Soft Skills For Dummies

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
	About This Book
	Foolish Assumptions
	Icons Used in This Book
	Beyond the Book
	Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Laying Down a Solid Foundation with Soft Skills
	Chapter 1 Seeing What Soft Skills Are All About
		Where Do People Learn Soft Skills?
		What Are Soft Skills?
			Attitude
			Character
			Diversity and cultural awareness
			Communication
			Appearance and etiquette
			Time management
			Teamwork
			Work ethic
			Critical thinking and problem solving
			Leadership
		What’s the Big Deal about Soft Skills?
		How Do You Apply Soft Skills to Work and Life?
	Chapter 2 Going Far with a Great Attitude
		Accentuating the Positive
		Recognizing the Importance of a Positive Attitude
			Singing the praises of a positive attitude
			Remembering your attitude determines your altitude
		Taking an Attitude Check
		Sporting a Positive Attitude: The Smart Choice
			Looking on the bright side
			Adjusting your attitude when your job brings you down
			Offsetting others’ negativity with your positivity
		Developing a Positive Attitude from the Inside Out
			Finding simple ways to nurture a positive attitude
			Challenging yourself
			Reversing negative thinking with positive affirmations
				Self-esteem affirmations
				Adversity affirmations
				Affirmations for believing in yourself
				Affirmations that support a positive attitude
			Being your own best friend
		Spinning Up an A+ Attitude
		Exercise: Building an A+ Attitude
		Looking at Real-Life Scenarios: A Ho-Hum Attitude Versus a Positive Attitude
	Chapter 3 Cultivating Top-Notch Character Traits
		Defining Character
			Doing the right thing
			Stepping on the character scale
		Putting in the Work to Build Character
			Filling your blank character slate
			Making the best of challenging situations
		Grasping the Essence of Character
			Employing positive character traits
			Steering clear of negative character traits
		Recognizing How to Make Character Count
		Looking at Real-Life Scenarios: Character in action
Part 2 Going Even Further with Soft Skills
	Chapter 4 Being Clear with Interpersonal Communication
		Making all the Right Connections
		Stepping on the Communication Scale
		Getting Connected
			Listening first, talking second
			Framing the walls of disconnection
		Completing the Connection with the Three Vs
			Doing the math
			Speaking from the heart
		Becoming a Communication Champion
			Talking about body language
			Raising your voice
			Using your words
		Looking at Real-Life Scenarios: Understanding the Value of Listening
	Chapter 5 Respecting Diversity and Developing Cultural Awareness
		Defining Culture
			Delving into dominant cultural patterns
		Stepping Out of Your Cultural Comfort Zone
		Diving beneath the Diversity Iceberg
		Celebrating Diversity
			Understanding individuals’ differences
			Accepting that seeing is not always believing
		Saying No to Stereotyping
			Stepping on the stereotyping scale
			Recognizing how you stereotype
		Looking at Real-Life Scenarios: The Newcomer
	Chapter 6 Making an Impression with Your Appearance and Manners
		Acing the Four-Second First Impression
		Stepping on the Appearance and Etiquette Scale
		Looking the Part: Why Appearance Matters
			Putting your best foot (and face) forward
			Dressing for success
		Acting the Part: Why Etiquette Is Important
			Shaking on it
			Speaking volumes with manners
			Sharing your positive energy
			Walking your talk
		Looking at Real-Life Scenarios: A Striking Difference
	Chapter 7 Staying on Top of Things with Time Management
		Stepping on the Time Management Scale
		Taking Back Control of Your Time
			Trading being busy for being productive
				Scheduling your time
				Being accountable
				Taking initiative
			Giving up the excuses
			Becoming the manager of your minutes
		Looking at Real-Life Scenarios: Slow and Steady Wins the Race
	Chapter 8 Navigating the Dynamics of Working with Others
		Recognizing that Working as a Team Takes Work
			Stepping on the teamwork scale
		Building a Strong Team
		Getting Your Team in Shape
		Managing Team Conflict with Cooperation
		Looking at Real-Life Scenarios: Picking a Dream Team
	Chapter 9 Applying Critical Thinking to Problems
		Defining Critical Thinking
			Avoiding the lazy thinking rut
			Stepping on the critical thinking scale
		Cultivating Core Critical Thinking Skills
			Thinking independently
			Separating fact from opinion
			Asking questions
				Using open-ended questions
				Asking “why?”
			Evaluating bias, assumptions, and perspectives
			Being open-minded and self-aware
		Solving Problems Effectively
		Looking at Real-Life Scenarios: What Were They Thinking?
	Chapter 10 Building a Strong Work Ethic
		Defining Work Ethic
		Cultivating a Good Work Ethic
			Stepping on the work ethic scale
			Knowing the ten work-ethic character traits
				Getting the job done with discipline
				Relying on reliability
				Dedicating yourself to greatness
				Setting your own productivity standards
				Cooperating is key
				Having integrity
				Taking responsibility
				Practicing professionalism
				Making it work with self-motivation
				Being flexible
		Putting a Good Work Ethic to Use
			Embracing challenge
			Taking accountability
			Finding joy on the job
			Making habits a habit
			Finding your inspiration
		Looking at Real-Life Scenarios: Loving It and Leaving It
	Chapter 11 Leading from Anywhere in the Organization
		Defining Leadership
			Stepping on the leadership scale
			Knowing what a leader looks like
		Sizing Up Leadership Skills
			Leading with the big L
			Leading with the little l
		Creating a Leadership Legacy
		Looking at Real-Life Scenarios: Taking the Lead
Part 3 Applying Soft Skills in Specific Situations
	Chapter 12 Bringing Your Soft Skills to Life
		Taking Soft Skills Personally
			Making an inventory of your values
			Zeroing in on your core values
		Incorporating Soft Skills into Your Daily Life
			Getting into character with attitude
			Communicating by listening
			Respecting diversity and culture
			Looking and acting the part
			Managing your time
			Teaming up
			Putting on your (critical) thinking cap
			Work ethic
			Leading the way to a satisfying life
	Chapter 13 Showing Off Your Soft Skills to Prospective Employers
		Preparing to Get a Job that Fits You
		Applying Soft Skills to the Hiring Process
			Looking good on paper: The resume
			Looking good in person: The interview
				Building confidence before the interview
				Arriving early
				Being prepared
				Being presentable
				Minding your manners
				Being a closer
				Following up on the interview
Part 4 The Part of Tens
	Chapter 14 Ten Inspiring Soft Skills Phrases
		Soft Skills Make the Hard Skills Work
		Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude
		Look the Part; Act the Part; Get the Part
		Listen as Well as You Hear
		Thinking Is Critical
		Manage Your Time, or It Will Manage You
		Hard Work Makes Life Easier
		Character Counts
		A Lot of Different Flowers Make a Bouquet
		Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
	Chapter 15 Ten Ways to Grow Your Soft Skills
		Practice Makes Perfect
		Do Some Research
		Ask for Feedback
		Sign Up for Classes
		Set New Goals
		Join the Party
		Take Inventory
		Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
		Try, Try Again
		Reward Yourself
Index
EULA