Practicing Soft Skills

1. Practicing Soft Skills An Approach at VCC June 25th, SITE BC

2. Soft Skills from an IEP Perspective • From a Lionel Laroche lecture sponsored by the Waterloo Regional Immigrant Employment Network (WRIEN) • What is Lionel’s advice on soft skills versus technical skills?

4. An Approach at VCC • Socio-Cultural Competencies

5. An Approach at VCC • Socio-Cultural Competencies (SCC’s) • Some examples: • Seeking help or information • Refusing/Making a request • Expressing disagreement • Giving and receiving feedback • Participating in a group or team (Based on the work of F. Ishu Ishiyama and Marvin J. Westwood)

6. There is a map for SCC’s • Socio-Cultural Map • A – Attend/Approach • B - Bridge • C - Comment • D - Develop • E - End

7. Making a request • Watch a video of Victor asking Miriam to make some copies for him. • Was the request effective? • What was the effect on the rapport between Victor and Miriam?

8. Making a Request

9. What could Victor have done to make his request more effective?

10. Effective Request • Watch the video of the effective request identify what Victor did to make his request more effective.

11. Effective Request

12. What did Victor do?

13. SCC Map • Socio-Cultural Map • A – Attend/Approach • B - Bridge • C - Comment • D - Develop • E - End

14. Effective Request

15. SCC Map for Making a Request • A – attend / approach

16. SCC Map for Making a Request • A – attend / approach - Small Talk - “Hey Miriam” - (looks up at her,) “Do you have a few minutes?“

17. SCC Map for Making a Request • B – Bridge to Request

18. SCC Map for Making a Request • B – Bridge to Request - “I’m in a rush, and I need 10 copies of these documents”

19. SCC Map for Making a Request • C – Comment

20. SCC Map for Making a Request • C – Comment - “Can you help me out? ”

21. SCC Map for Making a Request • D – Develop

22. SCC Map for Making a Request • D – Develop - “Ummm (makes a ‘sheepish face’) …actually….. - “ If you wouldn’t mind. I’d really appreciate it.”

23. SCC Map for Making a Request • E – End

24. SCC Map for Making a Request • E – End - “Thanks, Miriam…I owe you one!” (starts to turn) - “ I’ll be back in a jiffy” (completes turn with smile and hand outstretched)

25. SCC Map A – Attend/Approach B - Bridge C - Comment D - Develop E - End

26. Pilot for BC Government (PDEV 1107)

27. Pilot for BC Government (PDEV 1107) • Course Goal: To select and apply socio-cultural competencies to successfully interact with co-workers in the Canadian workplace

28. Pilot for BC Government (PDEV 1107) • Course Goal: To select and apply socio-cultural competencies to successfully interact with co-workers in the Canadian workplace • Using Lionel Laroche, Recruiting, Retaining, and Promoting Culturally Different Employees”, as the text book for the class

29. Pilot for BC Government (PDEV 1107) • Course Goal: To select and apply socio-cultural competencies to successfully interact with co-workers in the Canadian workplace • Use Lionel Laroche, Recruiting, Retaining, and Promoting Culturally Different Employees”, as the text book for the class • A practice based approach with Engineering specific scenarios - coaching by the instructor, role rehearsal, videotaping

30. Details • Free • Mid July to the end of October • 2 week on-line orientation • 3 Face to Face Modules (4 weeks each) • 2 – 3 hr classes per week – 6:00pm to 9:00pm • Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday • Go to VCC website or take a handout

31. Practicing Soft Skills An Approach at VCC June 25th, SITE BC