Minding the Competency Gap From College to Career

Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is proving the development of certain soft skills to be of utmost importance and yet a skills gap is present regarding human-centric competencies and critical thinking capabilities. Fundamental proficiencies such as professionalism and business acumen are even proving to be deficient according to workforce trends, and this may worsen given the new norm of remote campus communities, whereas students will still engage with course content but less so with each other. As such, organizations utilizing online platforms for e-learning and virtual teaming should be mindful of not only the performance of the group but the abilities of participants and the socialization process necessary for aiding in competency development. The stages of group development identified by Bruce Tuckman are useful for reinforcing the application of the proposed principles for successful virtual team leadership by Deloitte. Through the alignment of stages and principles, virtual teams can increase their chances for not only success but competency development.