SOFT SKILLS TRAINING APPROACHES FOR

IMPROVING COLLEGE

AND CAREER OUTCOMES

Dr. Jon L. Thomas, LPC Pamela Barton www.adhdcollegesuccess.com

9685-D Main Street, Fairfax, VA 22031

703-425-5200

WHAT ARE SOFT SKILLS?

Soft skills are the personal attributes, personality traits, inherent social

cues, and communication abilities needed for success on the job. Soft

skills characterize how a person interacts in his or her relationships

with others.

Most in Demand:

Leadership

Communication

Collaboration

Time Management

Teamwork

Creative Problem-Solving

According to Forbes June 2017 article, and the September 24, 2018 article, citing LinkedIn’s 2018 Workforce report.

KEY OR “UMBRELLA SKILLS” THAT EMPOWER

THESE 6 SOFT SKILLS:

Critical thinking

Executive functioning

Emotional intelligence

WHY SOFT SKILLS?

Nearly every job requires employees to engage with others in some way. Therefore, being able to interact well with others is important in any job.

Employers look for applicants with soft skills is because soft skills are transferable skills that can be used regardless of the job at which the person is working. This makes job candidates with soft skills very adaptable employees.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING….

1904 - Definition of Soft Skills began with Charles Spearman

and “general learning ability”

1920 - Edward Thorndike and “Social Intelligence”

SOFT SKILLS SHOW UP IN RESEARCH AS CORRELATES

OF CAREER SUCCESS, JOB PERFORMANCE, AND

LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL

As college and the workplace become more team-based and collaborative in nature,

these skills are becoming even more essential.

Soft skills such as critical thinking, Executive Function and Emotional intelligence

emerge in our work as two of the most challenging skill sets for people with

ADHD. Challenging in a way they show up as deficits and ADHD poses functional

barriers to attaining them.

High School and College Students are inadequately taught Soft skills.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE:

“The capacity for recognizing and managing our

own feelings and the feelings of others.”*

*“Emotional Intelligence”, Daniel Goleman

BASIC COMPONENTS OF EI:

Self-Awareness

Management of Emotions

“Otherness”/Empathy

Use of Social Skills

EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS:

Brain functions that activate, organize,

integrate and manage other functions.

CAN SOFT SKILLS BE TAUGHT?

Some say Soft skills can only be cultivated….

We say they CAN be taught! We have PROOF!

But ADHD poses significant challenges

to learning these skills.

THEORY OF MIND:

Theory of Mind involves understanding another person's

knowledge, beliefs, emotions, and intentions and using that

understanding to navigate social situations.

From this….. To THIS……

….And the inherent difficulty in finding words to express the problems

inherent in this subjective experience.

Subjective nature of the experience of ADHD…..

THE HISTORY OF HUMAN EMOTIONS

TIFFANY WATT SMITH

“Toska” – A longing for nothing to long for

“Awumnbuk” – Inertia and distraction caused by guests

departing

“Amae” – Temporary surrender in perfect safety

What words adequately convey a personal perspective of the:

Challenges of ADHD

Skills needed to overcome these obstacles

Means whereby a person can apply these skills?

CLOWN SUIT?

MULTI-SENSORY ASPECT OF LANGUAGING

LANGUAGE OF SOFT SKILLS FOR ADHD:

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

5 Basic feelings:

Glad

Sad

Mad

Afraid

Ashamed

LANGUAGE OF SOFT SKILLS FOR ADHD:

LANGUAGE OF SOFT SKILLS FOR ADHD:

DREAMER, REALIST, CRITIC:

Dreamer: Creative problem solving, creativity,

possibility

Realist: Executive function, select – plan – execute plan

Critic: Critical thinking; What could go wrong?

How can we avert failure? Is this the best way?

DREAMER, REALIST, CRITIC:

Dominant Emerging Dormant

Dreamer

Realist

Critic

Individuated/enmeshed Healthy/contaminated

After years of developing, evolving, and applying

this “pseudo code” based language, we naturally

wondered,

“How well does this work?”

RESEARCH MODEL:

Results and Conclusions:

Initial pre and post T-test results indicated

significant improvement in tested skill

levels.

This is the beginning of a more vast research project. We are

comfortable predicting increased skill levels will correlate with

improved college and career outcomes. And that the

uniqueness of language facilitates these improved skills and

resulting outcomes.

Thank you for attending our

presentation

Dr. Jon Thomas, LPC, Pamela Barton