1. 1
Soft Skills are Hard
@steveportigal

2. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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We help companies discover and
act on new insights about their
customers and themselves
Portigal

3. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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Resources, presentations and to purchase
http://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/interviewing-users/

4. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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Oh. I thought
you said
“floor mat”
• Introductory thoughts
• Breakout activity #1
• Breakout activity #2
• Next steps/Q&A

5. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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6. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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7. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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8. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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9. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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http://wrd.cm/1oYDjcl

10. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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http://bit.ly/1omZ2gl

11. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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http://1.usa.gov/1mzIuy7
• Communication
• Enthusiasm & Attitude
• Teamwork
• Networking
• Problem Solving &
Critical Thinking
• Professionalism

12. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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http://wp.me/ppfEs-5Ao

13. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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http://bit.ly/1nBTnzq

14. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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http://nyti.ms/1nM1EBA

15. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
Click to edit Master title styleNoticing
Noticing the noticing sensation
Things that make you go “Hmm”
Your attention is grabbed
You stop what you are doing
Laugh/point/cringe
Furrow brow in confusion
Whut tha…?

16. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
Click to edit Master title styleListening
Interpersonally, we’re trained
to hear the breath signals
that it’s our turn to talk. This
is not really listening.
F
I
NISHED

17. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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Yes! Not so much.

18. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
Click to edit Master title styleObserving Cultural Context

19. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
Click to edit Master title styleObserving Cultural Context

20. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
Click to edit Master title styleObserving Cultural Context

21. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
Click to edit Master title styleObserving Cultural Context

22. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
Click to edit Master title styleObserving Cultural Context

23. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
Click to edit Master title styleObserving Cultural Context

24. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
Click to edit Master title styleWordsmithing

25. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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26. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
Click to edit Master title styleDrawing

27. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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The more ways you have
to work out ideas (alone
or with others), the more
impactful you will be.
Moving a pen on paper
will to engage your brain
(and your audience’s
brain) in a different way
than moving a mouse or
typing on a keyboard.

28. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
Click to edit Master title styleEven more
Synthesizing/Pattern-matching
Embracing pop culture
Disengaging
Storytelling
Persuasion
Tolerance for ambiguity

29. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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30. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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Groups of 2-3. Work using sticky notes.
Think about your own palette of soft skills.
1. Each person identifies an essential soft skill – where you
know basically how you would develop that skill for yourself.
2. Each person identifies an essential soft skill – where you
have no clue how you would develop that skill for yourself.
Post ‘em up! #softskill

31. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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Now, think about skills you want to see in your community.
Think more about nurturing than imparting knowledge.
1. Each person identifies an essential soft skill – where you
know how you would help them develop that skill.
2. Each person identifies an essential soft skill – where you
have no clue how you would help them to develop that skill.
Post ‘em up! #softskill

32. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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For you For others
Easy or
known
Hard or
unknown

33. Soft Skills for Design and Innovation ‹#› Portigal
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Portigal Consulting
www.portigal.com
@steveportigal
steve@portigal.com
+1-415-894-2001
Thank you!