Empowering Struggling Learners with The Success Skills Needed to Be Able To Maintain A Job

Everyone needs success skills if they are to maintain a job.  People with learning challenges do not acquire skills as easily as other people, but, can be great employees. With the right training, patience, and practice they can master the success skills needed in any workplace.

Why is it important to empower struggling learners with success skills to maintain a job?

There is no specified method or set syllabus of learning success skills. We acquire them naturally through interacting with others. The assumption that kids and young adults naturally learn success skills is the reason such lessons are not included in the education curriculum.

Unfortunately, due to the different physical and cognitive deficiencies in many young people, they may not learn these skills as naturally as the others. Therefore, they may experience lots of difficulties transitioning from the school set up to the workplace.

Remember, people with various disabilities face a very high unemployment rate compared to their peers without a disability. Therefore, it is important to empower them with these skills. The earlier they start learning these skills the better because it might take longer for them to master them.

Help your child with learning challenges build success skills

Parents and guardians are in the best position to help children and young adults with challenges to acquire success skills. Because you know your child’s strengths and weaknesses, you know which skills to build on, and which skills the child already has. Also, this understanding can help come up with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that addresses the success skills your child needs to acquire.

To help your child you need to plan an effective life skill learning program. You need to know what to teach and how to deliver it in a way that your child will understand. You can use Dr. Nach’s Online Resources’s innovative lessons to do just that. Our life skills lessons are relevant, engaging, and full of perspective such that the learners can apply what they learn in the real world.

Success skills people with learning challenges require before joining the workforce

Your child will one day become an adult. At that age, he will need to take care of him(her)self, which involves getting a job. And for them to maintain that job, they need the following success skills;

• Communication skills– this is the most crucial success skill in a workplace. Work on the non-verbal communication and make sure child can read and write if possible. Also, teach them the importance of listening, and speaking in ways others understand.
• Lifelong learning skills– learning does not stop after getting a job. So, encourage your child to be willing to learn new things, and encourage them to be flexible to adapt to change.
• Decision-making skills – when faced with a problem, observe how your child responds and comes up with a solution. Encourage them to make decisions instead of seeking help from an authority.
• Interpersonal skills– these skills include self-advocating and influencing others, conflict resolution, and team building. All these skills are required to effectively interact with others in a workplace.

Please note that learning and acquiring success skills requires lots of practice, especially for people with learning challenges. Our transitioning, success skills, and executive functioning programs and counseling/coaching services can help an uncertain future, much more positive.

Dr. Eric Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D. Cert. Developmental and Behavioral Specialist and Associates

5458 Town Center Rd, Suite 7, Boca Raton, FL 33486                 561-990-7305

Info@SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com    www.SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com

Learning To Accept Criticism

Sometimes the feedback we get from others isn’t pleasing even though it may be accurate. Many of us struggle with criticism. We look for explanations to justify the issue and react in defense to what has been said. Some people result in anger, hatred and even attacking the person who gave the feedback. But being able to handle constructive criticism calmly is very critical. It helps us to identify our weaknesses and work towards improving them. Here’s what you need to remember:

Don’t react immediately

The first reaction you will probably have after receiving constructive criticism is likely not going to be nice. You may want to give that nasty facial expression, enter into defense mode or attack the person. Don’t do it; just hold back and process the situation. Remind yourself that you need to stay calm.

Think of the value of feedback

Consider the person’s feedback as information that you can otherwise use to improve your skills, relationship and any other area of concern. Perhaps that person had a certain expectation of you that you probably did not meet. Try and get rid of any preconceived notions that you may have of the person who is giving the feedback. Whether it is a coworker that you do not like or someone you don’t get along with, understand that constructive criticism may come from all sources.

Listen with an aim to understand

You need to listen closely to the information that is being delivered to you. Overcome the temptation of interrupting the person as they share their thoughts. Do not try and analyze their thoughts but instead understand their perspective of things. Try and give that person the benefit of the doubt. It may help you to look at things in a way you never thought. The only way that you will actually benefit from the feedback you receive is if you engage in a very productive conversation with the person giving it. Don’t reply in a defensive and mean tone.

Express appreciation

Even though you are not supposed to overdo this, thank the person who shared the feedback with you. Simply taking your time to say thank you doesn’t mean that you agree on everything the person said. It is simply a gesture that you acknowledged that they took time to evaluate you and share information that could help you become a better person or produce greater results.

Get more clarity

Once you have processed the feedback, it’s probably a good thing to ask questions in order to understand the person’s perspective. Ask questions that are related to the issue that was being raised. You can also ask about methods or solutions to address the issues raised. You can use specific examples to try and understand the person’s perspective and what can be done in similar circumstances. At the same time, share your perspective. You can even request for time to follow up if you would like to close the discussion. At this point, you can express what you will change going forward and agree on the next steps to take.

Dr. Eric Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D. Cert. Developmental and Behavioral Specialist and Associates

5458 Town Center Road, Suite 7, Boca Raton, FL 33486             ph(561)-990-7305

Info@SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com    www.SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com

Is Anxiety Always Bad?

Anxiety and stress are somewhat inevitable in this life. You only need to know how much is too much and manage these unpleasant experiences the best way possible. In fact, anxiety can be a good sign because it shows that you actually care. You need to learn how to manage anxiety without letting it overwhelm you completely.

