Soft Skills Training: It’s Never Too Late
I often hear, “Soft skills can’t be taught. You either have those skills or you don’t.”
The people who mention this are referring to certain employees in the workplace who have a poor attitude, are late, complain, or have a bad work ethic. While it may be the case that it is hard to change or instill particular behaviors, I don’t believe soft skills can’t be taught. Sometimes, it is because people are unaware of the right behaviors. Not enough attention has been paid through their lives to teach them what employers assume all workers should know.
One of the most important soft skills is a positive attitude. A poor attitude can start early in life and if not corrected, can lead to difficulty in all areas of a person’s life. I observed an elementary school basketball game recently and watched with sadness as one of the players stomped her feet during the entire game. She seemed mad and agitated, bouncing the ball with a kind of intensity that projected a sense of entitlement. Imagine what will happen if she carries that attitude into the workplace or community as an adult.
Soft skills need to be taught and modeled everywhere, at every level, and by everyone. It can never be too late.
