PERIODO: MAGGIO - GIUGNO 2017

This 4 sessions intense course will develop the participant’s ability to effectively and successfully adopt those soft skills and techniques required in the corporate world to facilitate the hiring process (psychological tests, CV, interview), to communicate in complex environments (subordinates, peers, bosses, partners), to manage conflict and to sell.
With soft skills education, the more you put in the work and exercise, the more you gain in terms of behavioral change and alertness. Therefore, grading is split between participation and the test taken at the end of the course.
This course will focus on fundamental psychological processes that help us take and "pass" psychological tests in optimal manner, on writing a correct Resume, Presentation Letter, CV, on dealing with conflict with peers, bosses, third parties, subordinates and finally on selling products, services and your own business.

Course Outcomes
1. Identify and execute optimal answer to psychological tests to present and persuade about your persona.
2. Develop correct presentation of self in both writing, spoken and visual formats
3. Recognize and deal with conflict. Negotiation vs. Mediation vs. Authority
4. Overcoming your comfort zone to cold call, introduce yourself and sell.
Course Structure •
30 minutes session focused on live interaction with class, with lesson 1 to introduce participants and following ones to review the participants’ HOMEWORK.
• 90 minutes session providing the academic fundamentals and references for the lesson of the day.
• 2-3 weeks separate one lesson from the other, with homework required to be emailed 60hrs prior to next session. Homework will be DEFENDED in the following 30 min session.
Grading •
35% Participation will be valued per lesson. Grades: Negative (no interest or disturbance), Passive (still negative), Active (sufficient-good), Proactive (good contribution to the class).
• 65% One A4 sheet with three specific questions on one side, two questions requiring argument and academic reference on the other side. This will naturally test Comprehension and Critical Thinking of the student.
• Tardiness, Writing deficiencies and lack of logical reasoning are not required, sense of humor is most welcome.

Academic references
Although one cannot expect deep learning of the different disciplines that lie behind these lessons, from basic psychological processes to persuasion, rhetoric and linguistic theory, still the expectation is that student will delve into the "Required" Material. Teacher will also offer "Optional" Material for those that have specific interests.

Lesson1
Foundations and executing on psychological tests
30th May 2017 from 14 to 16 - Selm classroom Via Boggio (wing classrooms N, ground floor, ex LISAD)

Description: The first 30 minutes of this first lesson are devoted to introductions: the course and its participants. This is an important step because the hours are few and we need to team up as effectively as possible.
During the 90 minutes session we will cover psychological tests:
1. Fundamental psychological processes: mind vs. brain, memory, attachment, emotions.
2. Cognitive bias and The Metaphors we live by: how we communicate and decipher communications is all that matters
3. Personality: Gallup, Myers Brigs, Big5
4. Communication: Johari Window
5. Conflict: Thomas Kilmann
Lesson Outcomes • Understand our mind works, how we communicate and the role of emotions
• Understand the impact of international, professional, gender, etc. culture
• Understand how we communicate and the role of metaphors in interpreting and responding
• Gallup, Myers Brigs and Big 5: where do they come from and what is their use in mapping our Personality
• Overcoming your comfort zone to cold call, introduce yourself and sell.
Homework • Take Big5 in your mother tongue and English, Johari and Kilmann only in English
• 150 words reflection on: how to tackle tests (be ready to defend in class and remember to email 60hrs prior to lesson)

Academic references The following are Required Material:
1. Daniel J. Siegel, The Developing Mind, 1999, Guildford Press. In Italian: La mente relazionale, Raffaello Cortina, 2001. (Chp. 1,3,4,5,7,8)
2. Daniel Kahneman, Thinking Fast and Slow, 2011, Farrar and Strauss (Chp. 1, 4, 5,6, 11, 13, 8, 9)
3. Ronald Alan Warren, The achievement paradox: test your personality & choose your behavior for success at work, 2002, New World Library

The following are Optional Material:
1. Geert Hofstede, Culture’s Consequences, 2001, Sage
2. George Lakoff, Metaphors we live by, 2003 http://shu.bg/tadmin/upload/storage/161.pdf
3. All internet available material on above mentioned tests


