SOFT SERVE Workshops, Keynotes, and Parties

Soft Skills Training Programs, Workshops, and Keynotes

What’s the hard truth? It’s that soft skills can make or break your career! Recent studies show that careers fail or stall not because of a lack of technical or professional expertise—the hard skills—but rather because of a shortcoming in the soft skills arena. This high-energy, experiential program not only provides insights, but also strategies, tools, and techniques for improving your own soft skills repertoire. To reinforce the lessons, cited throughout are tales from the office trenches, complaints from management about employee deficiencies in the soft skills arena, and an ever-growing body of research that supports the need for improving soft skills competency.

Each event is custom designed, depending on the time allotted and the client’s specific needs. Some examples of topics that can be covered are managing the workload, handling critics, developing personal image, navigating office politics, and leading a team. All topics can be mixed and matched and formatted as workshops, keynotes, or training programs lasting from 2 hours to 5 days. We work with each client to create the perfect content blend to meet your goals and objectives.

The Hard Truth About Soft Skills can also be delivered as a Soft Serve Party. This fun and easy way of serving up the soft skills includes the same lively content, but with an extra twist—soft serve ice-cream tops off the event. Soft Serve Parties are perfect for informal professional development programs such as lunch-and-learns, after-hours training, or whenever you need an excuse to eat some ice cream!

SAMPLE AGENDA:

I. Opening: What’s The Hard Truth About Soft Skills?
Soft skills are not just about those touchy-feely people skills. This engaging opening discussion identifies what soft skills are and how they cover a wide range of abilities and traits from self-awareness to attitude, initiative to problem solving, handling criticism to communicating your agenda, leadership to time management, political astuteness to integrity, and then some.
 
II. Group Play: Four Workplace Lessons For Soft Skills Savvy
Participants are on their feet and paired up for interactive exercises and mini-makeovers in a particular soft skills area. With these activities, some favorite lessons are brought to life, including:

• Don't take it personally. You need to get used to being judged (all the time, not just during performance reviews). Participants are taught how to handle critics without getting overly emotional.
   
• Your procrastination is trying to tell you something. What does being perpetually behind on your projects say about you and your time management skills? This lesson offers some words of wisdom and practical advice that will surprise you.
   
• Adjust your communication accordingly. Though we’re more connected than ever, our communication skills have reached an all-time low. Critical tips are provided for communicating with everyone from your boss on down.
   
• Know the unspoken rules of the workplace. No matter how distasteful, office politics are an unavoidable part of every job. Participants will be shown that organizational astuteness is one soft skills area they can’t afford to miss.

III. We All Scream For ICE CREAM! (optional)
Soft serve ice cream in a cone or cup with all the toppings is served at the end of the event. Hosting organizations utilize the ice cream machines in their own cafeterias or we help to find a local caterer or other provider. For events in the greater New York City area, the Mr. Softee franchise is available for onsite service at a reasonable cost. Contact us for more details.