Mike Shelah, an expert and early advocate for LinkedIn’s ability to connect people for business, shares his wisdom on LinkedIn, networking and soft skills in this episode of the Serious Soft Skills podcast. Cohosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham are joined by Mike Shelah, head of Shelah Consulting ( http://mikeshelah.com ) for a discussion of the following: How to use LinkedIn to make quality connections What not to do on LinkedIn How to gain permission to ask Mike’s formula for using Link...
Jun 20, 2018•19 min•Ep. 50
Whether we know it or not, our actions usually align with our ethics, and people with good ethics tend to be trusted and respected more than those whose ethical decision making is questionable. We are going to look at the ethical implications of decisions we make in this weeks’ episode of the Serious Soft Skills podcast. Among the topics cohosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham discuss are: A definition of ethics and how it applies to work The value of virtue How questionable ethics can erod...
Jun 13, 2018•20 min•Ep. 49
Positive outcomes derive from a positive attitude, but why do we say that, and what do we do when we don’t have a positive attitude at times. We’ll tackle that saying and how to maintain a positive attitude in this episode of the Serious Soft Skills Podcast. Cohosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham explore a variety of topics related to the soft skill of having positive attitude. Among the topics they address are: What if we bring a negative attitude to a situation The negative effects of cr...
Jun 06, 2018•17 min•Ep. 48
47: The One Paperback Soft Skills Book You Have to Read Cohosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham celebrate the long-awaited release of the paperback version of The 55 Soft Skills That Guide Employee and Organizational Success and explain how reading it will help anyone who works. Among the topics they discuss in this short episode are: How they came up with all 55 soft skills Their surprise at how many soft skills employees use The logic of the book Where employees and leaders can benefit fr...
May 30, 2018•7 min•Ep. 47
This week’s Serious Soft Skills podcast explores the soft skill of working independently, or with minimal supervision, and how it fosters better teams and trust. Cohosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham, authors of The 55 Soft Skills That Guide Employee and Organizational Success, talk about a variety of aspects of this soft skill, including: Letting go of micromanagement The idea of ownership of projects and knowing when to share a project or take it to completion ourselves Strategies for e...
May 23, 2018•13 min•Ep. 46
Cohosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham explore the soft skills of adapting knowledge to new situations, what it means and how it helps build teams and careers. Among the topics they discuss are: How companies are relying more on people who can apply knowledge to solve new problems Why this soft skill is so important to company growth What other soft skills are included in this ability Employers want people with new ideas, not the same old perspectives they already have How successfully app...
May 16, 2018•16 min•Ep. 45
Today’s episode isn’t about writing the Great American Novel, but rather how we incorporate the powerful aspects of storytelling into how we explain our work and our ideas so we connect emotionally . Cohosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham explore this important aspect of success, looking at it helps us at interviews, in meetings and when working with any other group. Storytelling can work in any situation where we talk about our work. Among the topics they cover in this episode of the Seri...
May 09, 2018•18 min•Ep. 44
Podcast 43: Can Manage Multiple Projects People think that being a good multi-tasker, something research says is impossible, means you are able to manage multiple projects. Most employees need to be able to manage different projects at the same time, meeting deadlines and working with others, to be effective. Cohosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham dig into this important soft skills. Among the topics they discuss: The difference between multi-tasking and managing multiple projects Why we b...
May 02, 2018•19 min•Ep. 43
Being responsive is a soft skill that can spark creativity, trust and innovation in teams big and small. Learn how and why in this week’s episode of Serious Soft Skills. Cohosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham explain how the soft skill of being responsive sets teams up to succeed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 25, 2018•20 min•Ep. 42
The decision on when to escalate a situation to a boss or supervisor is an important one, for which rules are rarely clear. In today’s episode, cohosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham are going to explain this soft skill and how and when we should be escalating a situation to a higher-up, and why successfully using this soft skill can help an organization’s culture and trust. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 18, 2018•15 min•Ep. 41
Being mature is a heavily sought-after trait, but what is being mature and how to we identify it and look for it in people. That’s the topic for this week’s episode of the Serious Soft Skills podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 11, 2018•20 min•Ep. 40
Being focused on the client, whoever that is — both internal and external to the organization — is a critical component of any successful business and a soft skill that we need to understand and incorporate into any business. Co-hosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham explore client focus from two different perspectives — one looking at external customers and the other looking at internal customers. It's sure to help you better work with whatever clients you have, no matter what your business...
