Post on 15-Nov-2020
SOFT SKILLS TRAINING APPROACHES FOR
IMPROVING COLLEGE
AND CAREER OUTCOMES
Dr. Jon L. Thomas, LPC Pamela Barton www.adhdcollegesuccess.com
9685-D Main Street, Fairfax, VA 22031
703-425-5200
WHAT ARE SOFT SKILLS?
Soft skills are the personal attributes, personality traits, inherent social
cues, and communication abilities needed for success on the job. Soft
skills characterize how a person interacts in his or her relationships
with others.
Most in Demand:
Leadership
Communication
Collaboration
Time Management
Teamwork
Creative Problem-Solving
According to Forbes June 2017 article, and the September 24, 2018 article, citing LinkedIn’s 2018 Workforce report.
KEY OR “UMBRELLA SKILLS” THAT EMPOWER
THESE 6 SOFT SKILLS:
Critical thinking
Executive functioning
Emotional intelligence
WHY SOFT SKILLS?
Nearly every job requires employees to engage with others in some way. Therefore, being able to interact well with others is important in any job.
Employers look for applicants with soft skills is because soft skills are transferable skills that can be used regardless of the job at which the person is working. This makes job candidates with soft skills very adaptable employees.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING….
1904 - Definition of Soft Skills began with Charles Spearman
and “general learning ability”
1920 - Edward Thorndike and “Social Intelligence”
SOFT SKILLS SHOW UP IN RESEARCH AS CORRELATES
OF CAREER SUCCESS, JOB PERFORMANCE, AND
LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL
As college and the workplace become more team-based and collaborative in nature,
these skills are becoming even more essential.
Soft skills such as critical thinking, Executive Function and Emotional intelligence
emerge in our work as two of the most challenging skill sets for people with
ADHD. Challenging in a way they show up as deficits and ADHD poses functional
barriers to attaining them.
High School and College Students are inadequately taught Soft skills.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE:
“The capacity for recognizing and managing our
own feelings and the feelings of others.”*
*“Emotional Intelligence”, Daniel Goleman
BASIC COMPONENTS OF EI:
Self-Awareness
Management of Emotions
“Otherness”/Empathy
Use of Social Skills
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS:
Brain functions that activate, organize,
integrate and manage other functions.
CAN SOFT SKILLS BE TAUGHT?
Some say Soft skills can only be cultivated….
We say they CAN be taught! We have PROOF!
But ADHD poses significant challenges
to learning these skills.
THEORY OF MIND:
Theory of Mind involves understanding another person's
knowledge, beliefs, emotions, and intentions and using that
understanding to navigate social situations.
From this….. To THIS……
….And the inherent difficulty in finding words to express the problems
inherent in this subjective experience.
Subjective nature of the experience of ADHD…..
THE HISTORY OF HUMAN EMOTIONS
TIFFANY WATT SMITH
“Toska” – A longing for nothing to long for
“Awumnbuk” – Inertia and distraction caused by guests
departing
“Amae” – Temporary surrender in perfect safety
What words adequately convey a personal perspective of the:
Challenges of ADHD
Skills needed to overcome these obstacles
Means whereby a person can apply these skills?
CLOWN SUIT?
MULTI-SENSORY ASPECT OF LANGUAGING
LANGUAGE OF SOFT SKILLS FOR ADHD:
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
5 Basic feelings:
Glad
Sad
Mad
Afraid
Ashamed
LANGUAGE OF SOFT SKILLS FOR ADHD:
LANGUAGE OF SOFT SKILLS FOR ADHD:
DREAMER, REALIST, CRITIC:
Dreamer: Creative problem solving, creativity,
possibility
Realist: Executive function, select – plan – execute plan
Critic: Critical thinking; What could go wrong?
How can we avert failure? Is this the best way?
DREAMER, REALIST, CRITIC:
Dominant Emerging Dormant
Dreamer
Realist
Critic
Individuated/enmeshed Healthy/contaminated
After years of developing, evolving, and applying
this “pseudo code” based language, we naturally
wondered,
“How well does this work?”
RESEARCH MODEL:
Results and Conclusions:
Initial pre and post T-test results indicated
significant improvement in tested skill
levels.
This is the beginning of a more vast research project. We are
comfortable predicting increased skill levels will correlate with
improved college and career outcomes. And that the
uniqueness of language facilitates these improved skills and
resulting outcomes.
Thank you for attending our
presentation
Dr. Jon Thomas, LPC, Pamela Barton