Business Skills and Permanence

How often do we attend a seminar or other training event...and get psyched about what we have learned, only to have our new-found skills fade away?

Think about high school or college. We often forget practical skills that we have learned because we do not use the skills on a regular basis...even though they could have saved us money or made our lives easier. (How many of us wish we had used those skills we learned in shop class more often...especially after we spend thousands on a remodeling project!)

During our careers, many of us will spend thousands of dollars to improve our skills. If we're lucky, our organizations may pick up the tab.

...And without a plan to commit to use what we have learned, we can fall into what is often called the "knowledge trap". When our good intentions to turn our new knowledge into skills and our old habits collide, what will win out? Almost always the answer is our old habits!

Huge amounts of training and education dollars are wasted each year because we attend a learning event with no realistic, specific plans to use what we have learned. There is often little or no follow-up (and yes accountability!) to connect our new knowledge to tangible results.

It has been said that practice does NOT make perfect...rather it makes our skills permanent.

When we commit to use what we have learned, we build permanence for our skills...and we avoid wasting lots of time, money, and effort!

"Soft" Skills

We spend huge amounts of time on technical, process, and procedure training...and we need to. Our team members need to know how to do their jobs.

Once our team members are technically competent, their development in "soft skills" areas is often overlooked. How confident are they? What is their level of skill in dealing with other people? Do they communicate well? What are the leadership qualities that they bring to the table? Can they effectively deal with stress and worry?

Managers, supervisors and executives often find out the hard way that these skills are not so soft...and in fact have a profound impact on any organization.

For example, what kinds of things would happen if your team members made a concerted effort to criticize, condemn, or complain less?...not just because it's "nice", but rather because it tends to be a complete waste of time. (How many people do you know that truly welcome criticizing, condemning, or complaining?) Dale Carnegie realized many years ago that trying not to criticize, condemn, or complain is a key aspect of getting results, professionally, AND personally. Abiding by the principle helps us to get beyond the quagmire of negativity.

Your customers are the end users of your organization's proficiency with "soft skills". If their mantra, for whatever reasons - good or bad - is to criticize, condemn, and complain, rest assured that your customers and clients will know it.

Next we will examine how to make "soft skills" more than just a nice idea.