ROLE OF SOFT SKILLS TRAINER – CRUX OF THE SOFT SKILLS TRAINING

Abstract: The article explores the methodology to be adopted in imparting softskills training to
employees. It reviews the learning theories relevant to training and explores the possibility of their
implementation in softskills training. It identifies Bandura’s Social learning theory as the ideal model for SST.
The role of soft skills trainer to provide role models for learning soft skills by presenting himself personally or
by inviting role models as guest faculty.

There is no argument in the vital nature of soft skills in an employee’s effectiveness in an organization It is an
established fact. Increasingly, companies aren't just assessing their current staff and future recruits on their
business skills. They are now assessing them on a whole host of soft skill competencies around how well they
relate and communicate to others. In the most progressive companies, managers are looking for people's ability
to communicate clearly and openly, and to listen and respond empathetically.

Many significant business researches have identified social skills (read soft skills) as the singular factor in
differentiating star performers from mediocre performers. For example, a recent study by Johnson and Burden
(2003) found employers expected younger people to be less likely to have work experience and therefore they
‘tend to focus upon ‘softer skills’ and behavioural attitudes in the recruitment process, with a less prominent
role played by qualifications’. Employers report that technical and occupational skills can be taught on-the-job
if the recruit has the right soft skills, such as motivation and willingness to learn (Dench et al., 1998). Kodz
and her colleagues (1998) also find that employers use soft skills as an indicator of peoples’ ability to learn
occupational skills.

Further research will only confirm the importance of soft skills training to future managers in increasing
productivity, fostering innovation, ability to be a team player, persuasion of organizational agendas, sensitivity
to workplace diversity and successful negotiation of conflicts. Beyond this we have specialist needs such as
language learning, presentation skills, coaching and a host of other organisational needs that all require a high
degree of competence in softskills.

It’s the soft stuff that’s hard

Now, that the “Why” of the soft skills has been firmly established, we have to focus on the “How”. How we
can effectively impart these vital skills is the challenge looming large before the B-Schools and corporate
world.

As we all understand the emphasis in our schools and universities is not on soft skills or ‘skills’ in general.
Our academic curriculum tends to ignore these important life skills. The concentration in these early years of
our learning has been solely gaining knowledge and not acquiring skills. It is therefore left to employers to
improve performance in these areas. Daniel Goleman in the influential best seller “Working with Emotional
intelligence” argues forcefully for the ‘hard case of soft skills’. But, in practice, there is nothing soft about soft
skills. And it is evident from industry estimates - millions of Rupees and dollars are spent on soft skills training
across the world.

Teaching Softskills

The modus operandi of delivering soft skills training (SST) is varied. The term ‘softskills’ is widely used in
training, yet there are some key questions that need to be asked about its definition and how it can be taught
and learnt. Softskills are mostly about knowing how something is done, rather than factual or procedural
knowledge. What is bewildering is that there is no mention of the term ‘softskills’ in the serious learning
literature. Of the dozens of theories, curiously, none mention softskills. Neverthless, we can benefit from an
exploration into the learning theories.

Learning theories

Learning theorosits have given us a framework for designing and implementing training (education). We
should have a basic understanding of learning principles before we try to comprehend nuances of SST.
Benjamin Bloom was among the first to define learning behaviours into three major categories: Cognitive,
Affective and Psychomotor learning. We obviously learn much from experience, either formally in terms of
structured exposure in training or in work and life itself through informal learning. Kolb and others since have
examined how we learn experientially and how this can be used to guide instructional strategies. He was
heavily influenced by Dewey, Lewin and Piaget, preferring an experiential model for learning as opposed to
purely cognitive models. So we learn that softskills instruction is not about telling, it’s about real or fictionally
constructed experience, involvement and practice, including the experience of failure.

