This article talks about how young professionals are having a hard time adjusting socially in the workplace. It offers a few ideas on how educators might be able to help.
Strange that they used the word ‘educators’ when it’s really more about what parents should be teaching.
Isn’t this just life skills? Young people used to pick this up from parents and friends. It’s not something teachers should have to add on top of everything else they already do. Life skills should be learned by living, not just by being taught.
@TeacherTina
I actually teach life skills in study skills classes. Even in a top district in California, every student seems to need this.
Companies shouldn’t expect schools to teach everything. The skills needed in corporate environments are often very specific and not natural for most people. It’s not about young workers lacking soft skills… they just lack corporate skills because the workplace is so different from real life. If companies need their workers to have certain communication or social skills, they should train them themselves. Schools should focus on preparing people to live meaningful lives, not just molding them into better employees.
@Dexter
Exactly. Teachers aren’t responsible for teaching workplace social skills. Sure, we help students learn how to behave in school or public, but that’s quite different from what’s needed in a corporate setting.
@fionamathews
In some cases, parents don’t know how or can’t teach these skills, especially in poor or immigrant communities.
@Dexter
I get what you’re saying about company-specific skills, but things like communication and conflict management are pretty general. Everyone should know how to express their thoughts and handle conflicts—those aren’t just corporate skills. You’ll need them in everyday life too.
@dominic
I interpreted the article as focusing on corporate soft skills, which are very different from general life skills. The way you talk in a business setting, deal with conflict, or follow a corporate hierarchy doesn’t apply elsewhere. Corporate environments have their own strange, often unnatural, rules. If that’s what the article meant, I think it’s the company’s job to train their employees, not the schools.
@Dexter
The article seems more about people not being able to express themselves clearly and taking criticism too personally, which leads to avoiding conflict. These are basic skills you need both in and out of work. It’s not just about corporate environments. We used to teach things like rhetoric, but structured conflict management strategies were never really taught.
@dominic
I totally agree about teaching rhetoric again. That would be really valuable. And teaching non-violent conflict resolution is a great idea too. About the ‘too colloquial’ point you made earlier—I think it’s good that corporate language is being challenged. People should be able to speak more naturally and authentically, as long as it’s respectful and effective.
@Dexter
I agree in most cases, but when it comes to clients or external presentations, certain standards are needed. There’s a level of professionalism that’s required, especially when your work might end up in a legal situation. Internal communication is one thing, but client-facing work has to meet higher expectations.
@dominic
Yeah, that makes sense. I get that companies need to maintain a certain image, especially when dealing with clients or the public. It’s about finding that balance between professionalism and authenticity.
@Dexter
School communication skills and corporate communication are miles apart. I’m in grad school right now, and some professors expect us to communicate like corporate employees, but I’m paying for this education. I expect to be treated fairly, and that doesn’t always happen when professors expect blind compliance.
@Lilnim
Your professors don’t like it when you say, ‘No, I’m not doing that’? Would an employer accept that?
thomashearns said:
@Lilnim
Your professors don’t like it when you say, ‘No, I’m not doing that’? Would an employer accept that?
That’s part of the problem… we live in a world where consent and personal choice are disregarded. Professors aren’t employers, and students are paying for a service. They have the right to push back if they feel they aren’t being treated fairly.
@Dexter
Our schools should focus on teaching students life skills and how to become independent adults, not just academics. I think companies are going to have to start hiring people specifically to teach basic skills like executive functioning because it’s not being covered in school.
This isn’t just a corporate problem. High school students with perfect grades go to top colleges and fail because they never learned how to manage their own lives. We have a culture of ‘lawnmower parents’ who remove every obstacle from their kids’ lives. As a result, these kids don’t know how to face challenges or handle everyday situations. Now we’re even seeing parents call employers on behalf of their adult children. If we want to see change, it has to start with parents letting their kids experience life.