Tag: communication

“Soft skills training, a question of survival for the company? – what HR-learning managers think

 

Over the last few months, we have put on our investigator’s hat… Several hundred French HR directors and training managers have responded to the Coorpacademy by Go1 survey in partnership with the Féfaur consultancy firm on the strategies they are implementing to develop soft skills in their company.

 

French companies are undergoing major changes (arrival of new AI, digitalisation and new forms of hybrid work) and to survive in this new environment, soft skills have become essential. In this article, we give you the 3 key points to remember from our study.

 

1. Soft skills: the first lever for adapting to new forms of hybrid work

Soft skills are crucial for companies, which see them as the key to cope with changes in the world of work and attracting the talent they need to succeed. 83% of HR-training managers mention new work organisations as their main concern and reason for developing soft skills. Communication skills, problem solving and initiative taking are valuable assets to adapt to the changes taking place in the company.

 

The talent shortage, in second place (50%), is also a reason why soft skills are essential. Companies find it difficult to recruit and retain employees with the right skills, especially soft skills such as teamwork, problem solving and taking initiative. Communication skills are also in high demand.

 

Finally, for nearly 45% of the HR training managers surveyed, digital transformation is their main concern. Employees must acquire new skills and adapt quickly to technological tools. The ability to learn quickly, creativity, time management and adaptability are essential skills to meet the challenges of this transition.

 

2. Soft skills: not just for managers!

According to the Coorpacademy by Go1 x Féfaur survey, almost half of companies (49%) now prioritise the development of soft skills for all their employees, regardless of their position or hierarchical level. This trend reflects a growing awareness of the benefits of soft skills, which can benefit the whole team and help the company grow as a whole. The other half of companies have yet to be convinced that they would benefit massively from such training at all levels. Every employee can benefit from learning these skills to improve their performance and well-being at work.

 

At the managerial level, 65% of companies think that soft skills are absolutely essential when it comes to recruiting or promoting a manager. It is indeed key to ensure that managers have the necessary skills to lead their teams well.

 

3. Digital Learning: a key lever for developing soft skills


Digital learning is a popular tool for soft skills training, thanks to its flexibility, accessibility, customisation and skills tracking. Training and HR managers welcome the potential of digital learning to increase access to soft skills training and break down traditional barriers. The variety of formats offered and the adaptability of this tool are also appreciated by the learning & development (L&D) professionals interviewed. The customisation of training according to the feedback and evolution of employees is considered important by 46% of respondents. The social and collaborative dimension of digital learning is also valued by 25% of respondents, encouraging the exchange of knowledge. Finally, 20% of respondents emphasise the possibility of evaluating the effectiveness of training and the transfer of skills acquired in the professional environment thanks to the monitoring of soft skills in action.

 

To conclude, the results of the Coorpacademy by Go1 x Féfaur survey highlight the growing importance of soft skills in companies and their impact on the overall performance of the organisation. HR training managers are looking to integrate these key competencies into continuous training programmes as well as using digital learning tools to provide flexible, personalised learning experiences tailored to individual needs. This learner-centred approach to training promotes the acquisition and development of the soft skills that are essential for success in a constantly changing business world. Let’s put our investigator’s hat back on and get back to our core business: supporting people in developing their skills through digital learning.

 

 

Would you like to know more about our Digital Learning offer? Meet our experts in a demo of our solutions by clicking here.

Eye to eye! The art of argumentation


Eye to eye, in all honesty, and frankly, arguing…it’s quite an art! Not yet convinced?

That’s normal, because before trying to convince anyone, it’s better to understand how a reasoning is built to get your ideas across, or to refute those that are presented to you. Some people still bite their fingers off…

Based on logic, the latest course by Luc de Brabandere and Anne Mikolajczak is designed to help you work on your own arguments, but also to identify the flaws in your interlocutor’s arguments in order to better counter them.

Luc de Brabandere and Anne Mikolajczak have been working together for over 35 years. With very different backgrounds, one an engineer, a business philosopher and now a Fellow at the Boston Consulting Group, the other a philologist, they have been running seminars together on creativity in business and introduction to philosophy. These experiences have inspired three courses at Coorpacademy: the first on cognitive biases, the second on creativity methods, and the latest, which has just been published, on the art of argumentation. Anne Mikolajczak answered our questions on this occasion to enlighten us on the importance of argumentation.

Q. What is an argument? Is it knowing how to reason, convince, or manipulate?

The Belgian philosopher, Chaïm Perelman, a world leader in this field, defines argumentation as “a discursive technique that makes it possible to provoke or increase an audience’s support for the theses being presented for its approval”.

In other words, arguing means reasoning and convincing.  

The starting point for an argument is a disagreement between two different positions. It is an attempt by both parties to impose their point of view. There are two situations. In the first, the argument is solid: the concepts used are clear and useful, the premises are true and the logical structure is correct. In the second, the point of the argument is to trap the person, and it is deliberately fabricated, manipulated and distorted. The malicious speaker can play on words, articulate false premises and use logic structures that give the appearance of valid reasoning or use arguments that have nothing to do with reasoning, such as ad hominem attacks for example.

Q. Why offer this course on a professional  digital learning platform? Or more precisely, how is argumentation a skill that needs to be developed in a company in 2021?
 

Both in business and outside of it, no matter how good our ideas and judgements are, one day our ideas will be confronted by people with different ideas. We will then need to be able to communicate well and also be able to listen, explain ourselves and understand the other person’s point of view. 

And sometimes we have to contend with someone acting in bad faith. 

What can logic still be used for when faced with a person who is willing to do anything to have the last word?

With the Internet, sophists now have a massive weapon of persuasion, and we need to further develop our ability to argue and decode the arguments of others.

Q. Can you be a “victim” of an argument? Are there ways to defend oneself against arguments?

You can of course fall victim to arguments when they have been deliberately distorted to distract you or mislead you. 

So, how can we position ourselves, defend ourselves and react to false arguments? Aside from maybe lawyers or politicians, we are not professionals in debate or discourse. Systematic mistrust or the practice of irony are not second nature to us. The answer lies here: we must use “critical thinking” intensively.  The goal is not to be certain but rather to uncover ploys and protect oneself from toxic ideas. 

For example, there is a common fallacy called a false dilemma which often consists of presenting an alternative as the sole solution to a problem, while in reality there are many possible answers.

“If you are not with us, you are against us.”

No, we don’t have to be either with you or against you. We can disagree on some points while agreeing on others. 

And why not take inspiration from Arthur Schopenhauer’s The Art of Always Being Right? In it, he describes 38 strategies to defend oneself against a person and even attack them. 

 

Q. Do you have a recent story to tell us about the impact of the art of
arguing in a company context?

Companies’ success depends on their ability to convince their customers. They are helped to do so by advertising agencies. But sometimes they are faced with other types of people. Recently, Alstom and Siemens were denied the right to merge by the European Commission. Their arguments were therefore not sufficiently convincing. 

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