Improving Soft Skills with ELearning

There is some question as to the efficacy of eLearning to teach soft skills because they can be hard to quantify. But this is a bit of a catch-22, as the collaborative nature of eLearning requires employees to work in cooperation with one another. The ability to work well together is a soft skill required in the workplace.

Clearly, soft skills are not outside the realm of being addressed by eLearning courses. Here are some of the unique skills that can be learned via an eLearning approach:

• Working in collaboration with peers. No matter the job, everyone needs to be able to get along with the people where they work. Teamwork is important for many reasons, not the least of which is building morale among employees. It is satisfying to work together toward a common goal. A person who is difficult to work with can have a negative effect on the whole department and lead to a decline in productivity.
• Communicating well. Whether it’s written or verbal, being able to communicate effectively is vital. Employees need to know the most productive ways to share their thoughts and ideas in a clear and succinct manner. This is also a skill that directly reflects on the company, as they interact with existing clients and potential customers.
• Managing time effectively. Meeting deadlines is an important aspect of every job. Prioritizing tasks and having a laser focus come naturally to some, but that doesn’t mean they can’t also be learned skills. Not only is eLearning a more effective use of time, it can also be used to teach the skill.
• Application. Employees need to know how to collect data and be able to put that data to work in order to attain the desired outcome. Through eLearning activities, workers can practice these skills, master them, and then use them in real-life scenarios.
• Flexibility. The goal of flexibility is to highlight the areas in which an employee can improve and work to make positive changes. Learning to be adaptable comes easily to some, though it is a stretch for others. Either way, the skill is valuable in work and in life and can be addressed by eLearning activities.
• Problem solving skills. These skills require a person to look critically at a problem, view it from different perspectives, and use the knowledge they have to come up with a suitable solution. Practice via eLearning can give employees who aren’t natural problem-solvers a greater level of comfort when they tackle difficult issues.

ELearning isn’t solely useful for teaching technical skills, but can have a decidedly positive impact on the attainment of soft skills as well. Today’s learners are tech-savvy, but not always as experienced in areas like interpersonal communication, for example. Don’t overlook the value of honing those all-important soft skills via a quality eLearning program.

Contact Designing Digitally today to improve the workplace soft skills needed at your organization.