Apr 04, 2018•17 min•Ep. 39
Cohosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham will tackle the soft skill of complying with standards. Sounds boring, right? Well, they’re going to make it interesting. We promise. Among the topics they will discuss this week are: Why complying with standards is a soft skill The difference between internal and external standards Written and unwritten standards How the subprime mortgage industry breaking key rules caused a financial collapse When standards need to be challenged or questioned How ti...
Mar 28, 2018•18 min•Ep. 38
Paying attention to details can help an individual, the team and the organization. Yet most of us struggle with this important soft skill. Learn why it matters and how to do it better in this episode of Serious Soft Skills. Cohosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham explore the many important benefits of paying attention to details. Among the topics they cover: Who benefits from our attention to detail What happens when we don’t pay attention to details How to pay attention to details more eff...
Mar 21, 2018•19 min•Ep. 37
Co-hosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham talk about setting goals and prioritizing, which together make an important soft skills for managers, leaders and any employee. Setting goals, as in organizing and prioritizing your work, is critical for team success. To make sure everyone is working toward the same overall goal, we need to assign tasks. Those tasks have to be completed on time or else others will be waiting. Among the topics they address: Examples of where setting goals and prioriti...
Mar 14, 2018•18 min
Responding to listeners questions the co-hosts explain why people don’t talk much about soft skills and how often we call on our soft skills, often without even being aware of it. Co-hosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham answer questions about soft skills from some of their listeners in this episode. Among the topics they discuss: How soft skills tend to be overlooked Why people fail to recognize the role of soft skills How combining soft skills with technical skills makes employees and org...
Mar 07, 2018•17 min
Enthusiasm is not just a soft skills; it’s an attitude, a choice we make that is often heavily influenced by our workplace culture, but more importantly, success. We’ll discuss how and why enthusiasm is important in every workplace. Co-hosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham discuss the following: The value of enthusiasm and why it’s a soft skill The Fake It Till You Make It reality Enthusiasm is a form of professionalism How optimism fuels enthusiasm Tips for how to look enthusiastic, even w...
Feb 28, 2018•19 min
More than four-in-five jobs come from connections, making networking a critical piece of any job search or path toward promotion. And at its core, any kind of networking calls on our soft skills. Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham discuss: Why focusing on the perfect customer during networking can ruin any event How every contact you make could be a vitally important one someday How networking differs from speed dating Building value through networking is the name of the game Some examples of ...
Feb 21, 2018•20 min
Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham explain how to become more effective as a networker, what soft skills you should be applying and how you can overcome your fears and reluctance to make connections that can enhance your career. LinkedIn.com in 2016 found that 85% of all jobs come from networking. Therefore, our ability to be successful at formal and informal networking can play a huge role in our career enhancement and opportunities. Among the topics they discuss are: How to approach networki...
Feb 14, 2018•24 min
This is the last week of our Six Weeks of Serious Soft Skills Strategy and this week we look at a specific job posting and talk about how the employer could have better integrated soft skills into the job posting, valuable information for employers and job seekers. In this week’s episode, Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham discuss various aspects of integrating soft skills into a job announcement. Among the topics they discuss are: Getting soft skills into the competencies and qualifications a...
Feb 07, 2018•15 min
In Week 5 of our Six Weeks of Serious Soft Skills Strategy, we look at how to implement soft skills into the hiring process, which will provide valuable insights into the process for hiring managers and job applicants. Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham, co-hosts of the Serious Soft Skills Podcast, cover the following topics: Avoiding the trap of only looking at technical skills Evaluating applicants’ functional skills along with soft skills How applicants can articulate how they can blend sof...