Multiple intelligences

We need to be aware, for example, of Gardiner’s multiple intelligences, which suggests that at least three (out
of a total of eight) intelligences interact in the ability to apply softskills. According to Gardiner these
dispositions need to be identified in the learner:

Intelligence
Linguistic intelligence
Interpersonal intelligence
Intrapersonal intelligence
Description
To learn, use and be sensitive to
language(s).
Ability to read others’ intentions,
motivations, desires and feelings.
Self-knowledge and ability to understand
and use one’s inner knowledge.

These three intelligences are vital for learning the components of softskills.

Role of personality

The role of personality in softskills is also important. A more serious objection to the idea that softskills can be
taught, is that the mind, far from being a blank slate ready to have softskills poured into it, is an evolved entity
with inherited characteristics. Some of these personality characteristics involve softskills. At the layman’s level
we are all aware of people whose personality influences what we consider to be softskills. We do not expect
introverts to become hunter-like sales people, neither should we expect softskills training to transform core
personality traits.

From Sigmund Freud to Abraham Maslow many personality psychologists have found the constancy of
character traits. A person traumatized in a ship wreck in the childhood will have great difficulty in overcoming
the fear to go into the sea again. There has been many models to understand and assess human personality. The
latest and most reasearched personality theory is the Big five personality model. The ‘big five’ personality
traits captured in the mnemonic OCEAN are:
 • Openness

• Conscientiousness

• Extrovert-introvert

• Agreeableness

• Neuroticism

Many personality psychologists agree that these are the five major factors of personality,

It is important to understand that many see these traits as stable over a person’s lifetime and not subject to
change through training. All of these to some degree are active in determining a person’s abilities to practice
softskills. Extraversion and agreeableness is of particular importance.

Describes an individual's
pro-active seeking and
Openness to Experience
appreciation of experience
for its own sake.

Describes how organized,

motivated and thorough an
Conscientiousness individual is in life and in
pursuing goals.

Extraversion describes how

energetic and enthusiastic a
Extraversion person is - especially when
dealing with people.
Describes a person's
Agreeableness attitudes towards other
people.
Neuroticism measures the
different ways people have
of reacting emotionally to
Neuroticism pressure and stressful
circumstances.

These traits are widely believed to be fundamentally genetic. So, to what degree can soft skills be taught at all?
One answer is to recognise that many of these tacit skills can’t be taught to many people. The extreme introvert
is never going to become the confident conference presenter. The talented but shy software engineer is never
going to become a bubbly sales person. We wouldn’t consider everyone as a candidate for negotiation skills
training. In fact we’d mostly agree that very few people indeed have the ability to pull this off, even with
training. So, with these constraints in mind, SS trainer has to do some hard thinking while trying to impart the
skills to the trainees. SST has to seriously contemplate on the best way to implement the SS training.
What is the best way for SST

The best model for SST should be based on a learning theory which encompasses the situation of classroom
and theme of skills development. Such a theory is Bandura’s Social Learning Theory which posits that people
learn from one another, via observation, imitation, and modeling. “Most human behavior is learned
observationally through modeling: from observing others, one forms an idea of how new behaviors are
performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action.” (Bandura). Social
learning theory explains human behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive,
behavioral, and environmental influences.

Concept Definition Application

Behaviour changes result from interaction
Reciprocal Involve the individual and relevant others; work to change
between person and environment; change is
Determinism the environment, if warranted
bi-directional

Behavioral
Knowledge and skills to influence behavior Provide information and training about action
Capability

Incorporate information about likely results of action in

Expectations Beliefs about likely results of action
advice

Confidence in ability to take action and Point out strengths; use persuasion and encouragement;
Self-Efficacy
persist in action approach behaviour change in small steps

Observational Beliefs based on observing others like self Point out others' experience, physical visible changes;
Learning and/or physical results identify role models to emulate

Provide incentives, rewards, praise; encourage self-

Responses to a person's behaviour that
Reinforcement reward; decrease possibility of negative responses that
increase or decrease the chances of recurrence
deter positive changes
Source: 'Theory at a Glance: A Guide for Health Promotion Practice' National Institutes of Health, National
Cancer Institute.

