in daily activities and engagement, which is beneficial to a healthier environment;
	- a better understanding of data — also known as data literacy — and how to present it through data storytelling;
	- focus on self-improvement as you and your teammates will develop more soft skills.
	- more effective teamwork and bonding, since people grow used to bouncing off original ideas and learn each other’s creative traits.





********************************************** Effective Meeting Management *************************************************

It starts before even the meeting is scheduled and doesn’t end when the bell rings

The Typical Meeting Model
	- 10% Planning
	- 80% Meeting
	- 10% Follow-up

A More Effective Meeting Model…..
	- 50% Planning
	- 20% Meeting
	- 30% Follow-up

Meeting Planning
	• Why do you need a meeting?
		Goal. Success Measure.
	• What type of meeting is required?
		Objective => Decision Making, Brainstorming, Status,
	• Who needs to attend?
		Stakeholder Analysis (SWOT Analysis)
	• When and Where?
		Logistics Plan. Plan Executed.
	• How will you achieve the meeting goal/objective?
		Agenda (distributed before the meeting)

Key Facilitation Techniques
	- Meeting Roles and Responsibilities
	- Leverage Agenda and Time Box Discussions
	- ELMO: Everyone Lets Keep It Moving
	- Balance Emotion and Conversation Focus
	- Be Inclusive
	- Parking Lot Open Items

What Are Your Favorite Facilitation Techniques
	- Wrap Up
		- End on a positive note
		- Did we meet the goals and objectives
		- Follow up items

Follow Through
	- The act of continuing a plan, project, scheme, etc. to its completion.
		- Meeting minutes
		- Follow up with action/parking lot/open item owners
		- Action  Reaction: Update all necessary project documentation based on the decisions made





********************************************** Understanding Problem Solving *************************************************

Recognizing the Problem
	- What is a problem?
	- A dictionary defines a problem as an unsettled question or the source of distress or difficulty
	- In an organization, a problem is an obstacle that stands in the way of achieving a desired goal

Solving the Problem
	- Analyzing Problems
	- Working with Problem Owners and Stakeholders
	- Developing Effective Problem Statements
	- Determining Causes
	- Simplifying Complex Problems
	- Identifying and Managing Risks
	- Avoiding Problem-Solving Traps
	- Technology@Work: Crowdsourcing

Analyzing Problems
	- Look for deficiencies
	- Interview and gather data
	- Observe as much as you can
	- Ask What, not who
	- Have a reality check

Working with Problem Owners and Stakeholders
	- Solicit input from the problem owners
	- Recognize opinions and assumptions
	- Communicate your progress clearly
	- Do your homework carefully
	- Provide choices
	- Promote your solution

Developing Effective Problem Statements
	- Describe the ideal situation
	- Briefly summarize the problem
	- Identify symptoms of the problem
	- Describe the size and scope of the problem
	- Identify the consequences
	- Explain any other research or investigation that you may pursue

Determining Causes
	- Differentiate between symptoms and causes
	- Look for more than one cause
	- Consider the cost
	- Use the 5 Whys technique(ask 5 whys while looking at the problem)
	- Create a cause-and-effect diagram

Simplifying Complex Problems
	- Identify the major symptoms
	- Consider each problem individually
	- Rank the subproblems
	- Look for interdependencies
	- Delegate subproblems

Identifying and Managing Risks
	- Be aware of potential risks
	- Assess your risk/reward ratio
	- Reduce your risk by testing
	- Develop a fall-back position or a backup plan
	- Keep everyone informed

Avoiding Problem-Solving Traps
	- Avoid the positive outcomes bias
	- Avoid “not invented here”
	- Avoid the need for quick closure
	- Avoid the bandwagon effect
	- Avoid self serving bias

Technology@Work: Crowdsourcing
	- Strength in numbers
	- Collaboration matters
	- Different, not necessarily better
	- Good for the company, not for the crowd





********************************************** PERSONALITY *************************************************

What It Is ?
	- The state of being a person.
	- The characteristics and qualities that form a person’s distinctive character.
	- The sum total of all the physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristic of a person.

