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The Hard Truth about Soft Skills

Shari Lifland

In her new book The Hard Truth About Soft SkillsWorkplace Lessons Smart People Wish Theyd Learned Sooner (Collins, 2008), Klaus presents 54 workplace lessons based on her years of training, coaching, and interviewing people at all levels. What she found is that people arent getting where they want to go in their careers. She writes, Whether young or old, experienced or inexperienced, what struck me most about their stories of missed opportunities and derailed careers was this: Their problems rarely stemmed from a shortfall in technical or professional expertise, but rather from a shortcoming in the soft skills arena with their personal, social, communication and self-management behaviors.

Research backs up Klauss findings:

  • Research conducted with Fortune 500 CEOs by the Stanford Research Institute International and the Carnegie Melon Foundation, found that 75% of long-term job success depends on people skills, while only 25% on technical knowledge.
  • A survey conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council found that although MBAs were strong in analytical aptitude, quantitative expertise, and information-gathering ability, they were sorely lacking in other critical areas that employers find equally attractive: strategic thinking, written and oral communication, leadership, and adaptability.

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  • "  I liked the focus on practical examples of the lessons taught, as well as opportunities to practice the tools in teams. This allowed us to better understand, and obviously practice what we were learning, on work based examples. Therefore we learned and got some preliminary work done.  "

  • "  Fred was successful in creating an environment which was conducive to stimulating discussions and interaction in the group.  "

  • "  What I liked most about the course was that it gave me an opportunity to examine my communication techniques and get a clear understanding of the important role I play when communicating. It allowed me to realize that I need to be aware of my emotions at all times.  "

  • "  The course was very well detailed. The interaction with the facilitator regarding actual business plan activities and challenges was excellent.  "