Nine percent of employers would hire someone with strong technical skills but weak soft skills.
That leaves 91 percent that would NOT!
Studies reveal something surprising: Soft skills based in writing, listening and communicating are actually greater predictors of long-term success – even in tech jobs and skilled labor markets.
Thankfully these soft skills can be taught, and employers value the outcomes of…
· Focusing on the needs of others through observation and awareness
· Listening with purpose
· Understanding workplace expectations and inspired performance
· Being in the moment
· Authenticity, integrity, honesty
…according to Outfluence, LLC, a training organization with programs developed for high school students that prepares them to be successful employees.
In the charming movie, Phenomenon, John Travolta plays the role of a small-business owner. One star-filled evening he was walking along the sidewalk when a searing burst of light struck his head. It left him with a whopper of a headache, but also with the intellect of a genius and the memory of a supercomputer.
Certain activities in which he engaged caused the FBI to test his intellect. During the test, he found himself telekinetically moving a pencil back and forth across a tabletop. The examiner asked him how he was doing that, and the Travolta character replied, “I just ask it to move with my mind.”
This analogy describes perfectly how Outfluence is implemented. An Outfluencer attempts over time to persuade a person to respond in a desired way. An Outfluencer moves a person, honestly, sincerely, and strategically with integrity and good intentions.
Travolta’s Phenomenon character was a good person whose only desire was to share his astonishing gift with his neighbors. His neighbors were suspicious for a while. After all, in today’s society people are not accustomed to displays of generosity delivered without expectation.
Outfluence does just that and thereby is a phenomenon of its own. Everyone uses telekinetic energy every day. But, instead of using it to move pencils, we use it to move people. We either attract them or we repel them.
Energy can be physical; you see it and it touches you. Sometimes energy translates into sound and you hear it. It can also touch other senses without being seen or heard, such as warmth. Sometimes energy touches us emotionally and evokes human feelings. This is the energy of Outfluence.
Preparing the Next Workforce
Outfluence touches emotion and moves people. Outfluence prepares students for the challenges of workplace communications. What employers need, and customers want, is authenticity. The Outfluence program You Are Here . . . Now What? teaches students just that, and more.
As students grow with YAHNW, they gain the skills needed to be effective communicators and self-aware and others-aware individuals. Notably, Outfluence teaches the steps leading to, and the benefits associated with, persistence and completion, or finishing what you start. Critical in the workplace, both logistically and in the creative process, this is also an essential part of the path to success. By focusing on workplace communication, relationships and citizenship, YAHNW builds the confidence young people need to tap into the Power of Self-Assurance!
Developed for teens, teachers, administrators, staff and parents, You Are Here…Now What? complements your school’s academic curriculum and professional development program through others-focused scenarios, activities, and team projects. Visit our website to learn more about partnering with Outfluence.
Photo credit: @lucabravo