Use generative AI prompts to build a team's soft skills

Leaders can learn a lot by looking at the success and techniques of the two coaches going head to head in the Super Bowl this weekend, writes Kevin Eikenberry. Kyle Shanahan, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, coaches his team where they are, regardless of talent or fame, and Kansas City Chief head coach Andy Reid builds trust by soliciting and listening to feedback and then taking needed action to address concerns, Eikenberry writes.

Put it into practice: Neither Reid nor Shanahan was a star on their college teams, but both worked hard to learn all they could about the game to advance through the ranks into their coaching spots, Eikenberry writes. That means leaders should watch their team "for desire and talent, not just ego when looking to promote people," Eikenberry notes.

Using prompts from generative AI can help your team boost soft skills such as creative thinking, empathy, active listening and resilience, writes Julie Winkle Giulioni, who offers examples such as, "What can I do today to let others know I empathize and actively listen to them?" "Prompts like these generate responses that -- while not always perfect -- offer a low-cost, scalable way for employees to own their learning and keep key concepts top-of-mind until they become second nature," Winkle Giulioni notes.

Put it into practice: Team members will need a baseline understanding of soft skills -- what they are and how best to use them in their job -- before generating specific prompts to explore them more deeply, Winkle Giulioni notes. This tech-supported approach "expands the reach of busy leaders, and an employee's self-directed efforts enrich the quality of coaching conversations," writes Winkle Giulioni.

Communication leaders should be planning months in advance for Black History Month to showcase the daily lives of colleagues and key stakeholders to ensure the messages of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging resonate long after February, says Pooja Samuel, people operations manager at EasyLlama. "Applying that DE&I purview to your work is the way to keep the conversation rolling year-round rather than in just celebration months," Samuel notes.

Put it into practice: Seek out Black voices to amplify within your organization and tie campaigns to policies and processes such as pay transparency and inclusion, say DE&I experts. "None of us want our organization to simply promote during observance months but not evaluate our internal practices," says Jordan Jennings, senior director of communications and marketing at CHC: Creating Healthier Communities.

Last-chance pets, older animals that have long waited for adoption or have serious health problems, teach lessons of selflessness and often fit into a quieter, more routine life than younger dogs and cats, say the people who adopt them. "I think there must be a special bond -- 'I'm going to look after you for your final years' -- and these animals know and appreciate that," says Lauren Moore of England's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

British amateur photographer Nima Sarikhani took the top prize in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award for his poignant photo of a young polar bear asleep on an iceberg. Other winning images include a turtle seeming to smile as a dragonfly lands on its nose, two lionesses grooming a cub and a murmuration of starlings creating the image of a bird in the sky.

Kevin Eikenberry says there are three types of people in the world -- especially when it comes to football: those "who can't wait for the Big Game, those who can't wait for it to be over (no more football for a while!), and those who just don't care." I propose a fourth column for those like myself: the mildly interested who may or may not watch but are really in it for the commercials and the half-time show. Like the best leaders, I'm pulling for everyone to win in some fashion (even losing holds winning lessons, right?).

Wherever you fall within that spectrum, I hope your team wins!

If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or send this link.

What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? Drop me a note. And don't forget to send me photos of your pets, your office and where you spend your time off.