Bandura believed in “reciprocal determinism”, that is, the world and a person’s behavior cause each other,
while behaviorism essentially states that one’s environment causes one’s behavior, Bandura, who was studying
adolescent aggression, found this too simplistic, and so in addition he suggested that behavior causes
environment as well. Later, Bandura considered personality as an interaction between three components: the
environment, behavior, and one’s psychological processes (one’s ability to entertain images in minds and
language).
The Ideal way

The importance of developing a skill is vital. The ideal way learning will be to follow the social learning
perspective of Bandura. This model implicates the central role of SS trainer in inculcating the soft skills. He
has to provide an ideal environment ofr learning through his presence and the classroom environment. The soft
skils trainer’s responsibility to be a role model to the students is imperative. The trainees will unconsciously
look upon the SS trainer as a person of higher knowledge and skill. And whatever the SST does is the ideal
way to say and do. So, the competency of the soft skills trainer becomes very important. In order to be an
effective SS trainer should be competent in linguistic skills – English proficiency – interpersonal skills; possess
good business communication, including etiquettes and manners; positive & confident body language,. SST
should also be good in time management. If arrives to the class late or takes too much of time then the students
will feel that he is not following what he preaches. In short the SST should “walk his talk”. The SST can also
invite guest faculty who represent the business world. Such a guest should be professional in his appearance,
approach and interaction with the students.They can also serve as role models for the students to follow.

The environment
The external (material) environment and the psychological atmosphere are very important. The classroom of
the SST should be one that fosters curiosity, exploration and learning. The SST should be Personal and
Passionate in his interaction with the trainees. The mood should be one of “serious fun” – where the aim is to
learn important skills which are vital for one’s success in the increasingly competitive corporate world. But
the actual learning interaction should involve certain amount of playfulness. The classical broken squares
(developed by Pfeiffer & Jones, 1974) intra team collaboration is a good example. In this activity, the trainees
are so much engrossed in the activity. But the climate is one of fun also. The activity generates a feeling of
“happy desperation”. There is a genuine curiosity and determination to solve the problem. But there is also a
sense of desperation.

A Plan for a Soft skills training class

Like a business meeting, set an agenda and schedule that is fast-paced and holds
students’ interest. You can use this formula:
This is to warm up and set the tone—interactive
and fun. This can be as simple as introducing
Begin with an icebreaker
yourself by name and sharing an interesting fact
or play
Students are eager to hear about your dreams as a
child, a humorous anecdote about when you were
their age, or how you dealt with challenges along
Share a personal story
the way. Students need to connect to you in order
to connect to your career.

This helps keep students engaged and offers a

Jump into a hands-on activity.
Make time for any final
questions and ask for input.
Evaluation
snapshot of your work.
Find out what the students liked and how can you
improve next time.
Check out whether the targeted skills has been
learnt optimally.
References
1. Newton B, Hurstfield J, Miller L, Page R, Akroyd K. Research Report DWPRR 295, What Employers
Look for When Recruiting the Unemployed and Inactive: Characteristics, Skills and Qualifications,
Department for Work and Pensions, 2005.
2. Johnson, S., Burden, T. (2003), Young People, Employability and the Induction Process, Joseph
Rowntree Foundation
3. Pfeiffer J.W. and Jones J.E. (1969). A Handbook of Structured Experiences for Human Relations
Training. San Jose, University Associates.
4. http://www.comminit.com/redirect.cgi?r=http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinformation/theory-at-a-glance

5. Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam

6. Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2008, September). Social Learning Theory (Bandura) at Learning-
Theories.com. Retrieved September 8th, 2008 from http://www.learning-theories.com/social-learning-
theory-bandura.html
7. Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2008, September). Social Development Theory (Vygotsky) at
Learning-Theories.com. Retrieved September 8th, 2008 from http://www.learning-
theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html