Soft Skills Are Hard

1
Soft Skills are Hard
Steve Portigal
@steveportigal

Soft Skills Are Hard ‹#› Portigal
Click to edit Master title style
We help companies to plan
strategically for user research and to
unlock their research super powers.
Portigal

Resources, presentations and to purchase
http://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/interviewing-users/

Part A (2 hours)
• I talk
• Two-part exercise (diverge)
Part B (2 hours)
• Matching (organize)
• How might we (generate)
• Plan (converge)

http://wrd.cm/1oYDjcl

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http://1.usa.gov/1mzIuy7
• Communication
• Enthusiasm & Attitude
• Teamwork
• Networking
• Problem Solving &
Critical Thinking
• Professionalism

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http://nyti.ms/1nM1EBA

Noticing the noticing sensation
Things that make you go “Hmm”
Your attention is grabbed
You stop what you are doing
Laugh/point/cringe
Furrow brow in confusion
Whut tha…?

Click to edit Master title styleCarry a camera/notepad and use it
Thinkaloud protocol – say what you’re
seeing (to a friend or device)
Get out of your regular/comfort zone

http://bit.ly/1Dy7D2Z

Click to edit Master title styleListening is hard. We’re
trained to hear the breath
signals that it’s our turn to
talk. This is not really
listening. F
I
NISHED

Listening (and body language)
Yes! Not so much.

Click to edit Master title styleYou can demonstrate that you are listening by asking
questions!
• Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up
• “Earlier, you told us that…”
• “I want to go back to something else you said…”
Signal your transitions: “Great, now I’d like to move onto a
totally different topic…”
This level of listening is not how we normally talk to each other
• Remember that you are interviewing, not having a friendly chat

Click to edit Master title styleUse serendipitous encounters with loquacious taxi drivers,
airplane neighbors, or social-cue-missing party chatters.
Even if we can’t repair society’s listening inequity, we can
use it to provide endless practice space.
Are you talking to me?

Click to edit Master title styleObserving Cultural Context

The more ways you have
to work out ideas (alone
or with others), the more
impactful you will be.
Moving a pen on paper
will to engage your brain
(and your audience’s
brain) in a different way
than moving a mouse or
typing on a keyboard.

http://amzn.to/1yU5OtK http://amzn.to/1zIZyaX

Have a different perspective
Help others to know what they want
Noticing
Awareness
Collaborate
Draw
Promptness
Time management
Organization
Running a meeting
Facilitation
Facilitating conflict resolution
Persuasion
Selling
Negotiating
Communication
Improving vocal projection
Small talk
Confidence in public speaking
Speaking loud enough to
be heard
Wordsmithing
Storytelling
Articulateness
Listening
Empathy
Tolerance for ambiguity
Leadership
Being okay not having the
answer
Funny
Candid
Honesty
Humility
Pride
Kindness
Appearing approachable
Focus
Disengaging
Mindfulness
Be proactive in helping
others
Be community oriented
Learning people’s names
Networking
Animal magnetism
Routinely seek information
online
Talk with strangers
Work-life balance
Positive attitude
Openness
Going with the flow
Curiosity
Creative
Thinking broadly for
solutions
Looking past today
Reflective
Enthusiasm
Motivation
Confidence
Assertiveness
Responsibility/accountability
Problem-solving
Trusting instincts
Engaging attention
Recognize patterns
Critical thinking
Taking ownership/proactive
Giving criticism or feedback
Self-awareness
Receive criticism or
feedback
Accepting direction
Setting expectations
Respecting other’s opinions
Objectivity
Independence
Patience
Self-editing
Taking risks
Comfort with failure
Being honest about
limitations
Honing instincts
Pattern-matchinghttp://bit.ly/WzePfv

Diverge

Groups of 2-3
Think about your own palette of soft skills.
1. Each of you identify an essential soft skill – where you know
basically how you would develop that skill for yourself.
2. Each identify an essential soft skill – where you have no clue
how you would develop that skill for yourself.
Clearly add your name to your sticky and post it!

Now, think about skills you want to see in your community.
Think more about nurturing than imparting knowledge.
1. Each identifies an essential soft skill – where you know how
you would help someone to develop that skill.
2. Each identifies an essential soft skill – where you have no
clue how you would help someone to develop that skill.
Clearly add your name to your sticky and post it!

Matching

Let’s work on skills where you had no clue (for you or others)
• Look for those skills (on either board) under “I know how”
• Find the author who knows had to get better at that skill
• Together write-up a longer HOWTO sticky (include skill name)
• If you don’t find it listed anywhere, move it to the Generate list

Ideation Question: How might we improve the experience of students
who smoke?
Strategies
Solutions
Create a protected
environment for smoking
Facilities
Build a
pavilion
Admin
Allocate
interior room
Partners
Align with
nearby cafe
Eliminate smoking
Online
Smoking
cessation
games
Admin
Ban smoking
Partners
Stop
smoking
coaches

Ideation Question: How might we improve the experience of students
who smoke?
Strategies
Solutions
Create a protected
environment for smoking
Eliminate smoking
Admin
Allocate
interior room
Admin
Ban smoking

The carrot
(a financial reward for behavior
we want to encourage)
The stick
(a financial cost for behavior
we want to discourage)
Make a new behavior
acceptable by concealing it
Make a new behavior
acceptable by enabling
everyone to participate
Make a new behavior
acceptable by masking it to
look like an existing activity

Click to edit Master title styleThis is a collective, out-loud
activity! Talk, listen, build on each
other’s ideas
• Don’t worry about a “bad” idea…it
may lead to a “good” idea
Don’t correct; generate alternatives
• “Yes, and…”
Individual ideas matter less than
what is produced overall
How can a sour lemon help keep things working
smoothly?

Time
Pace of idea
generation
Addressing
needs with
low-hanging
fruit

Time
Pace of idea
generation
Innovative
Breakthrough
Wacky
Addressing
needs with
low-hanging
fruit

Let’s work on skills where we still have no clue
• Groups of 3
• Take 2-3 (and mark ‘em)
• Brainstorm “How might we?”
• If you generate actionable, solid stuff, add to the HOWTO
board

Converge

Individually, build your action plan from the HOWTO board.
Suggest you pick 2 that you can easily envision doing (it’s easy,
it’s simple, it’s quick) and 2 where you feel more resistance (it’s
still unclear, it takes many steps or a long time).
Write it up for yourself!

Wrap it Up

What did you get out of this workshop?
How will you apply it?

Portigal Consulting
www.portigal.com
@steveportigal
steve@portigal.com
Thank you!

Soft Skills Are Hard

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