Jan 31, 2018•21 min
It’s Week 4 of the Six Weeks of Serious Soft Skills Strategy, where we will be looking at how to incorporate soft skills into a job interview. Armed with this ability, you will zoom to the top of every job search list. In Episode 29 of the Serious Soft Skills Podcast, Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham continue to put soft skills to work for you in your quest to obtain a better job or a promotion. This week, we're going to talk through how to use soft skills as an interviewee. Among the topics...
Jan 24, 2018•24 min
Soft skills can hold important role in getting noticed in a job search, especially when integrated into your cover letter and resume. We'll discuss how to get that notice by beefing up your soft skills in these materials. As employers and organizations look more at soft skills, applicants need to articulate their soft skills in the cover letter and even the resume. So in Week 3 of the Six Weeks of Serious Soft Skills Strategy, Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham discuss a number of strategies f...
Jan 17, 2018•23 min
In the second week of the Six Weeks of Serious Soft Skills Strategy, Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham talk about integrating soft skills into cover letters and resumes. Most employers continue to focus on technical skills, which are critical in their hiring decisions. But applicants who look for matches and exploit those matches can position themselves ahead of other candidates and show employers why they are perfect for a position. Among the topics they discuss in this episode are: Why job ...
Jan 10, 2018•18 min
To launch the Six Weeks of Serious Soft Skills Strategy, Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham discuss their new book, The 55 Soft Skills that Guide Employee and Organizational Success, its origins and how it will help every employee and leader be more effective this year. Hosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham have released a new ebook, The 55 Soft Skills that Guide Employee and Organizational Success, that offers the first comprehensive look at the 55 soft skills they have uncovered through...
Jan 03, 2018•16 min
A discussion of the pros and cons of the name “soft skills” and whether other names are better and avoid relegating them to second-class status in the workplace. Hosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham explore the name “soft skills” and if it’s a good moniker for all of the skills employees and organizations use in combination with technical skills. Among the topics they discuss: Why some people think soft skills is derogatory and minimizes the role these skills play in the workplace, job hun...
Dec 27, 2017•17 min
Written communication is an important skill, for it is often our first — and potentially — lasting impression of a person. We’ll discuss good writing and give tips for how to write better. Hosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham talk about the important soft skill of written communication in this episode. Among the topics they cover are: How our writing is often where people first encounter us Why writing conveys what’s inside our minds Writing tells us about how someone sees the world, sees ...
Dec 20, 2017•20 min
Some see the soft skill of collaboration as a valuable soft skill, while others say it stunts creativity. The hosts give their views on these divergent points of view. osts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham explore the various views regarding the soft skill of collaboration as a followup to their discussion in Episode 22 of what collaboration is. Topics discussed include: Does collaboration kill creativity, as Geoffrey James suggests in an Inc. magazine article, Collaboration Kills Creativity...
Dec 13, 2017•20 min
Collaboration among workers can be the jet fuel for teams, pushing them to solve problems and achieve results that they could not have accomplished separately. Hosts Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham discuss what collaboration is, why it is so beneficial to organizations and what it can deliver to teams and organizations. Topics discussed include: What collaboration is How people’s perspectives have to align for collaboration to occur Why collaboration gets us to a better spot How collaborati...
Dec 06, 2017•16 min
Just in time for Thanksgiving and the holidays, a listener suggests that we add being appreciative to the list of 55 soft skills and how it affects organizational culture. Dr. Tobin Porterfield and Bob Graham weigh whether being appreciative or thankful should be added to the list of 55 soft skills. Topics they address include: How the suggestion came up. How the original list of 55 soft skills were developed. A case for adding being appreciative or thankful. Some soft skills that aren’t job-des...
Nov 29, 2017•13 min
