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SimWord of the Day: Big Skills

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Mon Jan 16 2006

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There are a list of skills that could be classified as soft skills, but I prefer the term "Big Skills." These skills have a few attributes:

There are a list of skills that could be classified as soft skills, but I prefer the term "Big Skills." These skills have a few attributes:

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    These skills are critical to almost any job, but more than vocational, they are truly life skills.

    These skills are critical to almost any job, but more than vocational, they are truly life skills.

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    We practice them, in some form or another, almost every day.

    We practice them, in some form or another, almost every day.

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    Schools, self-help book, and enterprise training programs have done a terrible job at facilitating their adoption, although they talk incessantly about them.

    Schools, self-help book, and enterprise training programs have done a terrible job at facilitating their adoption, although they talk incessantly about them.

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I know I have given various lists before, but enough people have emailed me about them that I beg your indulgence in posting them again. These skills include:

I know I have given various lists before, but enough people have emailed me about them that I beg your indulgence in posting them again. These skills include:

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    Business Process Improvement and Business Process Reengineering:

    Business Process Improvement and Business Process Reengineering:

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    Contracting, Sourcing and Outsourcing :

    Contracting, Sourcing and Outsourcing :

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    Communication.

    Communication.

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    Conflict Management

    Conflict Management

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    Cost Benefit Analysis

    Cost Benefit Analysis

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    Creating and using boards and advisors

    Creating and using boards and advisors

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    Creating new tools

    Creating new tools

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    Decision-making

    Decision-making

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    Ethics

    Ethics

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    Innovation/adaptation

    Innovation/adaptation

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    Leadership

    Leadership

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    Negotiation

    Negotiation

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    Nurturing/stewardship

    Nurturing/stewardship

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    Project Management/ Program Management

    Project Management/ Program Management

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    Relationship management

    Relationship management

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    Researching

    Researching

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    Risk Analysis, Management/Security

    Risk Analysis, Management/Security

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    Solutions sales

    Solutions sales

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    Teamwork

    Teamwork

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    Turning around a bad situation

    Turning around a bad situation

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Some call these 21st century skills, which they are, but they are also 20th century, 19th century, 18th century... and so on.

Some call these 21st century skills, which they are, but they are also 20th century, 19th century, 18th century... and so on.

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My premise is that educational simulations will make considerable headway in allowing the formal development of these skills, and that they will be hard to scalably teach without using simulations.

My premise is that educational simulations will make considerable headway in allowing the formal development of these skills, and that they will be hard to scalably teach without using simulations.

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