Transcript Workin` It Out
06/23/11
“Kids These Days!”
Risk Youth for Workplace Success
Dr. Steve Parese Danbury, NC
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Part 1
Soft Skills
What soft skills do employers demand?
Why do some young people fail to use them?
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Part 2
Cognitive Conflicts
Why are so many youth unable to fit in with the workplace culture?
Part 3
Successful Interventions
06/23/11 How can we help youth adapt to the workplace?
06/23/11 Let’s Play
Teen Lingo!
Teen Lingo
1. “BAKED” = Stoned “His eyes are all messed up, man… I think he got baked last period!”
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Teen Lingo
2. “CHEDDAR” = Money “She hit it big on the slots last night! She got phat CHEDDAR now!”
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Teen Lingo
3. “FLOSSIN” = Showing off wealth “That fool got a new ride… now he be FLOSSIN’ all the time!”
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Teen Lingo
4. “GEL” = Get along with “Me and her… we really GEL, y’know?”
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Teen Lingo
5. “GRILL” = Your smile or mouth
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“Shut up or I’ll bust you in your GRILL.”
Teen Lingo
6. “KRUNK” = Wild & exhilarating “That party tonight is supposed to be totally KRUNK, man!”
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Teen Lingo
7. “NINE” = 9mm pistol “I got my NINE tonight… nobody’s gonna mess with me!”
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Teen Lingo
8. “PUNKED” = Stolen “Ronnie’s car got PUNKED and he’s is kirkin’ out!” last night,
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Teen Lingo
9. “PIMPIN” = Trying to pick up girls “Look at him over there PIMPIN’ on Tessa. Isn’t he goin’ with Jamie?”
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Teen Lingo
10. “SPRUNG” = Obsessed with “It’s sad. Vanessa is so SPRUNG Todd, she’d do anything…” on
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Part 1
Soft Skills
What soft skills do employers demand?
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Defining “soft skills”
Workplace Soft Skills: “The personal and interpersonal skills needed to successfully adjust to the SOCIAL environment of the workplace.”
Team Activity
Work with your partner to brainstorm 5 SOFT SKILLS NEEDED TO SUCCEED AT WORK .
E.g., Time management
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Work-related “soft skills”
Self-control skills: √ Handling stress √ Managing anger √ Controlling body language
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Work-related “soft skills”
Communication skills: √ Listening effectively √ Expressing a complaint √ Dealing with criticism
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Work-related “soft skills”
Social skills: √ Interrupting a conversation √ Joining social activities √ Empathizing with others
Work-related “soft skills”
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Problem solving skills: √ Prioritizing problems √ Avoiding assumptions √ Predicting outcomes
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KEY POINT #1
Workplace success requires not only strong vocational skills, but mastery of a range of social skills as well. Many at-risk youth have serious difficulties with these vital skills.
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Part 2
Cognitive Conflicts
Why are so many young people unable to fit in with the workplace culture?
06/23/11 Why do so many youth fail to use important soft skills?
SKILL DEFICIT MOTIVATION DEFICIT
COGNITIVE INCOMPATIBILITY
Sweeeeeet!
Imagine you are a teenager who’s been hired at a clothing shop (Abercrombie & Fitch) in the mall.
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Would you mind hanging up these new dresses for me, please?
How about running down to Starbucks and grabbing me a latte on your next break… I need you to pick up my son from daycare and spend an hour at the park with him…
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@#$% this!! Enough is enough!
06/23/11 You’ve reached
“COGNITIVE INCOMPATIBILITY!”
06/23/11 What beliefs drive youth behavior in their PERSONAL LIVES?
Personal Beliefs Survey
In our personal lives, we use our personal beliefs to judge the appropriateness of our actions.
1. Life should be fun!
2. Family comes first.
3. It’s okay to take a break when you’ve worked hard.
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Personal Beliefs Survey
In our personal lives, we use our personal beliefs to judge the appropriateness of our actions.
4. Friends should help each other out with problems.
5. Personal appearance is a personal decision.
6. No one has the right to boss you around.
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Thomas’
Home Situation
Thomas has a fight with his parents when they criticize his choice of clothes.
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Thomas’
Home Situation
“Pull your pants up! Change that shirt! Take out that earring! WHY CAN’T YOU GUYS JUST LET ME DRESS MYSELF?” 5. Personal appearance is a personal decision.
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Lori’s
Home Situation
One night. Lori decides to have a few drinks with her friends and stays out past her 11PM curfew. When she gets home, her aunt is furious with her, but Lori blows her off.
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Lori’s
Home Situation
“It’s MY life. I’m old enough to make up my own mind about what I can and can’t do!” 6. No one has the right to boss you around.
What beliefs drive employers’ expectations of behavior in our WORK LIVES?
What are their “UNSPOKEN RULES?” 06/23/11
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UNSPOKEN RULES
” You hire a babysitter for the evening to watch your two young children.
What expectations are so “common sense” you wouldn’t bother to state them out loud?
Unspoken Rules of Work
At work, employers use unspoken professional expectations to judge our actions.
a. Work comes first. Don’t let home issues get in the way.
b. Do what you are asked to do, even if you don’t want to.
c.
Do your best to fit in. Don’t act or dress TOO different.
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Unspoken Rules of Work
At work, employers use unspoken professional expectations to judge our actions.
d. Always stay busy, or at least LOOK busy!
e. Work is work. Don’t expect it to be fun.
f.
Stay out of other people’s problems.
