Soft Skills (10-10-06)

Maybe I should have taken my hire-wire act to…well, to the hire wires.

During the week I had the pleasure of attending the Nex-Tech Career Expo and Job Fair. The first company I visited was Sunflower Electric. I learned that they will take high school graduates, train them, and pay them more money than I ever (or could ever) have earned as a teacher to work among the high (electrical) wires.

Wow! (or “Crikey!” if you prefer). Please understand that I am NOT complaining about wages. The brave men and women who provide us with electricity earn every dollar for their work among the high voltage power lines. As an educator, I may have been occasionally “shocked” by student behavior, and while at Wheatland, I considered myself to be a Wheatland “Shocker”, but that’s as close as I ever dared get to real electricity.

What really “shocked” me was that a kid straight out of high school has a chance to earn some serious money, IF they have the right skills. What are the skills needed to get and hold a great job? I asked many of the companies at the expo and I learned that, regardless of the educational requirements, most were looking for individuals with a positive work ethic. Most were willing to train or help find training for new employees.

In his book, Working with Emotional Intelligence (1998), researcher Daniel Goleman, examined 181 jobs in 121 companies, He found that 67%, or two out of every three, of the skills most essential in the workplace were what he called “soft skills.” They included the ability to:
• work with others,
• resolve conflicts
• show up on time and ready to work
• be flexible and creative
• speak up and be heard,
• influence others,
• learn new skill
• be self-directed and self confident
• show drive and gumption.
Goleman interviewed hundreds and found that while some people were hired because of advanced degrees, many were unsuccessful because they had “too much college and too little kindergarten.”

Scott Huffman, the keynote speaker at the Career Expo, also touted the importance of soft skills. He expressed pride in his Western Kansas roots, noting that his upbringing in Quinter taught him the value of hard work, honesty, and perseverance. He told us that even though he was not the best student (he joked that he graduated in the top 20 of his class of 22), the Western Kansas work ethic carried him to a career as an NCAA Division I track star, a United States record holder, a 1996 Olympian, and a professional pole-vaulter.

Scott ended his address with 4 important “nuggets”: 1) get an education; 2) doggedly pursue your goals; 3) become a positive thinker; 4) work hard.

Let’s think about the last one: Work hard. As a skill, we all have the ability to work hard. It doesn’t take money or privilege or a long educational program. It simply takes guts and determination. The ability to work “hard” is incredibly “soft.”

I have seen an abundance of these soft skills in the fine young people I am blessed to work with every day. There is something about Western Kansas kids. Generally, they are polite, patient, and willing to work hard to reach their goals. I’ve seen it in athletics, activities, and in the classroom.

While I chose the hire-wire act of an educator, I have no doubt that many of our young people will find success in the careers they chose, whether it be the high wires of the electric company, or into the stars beyond. Also, like Quinter Olympian Scott Huffman, our graduates (those who get an education first) should be able to turn their soft skills into some hard cash.