Why Should You Care?
	- Personality is one of your most important assets.
	- It has already helped shape your experiences up to now, and it will continue to do so for the rest of your life.
	- Everything you have accomplished to date, all of your expectations for the future, including your health can be influenced by your personality and the personalities of those around you.
	- Your personality can limit or expand your options and choices in life, prevent you from sharing certain experiences, or enable you to take full advantage of them.
	- It restricts, constrains, and holds back some people and opens up the world of new opportunities to others

THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
	- The Psychoanalytic Approach
	- The Neo-psychoanalytic Approach
	- The Life-Span Approach
	- The Genetics Approach
	- The Humanistic Approach
	- The Cognitive Approach
	- The Behavioural Approach
	- The Social-Learning Approach
	- The Limited-Domain Approach

The Psychoanalytic Approach
	- Turn your eyes inward, look into your own depths, learn to first know yourself. —Sigmund Freud
	- System of psychoanalysis was the first formal theory of personality and is still the best known.
	- Freud wrote that instincts were the basic elements of the personality, the motivating forces that drive behavior and determine its direction.
	- 3 levels of Personality
		- Conscious
		- Pre-conscious
		- Unconscious




********************************************** Stress *************************************************

What is Stress?
	- Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted with an opportunity, demand or resource related to what one desires, and outcomes perceived.
	- Opportunity – when it offers potential gains – a sportsperson performing at the last moment
	- Demand – workload and deadlines – positive challenge
	- Resource – things within one’s control that can be used to resolve a demand
	- When demands and resource match, stress is reduced
	- The term is generally seen as negative

Stressors
	- Challenge stressors
		- Workload
		- Pressure to complete tasks
		- Time urgency
	- Hindrance stressors
		- Red tape
		- Office politics
		- Confusion over job responsibilities

Sources of Stress *
	- Environmental
	- Organizational
	- Personal

Types
	- Physical:
		trauma, labour, pollution, hormonal
	- Psychological:
		emotional consequences, anxious thoughts
	- Psychosocial:
		relationship, lack of support, loss of employment
	- Psychospiritual:
		crisis of value/ meaning, joyless striving

Experienced Stress
	- Individual Differences
		Perception: layoff – negative/ business opportunity
		Job experience: longer in an organization, more stress-resistant/ develop coping mechanism
		Social support: relationship with co-workers and supervisors
		Personality: neurotic personality, workaholism
	- Cultural Difference
		USA – employees stressed due to lack of control
		China – employees stressed due to job evaluation and lack of training
		Individualist country/ collectivist country

Conscequences *
	- Physiological
	- Psychological
	- Behavioural

Managing Stress
	- Individual Approaches
	- Time management
		Make a to-do list
		Prioritize activities and schedule accordingly
		Know your daily cycle regarding alertness and productivity
		Avoid electronic distractions

Handling Stress
	- Physical activities
	- Relaxation techniques
	- Expand your social support network
	- Organizational Approaches
		- Improved employee selection
		- Training
		- Goal setting
		- Redesigning jobs




********************************************** Thinking *************************************************

What?
	- Mental forms and processes
	- Allows beings to model the world and deal with it according to their objectives and desires
	- Mental manipulation of information
	- Form concepts, engage in problem solving, reason and decisions

Autistic and Realistic Thinking
	- Austistic: preoccupation with inner thoughts, day dreams, fantasies, subjective thinking
	- Realistic: Objective thinking, controlled, directive, factual based

Ten Types of Thinkers
	- Story tellers: create narratives
	- Visual thinkers: convey ideas into pictures
	- System oriented: love flow charts and diagrams
	- Associative: metaphors and proxy
	- Logical: breakdown into a series of choices
	- Organizers: group and bucket ideas
	- Architects: hierarchy
	- Intuitive: like sculptors
	- Leaders: goal-oriented, time line
	- Visionaries: how things could be..not engaged with feasibility