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Conflicting Rules of
Home versus Work
The rules which guide our PERSONAL LIVES often conflict with employers’ UNSPOKEN RULES. Compare the lists on pages 4 and 5 to find the opposing rules.
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1
Conflicting Rules of
Home versus Work
The rules which guide our PERSONAL LIVES often conflict with employers’ UNSPOKEN RULES.
Life should be fun!
Work is work. Don’t expect it to always be fun.
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2
Conflicting Rules of
Home versus Work
The rules which guide our PERSONAL LIVES often conflict with employers’ UNSPOKEN RULES.
Family comes first.
Work comes first. Don’t let personal issues get in the way.
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3
Conflicting Rules of
Home versus Work
The rules which guide our PERSONAL LIVES often conflict with employers’ UNSPOKEN RULES.
It’s okay to take a break when you’ve worked hard.
06/23/11 Always stay busy, or at least LOOK busy!
4
Conflicting Rules of
Home versus Work
The rules which guide our PERSONAL LIVES often conflict with employers’ UNSPOKEN RULES.
Friends should help each other out with problems.
Stay out of other people’s problems.
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5
Conflicting Rules of
Home versus Work
The rules which guide our PERSONAL LIVES often conflict with employers’ UNSPOKEN RULES.
Personal appearance is a personal decision.
06/23/11 Do your best to fit in. Don’t act or dress too different.
6
Conflicting Rules of
Home versus Work
The rules which guide our PERSONAL LIVES often conflict with employers’ UNSPOKEN RULES.
No one has the right to boss you around.
Do what you are asked to do, even if you don’t want to.
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KEY POINT #2
Most employers have unspoken expectations which they seldom explain directly to new employees. These often conflict with the beliefs young workers use in their personal social lives.
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Part 3
Successful Interventions
How can we help youth adapt to the workplace culture?
COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS
CBI focuses on promoting positive self-change by developing: 1. Awareness of the thinking and beliefs which drive one
’
s unproductive behavior (cognitive); and 2. Stronger interpersonal and intrapersonal skills for managing difficult situations (behavioral).
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Stephen Covey, author of “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”:
“Seek first to UNDERSTAND, Then to be UNDERSTOOD.”
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06/23/11 Cognitive psychologists call this: CODE
SWITCHING
You’re an All-Star defensive end on your high school football team.
TACKLE HIM !
TACKLE HIM!!
TACKLE HIM!!!
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06/23/11 The basketball coach approaches you and says, “I need you on my team!”
TACKLE HIM!
06/23/11 Players learn to “CODE-SWITCH” from football to basketball.
“ Youth must learn to CODE-SWITCH,” from home beliefs to workplace expectations.
Two CBI Strategies
When youth are behaving unprofessionally at work because of strong underlying personal beliefs, consequences alone are often not enough. A combination of cognitive coaching and direct instruction in social cognitive skills is often a more effective strategy.
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Strategy 1: Cognitive Coaching
Indirectly teach workplace attitudes and skills by coaching students through problems.
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06/23/11 Workplace Conflict #1 After his release from juvenile detention, Thomas found a job in maintenance at a major hotel chain. He had a disagreement with his supervisor when asked to remove some of his facial jewelry and cover up his tattoos.
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Thomas’
Point of View
“Why can’t I wear a nose ring? Why do I have to cover my ink? What does that have to do with cutting the grass?” 5. Personal appearance is a personal decision.
Supervisor’s Point of View
“He’s a good worker but he doesn’t understand about company image. All those tattoos and piercings scare some of our guests, and in our business, you have to keep up a certain image.” C. Do your best to fit in.
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Seek first to understand:
“So the way YOU saw it, it shouldn’t matter how you look, as long as you do your job and no one complains?” “Exactly!”
Then to be understood:
“Let’s try to figure out why your supervisor didn’t see it the same way. What possible reasons could he have for objecting to your nose ring?”
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06/23/11 Workplace Conflict #2 To impress the judge at her next court appearance, Lori got a job as a checker in a supermarket. During a slow moment, her boss asked her to clean up a spill in the back, but she ignored him.
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Lori’s
Point of View
“I’m a clerk, not a janitor! He should get a janitor to do stuff like that. Why do I always have to do what HE says?” 6. No one has the right to boss you around.
Supervisor’s Point of View
“If she’s standing there doing nothing, I’m going to ask her to help out. She’s always bending the rules, like they don’t apply to her.” B. Do what you are asked to do, even if you don’t want to.
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Seek first to understand:
“So from your perspective, being your boss doesn’t give him the right to TELL you what to do.” “Yeah, I guess…”
Then to be understood:
“But technically, he DOES have that right, Lori. Unless he’s asking you to do
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something illegal or unethical…”
Strategy 2: Cognitive Skills Instr’n
Directly teach workplace attitudes and soft skills by providing classroom-based instruction. 06/23/11
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Strategy 2: Cognitive Skills Instr’n
√ Self-Awareness & Self-Control √ Expressing a Complaint √ Dealing with Criticism √ Logical Problem Solving
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KEY POINT #3
Youth have a natural tendency to use PERSONAL beliefs when judging their WORK behavior.
We must help them develop both cognitive AWARENESS and new interpersonal SKILLS to better fit into the
06/23/11 “Beginning to Work It Out” For youth and young adults at risk of drop out, under employment, incarceration, etc.
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THANK YOU!
Dr. Steve Parese SBP Consulting, Inc.
Web: WorkinItOut.com
Email: [email protected]