Developing Soft Skills Through Large Group Team Building Activities

It’s not up for debate that soft skills matter. Employees’ interactions with each other and with outside folks – whether they’re clients, vendors, or even the postal carrier – affect morale, performance, and motivation. But soft skills can be some of the most challenging professional development goals. DiSC® personality assessments and large group team building activities can bridge the gap.

DiSC® Defined

Objective and measurable traits on a reputable scale can provide insight as to where team members excel and where they can improve. The four main traits are neither positive or negative but descriptive. Employees are not singled out for being “bad” or “good”. Teachable moments illustrate how specific traits are exhibited. Participants gain self-awareness so that they can better work to their personality profile and also adapt for more effective communication with others, based on their personality profiles.

How Does This Help with Soft Skills?

These personality assessments provide apples-to-apples comparisons among employees. This can help folks better understand each other with visual aids like charts and graphs, which can be especially beneficial because a majority of folks are visual learners. Understanding which staff members rate highly on a specific rubric and seeing how those qualities are exhibited through team building exercises can help employees recognize and develop these skills of their own. They can also learn how to interact in a way that brings their own skill sets to the fore, and supports the common goals.

Using DiSC® in Relation to Soft Skills

Subsequent training opportunities can be tailored to meet employees’ personality profiles. Training that’s a good fit may be more likely to “stick”. And with more effective employee training, the argument can be made that training funds are more responsibly spent. Money goes to the programs that will be good fits for employees, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Organizations may also utilize DiSC® assessments to identify staff that demonstrates the kinds of soft skills that are in demand, such as leadership, decision-making, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability, project management, and work ethic. Folks who demonstrate those skills may be primed for additional roles, more responsible roles, or career advancement. Rather than make promotional decisions on instinct or gut feelings, DiSC® allows for concrete and measurable results that can be used as the basis for decision-making.

Large Group Team Building Activities for Soft Skills

DiSC® training that’s carried out through large group team building activities can improve overall workplace improvement through the recognition and development of soft skills. Such training can foster a culture of collaboration – realizing and utilizing others’ strongest qualities for the benefit of the organization. Soft skills can be hard to master and this kind of training may allow others to see the ‘softer’ side of their colleagues.