Soft Skills Toning - Gen Zers Branching Out for Work & Life

Seedlings, bursting with potential! Gen Z in a nutshell: digital natives, virtually connected, entrepreneurial wizards, socially diverse and environmentally conscious, with vibrant, evolutionary ideas and aspirations... Just having a hard time with Soft Skills like interpersonal communication.

Gen Zers (born between 1997-2012) are key to our social and business matrix. By 2026, Gen Z grads will comprise 1/3 of the workforce. But today's business leaders lament that they are unprepared for successful business practice because they lack Soft Skills, and sadly, lack of communication skills are at the top of the list. Atrophied social skills, isolationism, lacking or non-existent telephone etiquette, business writing skills, the ability to read a room and interact appropriately are all noted as candidate after candidate performs miserably at in-person interviews, or once hired, proves unsuccessful for lack of Soft Skills.

What happened to Gen Zs's Soft Skills development? A number of factors:

• Mostly digital/virtual primary education & homescape

• Young adult development lacking opportunity for interpersonal interaction

• Limited access to direct social feedback loops

• Required online learning & social interaction during Pandemic restrictions

• Formal education emphasis on technical skills mastery, deficit for soft skills

  
  

We have a generation that is socially awkward, like a seedling that just can't pop. More and more, they're reaching out, sometimes through their advocates, for Soft Skills Toning.

What are the Soft Skills needed for navigating work and life?

• Interpersonal Communication - Mindful listening, asking appropriate questions and finding points of connection, intentional focus, attention to diverse communication styles and ability to adapt accordingly; ability to receive and offer constructive feedback, and to manage personal or team failures/setbacks with confidence, calm, and creativity

  
  

  

  
  

• Emotional Intelligence - Self-awareness; the ability to manage emotional responses in diverse contexts, coping skills for handling stress and disorientation in the moment, cultivating empathy, learning healthy communication styles for offering/receiving feedback, reading body language, tone, context, and being able to adapt and respond accordingly

• Public Speaking/Presentation Skills - Basic rhetoric; organizing and delivering complex content with logical coherence and nuance; developing an attractive, appropriate format and presentation style; connecting with an audience; inspiring attention and engagement; drawing on credentials and expertise with confidence rather than arrogance or absolute certitude

  
  

• Business Communication/Writing/Reporting/Evaluation - Determining communication genres, styles, and tones appropriate to context and intended audience; using language forms that are invitational, constructive, and inclusive; maintaining focus and attention to detail for professionalism and respectful communication; cultivating the ability to motivate readers/listeners to engage the content and offer feedback

As a change management consultant, I work with individuals and organizations navigating the challenges of significant change by imitating Nature. With seasoned professional experience in teaching/coaching Soft Skills, including interpersonal communications, public speaking, writing, learning language and communication barriers, and on-the-spot listening, interpretation, and communication, I hear from many clients about the need for developing Soft Skills in the workplace and in life.

"Soft Skills Toning" is a Nature-based Solution (NbS) that begins with the Wood-Wide-Web, the most highly developed communications system beneath the surface of the Earth that has been sustaining the oldest organic network in the history of the biosphere. What is it? Mycelial networking.

How does a mycelial network - work?

"Mycelia are tiny 'threads' that, when bundled together, form vast and intricate 'mycorrhizal networks.' These networks connect individual plant species together to convey water, nitrogen, carbon, and other minerals, providing nutrients and sustenance for growth and resilience.

The information conduits are vast, complex, and form the basis for the symbiotic relationships of plants and fungi. The fungi colonize the root system of a host plant to increase water and nutrient absorption, while the host plant provides the fungi with carbohydrates from photosynthesis." (https://www.environmentalsoulutions.com/post/when-trees-know-best-expert-networking-101) It's a brilliant communications model, and one we can imitate.

Soft Skills are not lost; they can be cultivated, especially if we pay attention to Nature. An organic process that invites developmental growth, "Soft Skills Toning" is like coaxing a seed to open into sunlight with a little water and maybe some fertilizing, compost, and mulching. If you know a Gen Zer or anyone who needs help developing Soft Skills for work or for life, please reach out for further information. The "Way" is not forward, it's awkward. Connecting is the first, fierce step.

"Soft Skills Toning" - For further information:

https://www.environmentalsoulutions.com/services/softskillstoning