Valuable Skills in Employees: Can Reading Literary Fiction Help?

The Challenge of Evaluating Soft Skills

Some of the most valuable skills that managers look for in employees are often difficult to define, let alone evaluate or quantify: self-discipline, self-awareness, creative problem-solving, empathy, learning agility, adaptiveness, flexibility, positivity, rational judgment, generosity, and kindness, among others.

Evaluating Soft Skills: A Challenge

How can you tell if your future employees have these skills? And if your current team is lacking them, how do you teach them? Recent research in neuroscience suggests that you might look to the library for solutions; reading literary fiction helps people develop empathy, theory of mind, and critical thinking.

The Power of Literary Fiction

Reading literary fiction has been shown to increase empathy, theory of mind, and critical thinking skills. This is because literary fiction often explores complex characters, their motivations, and their emotional experiences, allowing readers to step into their shoes and understand their perspectives. This can help develop one’s ability to empathize with others and understand their thoughts and feelings.

Teaching Soft Skills through Reading

So, how can you use literary fiction to teach your team valuable soft skills? Here are a few suggestions:

Book Clubs and Discussions

Start a book club or discussion group where team members can read and discuss literary fiction. This can help foster empathy, critical thinking, and collaboration. Encourage team members to share their thoughts and insights, and to listen actively to others.

Reflective Journaling

Assign team members to keep a reflective journal while reading literary fiction. This can help them process their thoughts and emotions, and develop their critical thinking and self-awareness skills.

Role-Playing and Improvisation

Use literary fiction as a basis for role-playing and improvisation exercises. This can help team members develop their creativity, problem-solving skills, and adaptability.

Conclusion

Reading literary fiction can be a powerful tool for developing valuable soft skills in employees. By incorporating literary fiction into your team’s professional development, you can help them develop empathy, critical thinking, and self-awareness. Remember, the key is to encourage active reading, discussion, and reflection, and to provide opportunities for team members to apply what they learn to real-world situations.

FAQs

Q: Can any type of fiction develop these skills?

A: While all fiction can be beneficial, literary fiction is particularly effective in developing empathy, theory of mind, and critical thinking. This is because it often explores complex characters and their emotional experiences.

Q: How often should I recommend reading literary fiction to my team?

A: Aim for regular reading sessions, such as monthly book clubs or quarterly reflective journaling exercises. Consistency is key to developing these skills.

Q: Can I use non-fiction or other forms of media to develop these skills?

A: While non-fiction and other forms of media can be beneficial, research suggests that literary fiction is unique in its ability to develop empathy, theory of mind, and critical thinking. However, you can still incorporate other forms of media into your team’s professional development. Just be aware of their limitations in terms of developing these specific skills.