Rhonda,
I believe there are many people who would agree with you in regards to that.
Philip Campbell
Personally, I think all the soft skills are important. They do hand-in-hand with each other and really complement one another. When all are applied equally it will create a positive workplace and will also set a good example.
I think communication is very important, the way you communicate with a person tells alot about what you think and how important is the situation or problem to you. but dependability is another soft skill that every person should have, if an empleyer can't depend or count on you the whole business comes downs.
For success in any workplace or at home, we need these soft skills:
* the ability to communicate our views (thoughts, opinions, and information) clearly, efficiently, and with appropriate tone
* the ability to listen objectively and hear accurately
* the ability to understand the process of the job we're doing and to attend to its details in a timely and thorough manner
* the ability to stay true to our personal values in any context (especially important for personal mental, emotional, and spiritual health)
* the ability to maintain a positive attitude
* the ability to recognize and honor the value and good intentions of all others
In addition to having these abilities, we also need to actually USE them!
Communication, but it's how you communicate the "communication"! Some people have great communication, but how the relay that communication is what needs to be address.
common sense, boy there it is in a nutshell.
show the students you know the material, even
go outside the boundries once in a while to drive that fact home.
don't soft shoe your way through something if you don't know an answer. go find out!
Sheena,
All are important. Everyones perspective is different based on environment.
Philip Campbell
Bonnie,
I love that, communication is key and a challenge in most organizations. The more people are aware the better we become.
Philip Campbell
I think people skills are the most important soft skills for success in the work place.
There are several however, I feel the most effective soft skills are listening to others, motivating others and being positive in different situations.
Being a dental assistant or any profession you have to have great communication skills along with being compassionate. I always tell my students that their hands-on skills are important but their soft-skills are even more important.
Eryn,
Many agree with your line of thinking as well.
Philip Campbell
Celine,
It is nice to see that we are trying to give students a good balance between both technical and soft skills.
Philip Campbell
A lot of what instructors do is designed to show that they are not clueless, that they understand what the student's situation is -- that they have empathy. There is a hard side to empathy, it's not just a soft skill, it involves knowing stuff, not just displaying niceness.
I teach in a healthcare program so it is critical that our students learn to communicate effectively. In the workplace employers expect healthcare professionals to not only be technically skilled, but also able to discuss needed treatment, procedures, and expected outcomes with the patient in a compassionate, competent manner. So much of what healthcare providers do is related to the "soft skills". Today, we are seeing a diminished ability to "manage" people and patients. A patient will be unhappy with treatment received no matter how successful the outcome if the "delivery" is substandard. We are judged by the way we act, not just by what we do or the level of our skill.
I'm going with integrity. Although I suppose integrity without other soft skills, like positive attitude, might negate it. For example, if in having integrity I am also unyielding, my soft skills might suffer. It's not enough to have integrity... you must be able to put it to use constructively and, like batman, for good.
Donna,
Communication is always something that should be worked on at all levels.
Philip Campbell
Communication is the most important soft skill in the classroom. It impacts what students learn and how they learn the information. The other soft skills are also important but communication is the most important.
working with others as a team
I feel the most important soft skill is being a team player. With any occupation teamwork is needed, it does matter whether you are in the armed forces or in a hospital setting teamwork is important because it helps to save lives. In other professions teamwork can ease workloads, decrease stress and provides a positive work environment.
