Strangely, I've seen both positive and negative attitudes be immensely powerful in affecting the mood of a group. Group psychology is a huge topic that I won't dive into here (yay!), but it's amazing how some folks, through negativity, can crush the spirit of a group. It's equally amazing how some instructors with charisma, confidence, and a positive outlook can raise the spirits and eagerness of an entire class just by walking in.
Particularly in the medical field, it is very important to be able to manage emotions to maintain professionalism. Our students are sometimes presented with high-stress situations like tyrannical or impatient doctors/nurses/staff, angry patients or even witnessing a patient's death. These situations can lead students to become upset, leading to anger or even crying in the presence of others. Patients and their families rely on medical staff to be technically skilled but also strong and dependable under pressure. Our students need to learn to keep their composure at all times no matter how difficult things get. This can be very challenging, but these emotions can be regulated when the student can recognize the progression of their emotions and learn to cope more effectively.
Sunshine,
I agree, role modeling goes much further than the spoken word in the classroom. It also is a reflection of how we act when walking down the halls, or if they see us outside the school in the community.
Judy,
Do you ever practice or role play the chain of command? There are many people who probably hear that terminology, and may not follow it. Is this something that is falling by the wayside in organizations today?
Integrity. People need to trust you and they find it easier to trust you if you are trustworthy. Nothing trumps integrity.
Conflict resolution, This will come up more frequently than you would imagine. Following the chain of command to resolve any issues would be first priority. There will be many different senerios and resolutions, be compassionate but firm.
I firmly believe that you have to have integrity to be successful in any workplace. The way you act or react when no one is watching really depicts who you are as an individual. I think you can lose you credibility and trust of your students or colleagues when they hear you say one thing, but do another.
Common Sense is at the top of the list due to how it helps attain greatness both in and out of the work place by using good judgements and making practical decisions. Additionally, most conflicts in the workplace can be can be avoided by being a good listener. Even if the message is clearly sent it doesn't mean anything if the audience is not listening.
Positive attitude is a winning strategy, but I expect this as a given. Given the positive attitude, I think listening is the key. Students must know that you can be approached and that you will listen to their concerns or difficulties. Once two-way communication is opened, trust is established, and effort will increase. SInce their effort is now perceived to count for something.
I think the best soft skill to have is listening to what people have to say and respect their opion even if you disagree with what they are saying.
I think that having effective workplace relationships are important because it allows you the abililty to get along with other and also one can perform a better job. It is great also because you enjoy going to work if things are great with co-workers.
I am not sure how I feel about your choice, Deborah! There is part of me that agrees that it is important to manage emotions in the classroom, but I do not think that it is paramount. For me, creating an open and accepting classroom is most important--developing positive relationships with the students so that they each feel free to express ideas. Maybe that is what you are saying.
Dolores
I agree with you, Jeane, that a negative attitude can certainly be more contagious. In some ways it seems that people are ready to accept a negative attitude faster than a positive one. They seem more distrustful of positive attitudes. Is that because we have come to expect the worst in everything?
Dolores
I agree with what the content of the course that team work if maybe the most important soft skill today. In some ways good team work implies many of the other soft skills including listening, giving constructive feedback, having positive relationships, and being a motivator.
In my workplace, I depend on my staff to function as a team. If one stops participating as a team member, it definitely affects most of the aspects of the team, but the one that I see affected first is the positve attitude. It seems that most of the team energy is transferred to a focus on the team member who is slacking off.
Dolores
Being a good team player for an invironment conducive to learning and to understand others
Donna,
Our word is Gold. That is a soft skill that we can teach our students. When asked something we get them an answer, even if it is not that day, and we do not know the answer, we research to find the answer for them.
I have always believed that your word is "gold", and right along with this, accountability. Being dependable and following through on anything you say you are going to do. People have to be able to trust that when you say you will do something, you do it. Students recognize this quality in a teacher, and hopefully some or a few of them will try to respond to life the same way. I think this one trait carrys over into ever aspect of a persons life.
Frances,
Excellent points. So often employers ask us questions about our students performance. However, one of the first things they ask is about their attendance and the second is about their interactions with their peers. Seldom do we get questions about a students GPA. So, yes, we need to be a role model for them as well. If we cannot show them respect how can we expect them to show us respect?
Jeane,
You have a great take on things. I would like to think that "positive behavior" can be very effective in overcoming "negativity" displayed by any one person.
If we can somehow manage to tap into those negative feelings that a person has, change their outlook, and give them a more positive approach to things, then our classes should run much more smoothly.
That person will have a better opportunity of succeeding, not just in the class, but in the workplace, later. I would like to think that control in the classroom is good, but not the final aim that we have in introducing this student to a new "soft skill."
I believe common sense and dependability are very important for any employee to possess. In our expectations of others, we need to employ common sense in setting the example. We can't expect others to follow certain rules if we don't practice them ourselves. We need to be dependable, also. That would include accountability to those same rules and expectations.
How can we expect a student to come prepared if we are not prepared ourselves? How can we expect them to show us respect if we don't afford them the same?
Would you feel this is true, Mr Campbell?
How else, might we instill these practices in our students. They may have the best technical skills in the world, but cannot hold a job if they don't have the necessary soft skills in place. When they observe how we conduct ourselves, I believe they learn from these actions.
Do you agree?
