Soft skills

What is personal and professional development?

‘Personal and professional development (PPD) is a way for people to assess their existing skills and abilities, consider their aims in life and work, and set goals in line with these aims to realise, achieve and maximise their true potential.’ (Kacinova, 2021)

KACINOVA, S., 2021. Personal and professional development; Meaning, importance and how to get started today. Available: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/personal-professional-development-meaning-importance-how-kacinova#:~:text=Personal%20and%20professional%20development%20(PPD,and%20maximise%20their%20true%20potential. (Accessed: 20^th October 2023).

How do I provide evidence of competency in this area? 

Can you...

• Demonstrate commitment to personal and professional development? 

• Maintain competence to use decision-support (system)? 

What is Emotional intelligence; empathy?

Emotional intelligence is someone’s ability to relate to others emotionally (Cherry, 2024). 

Empathy means understanding what a situation is like for someone else (Cherry, 2024) 

Cherry, K. (2024). You can increase your emotional intelligence in 3 simple steps – here's how. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-emotional-intelligence-2795423 (Accessed 23 September 2024). 

Cherry, K. (2024). What is empathy? Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-empathy-2795562 (Accessed 24 September 2024). 

How do I provide evidence of competency in this area? 

Can you...

• Provide scenarios of using decision support in this way? 

• Advanced level - discuss and reflect on examples from own practice of using decision support in this context. (Bloom's Levels 5-6)? 

What is communication skills, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration?

‘Communication skills allow you to understand and be understood by others.’ (Indeed, 2023) 

‘Critical thinking skills help you make effective decisions and quickly understand a situation or problem using all available facts.’ (Indeed, 2024) 

‘Creativity is a valuable workplace skill because it can be a useful tool for developing new ideas, increasing efficiency and devising solutions to complex problems.’ (Indeed, 2024) 

‘Collaboration involves a group of two or more people working together towards a common goal.’ (Indeed, 2023) 

Indeed (2023). What are communication skills? Available at: https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/communication-skills (Accessed 24 September 2024). 

Indeed (2024). What are critical thinking skills and how are they used? Available at: https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/critical-thinking-skills (Accessed 24 September 2024). 

Indeed (2024). Creativity skills: definition, tips and examples. Available at: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/creativity-skills (Accessed 24 September 2024). 

Indeed (2023). Collaboration skills: definitions and examples. Available at: https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/collaboration-skills (Accessed 24 September 2024). 

How do I provide evidence of competency in this area? 

Can you...

• Apply all of these skills in practice (as Decision support providers) as part of designing, developing and implementing decision support? 

What is Leadership?

Good Leaders take a real interest in their staff to find out how to get them to perform in the best way for the benefit of their organisation (Harvard Business Review, 2004).

Harvard Business Review (2004). Understanding Leadership. Available at: https://hbr.org/2004/01/understanding-leadership (Accessed 23 October 2024). 

How do I provide evidence of competency in this area?

Can you...

• Understand and apply key leadership skills and behaviours to delivery of decision support. (This includes, for example, communication, commitment to developing people, using emotional intelligence, implementing innovation and change.) (Bloom's Levels 5-6)? (Advanced level) 

What is collaboration and team-working?

Collaboration is when individuals or groups work with others when looking to achieve a common goal (Association for Intelligent Information Management, 2024). 

Team-working is not just limited to performing a task together, but it also concerns the culture and climate within a team (Indeed, 2024).

Association for Intelligent Information Management (2024). What is Collaboration? Available at: https://www.aiim.org/what-is-collaboration (Accessed 23 October 2024). 

Indeed (2024). What is teamwork? Including definition and characteristics. Available at: https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-is-teamwork#:~:text=In%20its%20simplest%20form%2C%20teamwork,that%20each%20team%20member%20brings. (Accessed 23 October 2024). 

How do I provide evidence of competency in this area?

Can you...

• Show working knowledge of the principles of collaboration and team-working as applied to design and delivery of decision support? 

• Explain the importance of collaboration and team-working to design and delivery of decision support? 

• Identify key partners in design, delivery and implementation of decision support? (Bloom's Level 5 - Advanced level) 

• Demonstrate collaborative and team-working principles in working with others to deliver decision support? (Bloom's Levels 4-6) 

• Display awareness of the support offered by the central RDS team? (For RDS users only) 

What is problem-solving skills, solution-focused mindset?

Problem-solving skills allow you to deal with tricky or unforeseen issues in the workplace (Indeed, 2024).

A solution-focused mindset allows you to see possibilities rather than difficulties which cannot be controlled (Henley Business School, 2018).

Indeed (2024). Problem-solving skills: definitions and examples. Available at: https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/problem-solving-skills (Accessed 23 October 2024). 

Henley Business School (2018). How can the solution-focused approach help my coaching clients? Available at: https://assets.henley.ac.uk/defaultUploads/18.XOP.102-INSIGHT-TEMPLATE-19-08-18-9-online.pdf (Accessed 23 October 2024). 

How do I provide evidence of competency in this area?

Can you...

• Demonstrate a solution-focused approach to challenges that arise during implementation? (Bloom's Level 5 - Advanced level) 

• Identify and apply appropriate problem-solving techniques to resolve issues that arise during implementation of decision support? (Bloom's Levels 5-6). 

What is change management?

Change management is a planned method of moving from one way of working to another. This needs to involve all relevant parties (Association for Project Management, 2024). 

Association for Project Management (2024). What is change management and organisational change? Available at: https://www.apm.org.uk/resources/what-is-project-management/what-is-change-management/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvpy5BhDTARIsAHSilylOoT6INsAVtT4TJnx3uwEBmr7rYH9IR_lHere-_aN121Lf7Ejkb4IaAmE9EALw_wcB (Accessed 4 November 2024). 

How do I provide evidence of competency in this area?

Can you...

• Display a working knowledge of a range of change management models (e.g. Kotter, Bridges) and methods and appreciate their strengths and limitations? 

• Identify and apply appropriate change management methods to implementation of a real-life decision support project? (Bloom's Levels 5-6 - Advanced level)