[eBook Code] Bridging the Soft Skills Gap (eBook Code, 1st)

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