Lesson2 Recognizing and managing conflict
13rd June 2017 from 14 to 16 - Selm classroom Via Boggio (wing classrooms N, ground floor, ex LISAD)
Description: The first 30 minutes of this first lesson are devoted to reviewing your reflections on personality and behavioral assessment and presentation.
During the 90 minutes session we will cover Conflict:
1. The rational take: dealing with scarcity of resources.
2. The emotional take: short vs. long term spaghetti battle.
3. Hardwired assumptions: Reciprocity, Consistency, Social Proof, Authority, Liking
4. Culture and management of conflict: National vs. Professional vs. Gender
Lesson Outcomes • Understand our mind works, how we frame conflict and how do we put ourselves in other’s shoes
• Defining BATNA: Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement
• Putting the Fish on the Table: explicit vs. silent conflict and resentment
• Pick battles you win: the other party may be stronger and nastier
• Recourse to Authority vs. Mediation vs. Negotiation
Homework • Pick a used object of some value to you, go out and sell it to a total Stranger (don’t cheat )
• 150 words reflection on: I remember last time I had a conflict and....(be ready to defend in class and remember to email 60hrs prior to lesson)

Academic references The following are Required Material:
1. Robert Cialdini, Influence: the psychology of persuasion, 1984
2. George Kohlrieser, Hostage at the table, 2006, Jossey Bass (Chp. 1, 2, 5, 6,8)
3. George Lakoff, Metaphors we live by, 2003 http://shu.bg/tadmin/upload/storage/161.pdf


The following are Optional Material:
4. Cialdini on persuasion, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOypv1AqYu0
5. Chomski on persuasion, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8WDMKOU-OI
6. Geert Hofstede, Culture’s Consequences, 2001, Sage
7. HBR article https://hbr.org/2013/07/the-uses-and-abuses-of-influence



Lesson3 Adding Value in an Organization
"6th July 2017 from - Selm classroom Via Boggio (wing classrooms N, ground floor, ex LISAD)
Description: The first 30 minutes of this first lesson are devoted to your reflections on Conflict.
During the 90 minutes session we will cover Value Added: how you win a job and how you keep on growing inside an organization
1. Recon on our target organization: elements to research and analyze.
2. Competing on Cost vs. Differentiation: what is Your Value Proposition?
3. Writing and rhetoric in a time of Social Media: Your presentation, CV, Resume, Persona (Keynotes, Trends, Accolades)
4. Inside the organization: orchestrating merit recognition vs. value recognition
5. Images of Organization: metaphoric analysis to diagnose where we are and how to navigate

Lesson Outcomes • Understand the importance and techniques to ANALYZE the real structure and narrative of your organization (Metaphors, Stakeholders, Marketing, Ratings)
• What you can bring is different from what you can do in an organization
• How many personas do you act on? Individual vs. Family vs. Professional/s
• Pick battles you win: the other party may have different goals from yours
• When companies receive 1000 VCs/day, how do you stand out? Apologies vs. Permissions

Homework • Write 50 words Summary, 2 pages CV, Revisit Profiles on Twitter, LinkedIN, Instagram (be ready to defend in class and remember to email 60hrs prior to lesson)

Academic references The following are Required Material:
1. Charles Handy, The Age of Unreason, 1989, Arrow Books. (Section II)
2. Erik Brynjolfsson, Andrew McAfee, The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress in a Time of Brilliant Technologies, 2016 (Chp. 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12)
3. Gareth Morgan, Images of Organization, 1995, Sage (Chp. 9 and 10)
4. Lindsay Camp, Can I change your mind? The craft and art of persuasive writing, 2007, A&C Black

The following are Optional Material:
5. Erik’s interview https://hbr.org/2015/06/the-great-decoupling
6. Thomas Friedman, Thank You for Being Late, 2016, FSG


Lesson4 Selling products, services and Organization
25th July 2017 from 14 to 16 - Selm classroom Via Boggio (wing classrooms N, ground floor, ex LISAD)
Description: The first 30 minutes of this first lesson may be expanded up to 60 to allocate enough time to review your Summary and CV, and verbal presentation.
During the 90 minutes session we will cover Selling, theory and practice.
1. Recon on our prospect customers: elements to research and analyze.
2. Listening vs. Speaking: 85-15 approximation. Prospect customers "lie".
3. Putting the Fish on the Table: up-front contracts
4. Technique vs. Behavior vs. Attitude
Lesson Outcomes • Understand the importance and techniques to ANALYZE the real PAIN POINTS and narrative of your prospect customers (Metaphors, Stakeholders, Procurement, Ratings)
• Ability to analyze What is the difference between you and competition
• William Marston and DISC behavioral assessment
• Broken record and mirroring technique in verbal communication
• Mirroring technique in non-verbal communication:
Homework • Pick a SECOND used object of some value to you, go out and sell it to a total Stranger (don’t cheat )
• 150 words reflection on: Between first time I tried to sell something and this second time, I learned that...

Academic references The following are Required Material:
1. Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur, Business Model Generation, 1989, Arrow Books. (Chp. 1, 2, 4)
2. Rich Chiarello, Selling Technology, 2015, Sandler Systems.

The following are Optional Material:
3. Marston and DISC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DISC_assessment and others