Other thinking skills
	- Creative thinking
		- The ability to conceive new and innovative ideas by breaking from established thoughts, theories, rules, and procedures. It
			involves putting things together in new and imaginative ways
	- Analytical thinking
		- The ability to separate a whole into its basic parts in order to examine the parts and their relationships
	- Critical thinking
		- The ability to exercise careful evaluation or judgment in order to determine the authenticity, accuracy, worth, validity, or
			value of something
	- Concrete thinking
		- The ability to comprehend and apply factual knowledge.
	- Abstract thinking
		- The ability to use concepts to make and understand generalizations then relating or connecting them to other items, events,
			or experiences
	- Divergent Thinking
		- The ability to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions in an effort to find one that works.
	- Convergent thinking
		- The ability to put a number of different pieces or perspectives of a topic together in some organized, logical manner to find
			a single answer
	- Sequential (linear) thinking
		- The ability to process information in orderly prescribed manner.
	- Holistic (nonlinear) thinking
		- The ability to see the big picture and recognize the interconnectedness of various components that form the larger system

Facts and Opinion
	- A fact is a statement that is true and can be verified objectively, or proven. In other words, a fact is true and correct, no
		matter what.
	- An opinion, however, is a statement that holds an element of belief; it tells how someone feels. An opinion is not always true
		and cannot be proven.

	- Differences
		- Opinion is based on assumptions, whereas fact is based on observation or research.
		- The difference between fact and opinion is that fact is an objective reality, whereas opinion is a subjective statement.
		- Evidence or statistics can be used to verify facts. On the contrary, there is no evidence to back up opinion.
		- The facts explain what happened. That, unlike an opinion, represents a perception of something.
		- Facts can change anyone’s mind, but not the other way around.

Critical Thinking
	- The process of actively analyzing, assessing, synthesizing, evaluating and reflecting on information gathered from observation,
		experience, or communication
	- Thinking in a clear, logical, reasoned, and reflective manner to solve problems or make decisions
	- is taking a hard look at something to understand what it really means

Guidelines for critical thinkers
	- “What information supports that?”
	- “How was this information obtained?”
	- “Who obtained the information?”
	- “How do we know the information is valid?”
	- “Why is it that way?”
	- “What makes it do that?”
	- “How do we know that?”
	- “Are there other possibilities?”

To be a Critical thinker
	- Incorporates both creative and analytical thinking
	- Interpreting: understanding the significance or meaning of information
	- Analyzing: breaking information down into its parts
	- Connecting: making connections between related items or pieces of information.
	- Reasoning: creating an argument through logical steps
	- Evaluating: judging the value, credibility, or strength of something

Reasoning?




********************************************** Thinking Critically *************************************************

Terms
	- Claim: statement about a topic
	- Issue: any controversial topic/subject that is discussed
	- Argument: set of claims to support a particular conclusion

How do we identify arguments?
	- What is the other person trying to communicate, illustrate or prove?
	- What evidence or rationale is being used?
	- What conclusion can be drawn?

Argument indicators
	- Because
	- Since
	- Assuming that …
	- For
	- As

Deductive Arguments
	- From general to specific
	- My mother is Irish. Everyone from Ireland has blond hair. Therefore, my mother has blond hair.

Deductive Arguments Approach *

Inductive Arguments
	- From specific to general
	- Premise: All the tigers I saw on my safari trip to South Africa were orange.
	- Conclusion: Therefore, all tigers are orange.
	- Premise: All the tigers I saw on my safari trip to South Africa were orange.
	- Conclusion: Hence, most tigers are probably orange.

Inductive Arguments Approach *

Assessing Credibility of an Argument
	- Is it valid?
	- Is it sound?
	- Validity of the source
	- An argument has t be both valid and sound

Obstacles in Critical Thinking
	- Egocentric Thinking
	- Social Conditioning
	- Outliers: Bad past experiences
	- Avoid normalization: question your own thoughts and beliefs
	- Respect your emotions but avoid emotional thinking