Focus on the positive effects of anxiety

Think of anxiety as something that can bring you some positive effects. Get rid of the mentality that anxiety can only be associated with negative effects. For instance, when you are stressed you are more capable of focusing on the tasks at hand because your mindset is occupied on the situation that is causing the stress. As a result, you will be able to get more done and be productive focusing on the important tasks.

Build your resilience

The good thing with stress is that it makes you tougher. You will be able to deal with tougher situations mentally and physically when you go through some level of stress. It helps you to create deeper connections with people around you and also strengthens your belief helping you focus on priorities. Research shows that stress helps in production of growth hormones that boost immunity and help in rebuilding cells in the body.

Choose to interpret things in a positive way

Learn to interpret situations in a positive way. It really helps if you learn to look at things in a different perspective. You will get a more balanced and sometimes accurate view of the situation if you carefully process what is causing you anxiety. Think of what it would be like if you turned the issue upside down. Think about what you would say to a loved one going through the same situation. How would you help someone else to look at the issue from a different angle? Changing your perspective can really help to get a positive feel of things.

Focus on moving forward

Replace anxiety with the steps you need to take in order to get the best possible outcome. What do you need to do in order to boost your performance and get back on the right mood? Always remember that not all stress is bad. How you choose to navigate the stress is what matters most. Choose to handle it to the best of your ability and attain your goals.

Use anxiety as a performance enhancer

Think of anxiety as something that would help you to become better at facing situations in life and actually performing better. Think of how you can move forward from challenging situations and be proactive. If you do not perceive the situation as a threat, you will not be forced to respond in a fearful way. However, if you look at it as a challenge then you would be overwhelmed with fear and fail to resolve the situation. Shift your perception by focusing on the hidden benefits of the situation. Remind yourself that you have the strength to handle it.

Dr. Eric Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D. Cert. Developmental and Behavioral Specialist and Associates

Info@SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com    www.SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com

Soft Skills Can Be Hard!

Soft skills are the interpersonal traits that allows us to effectively relate to how others think and act. These skills enhance our personal interactions and lead to greater social, personal, academic, and work performance and satisfaction. Unlike hard skills, which are the technical and knowledge skill set we bring to our work or classes, soft skills are interpersonal and can be applied in many more situations.  Soft skills encompass personality traits, such as optimism, communication skills, teamwork, listening, responsibility, social skills, personal motivation, advocacy, problem solving, giving and receiving feedback, decision making, flexibility, and conflict resolution skills and abilities which can be practiced, such as empathy. Like all skills, soft skills can be learned, once taught.

Definition of Soft Skills

Soft skills are personal attributes that allow us to effectively relate to others. Learning, practicing, and applying these skills helps us build stronger personal, social, and work relationships. Often schools place the focus of our career development efforts on hard skills – technology skills, knowledge, and other skills that specifically relate to our ability to get work-related tasks done. This means we may neglect to develop our soft skills. However, some of us have a particularly difficult time learning soft skills and need to learn them through direct instruction, such as the classes offered at the  SupportforStudentsGrowthCenter.com As a result, they are an investment worth making.

Empathy and the Emotional Intelligence Quotient

When we demonstrate empathy, we create connections with others, which can help to build teamwork or otherwise create shared goals and mutually enjoyable experiences. Empathy also helps to develop stronger interpersonal connections between peers, team members and colleagues, which is as important as shared goals or complementary skills when it comes to accomplishing tasks in our personal, social, school, or work lives.

Empathy is one component of what is known as Emotional Intelligence, or EI. Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize and manage our feelings so that they are expressed appropriately by society. Exercising emotional intelligence helps to create caring, reciprocal, productive relationships.

There are four key components to Emotional Intelligence:

• Self-awareness: The ability to recognize our own feelings and motivations
• Self-management: The ability to appropriate express (or not express) our feelings
• Social awareness: Our ability to recognize the feelings and needs of others, and the norms of a given situation
• Relationship management: Our ability to relate effectively to others

Taken together, these skills make up our Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQI). The EQI is a measure of your ability to exercise soft skills such as empathy.

Professionalism

Professionalism is simply the ability to conduct ourselves with responsibility, integrity, accountability, and excellence. Acting with professionalism also means seeking to communicate effectively with others and finding a way to be productive. Professionalism involves what may seem to be small acts, such as:

• Always reporting to work on time and returning promptly from breaks
• Dressing appropriately
• Being clean and neat
• Speaking clearly and politely to peers, customers, and clients
• Striving to meet high standards for one’s own school or career work
• Performing in a manner consistent with our own moral and ethical standards

Learned vs. Inborn Traits

Because soft skills are talked about as traits of a person’s character, it may seem as though you have to be born with them. While some soft skills come more easily to one person than they might to another, soft skills are not inborn. Like all skills, they can be learned. Because we all have our own preferences and ways of moving through the world, some soft skills may be more difficult to learn than others. But if we think back, there are also aspects of our hard skill set that were difficult at first, though they now seem to come quite naturally to us. We develop soft skills in the same way we develop hard skills- direct instruction and practice. You don’t have to be born with great listening skills to become an amazing listener – you can learn and build these skills throughout your life.

Make that first interaction a memorable one; be respectful, make eye or facial contact, shake hands firmly, listen closely and respond to questions. 

Dr. Eric Nach

Dr. Eric Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D. Cert. Developmental and Behavioral Specialist and Associates

Info@SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com    www.SupportForStudentsGrowthCenter.com