Raluca Popa, performance coach: “We have to teach soft skills to young generations”

“I can see learning & development from two perspectives, one from my students and one from the clients that I have with coaching. This generation of students is used to digital learning. For them is normal. For us it means adapting to a new normal. Now that they have to come back to school in the next semester, they don’t really want it because they are used to learn online. For them it’s fine like this.

When we were younger, we were taught digital skills. Now we have to teach soft skills to younger generations. Social skills are important. What I’m trying to do during my courses is to make my students interact with each other,” Raluca Andreea Popa, Leadership & Performance Coach said during “Belonging at Work Conference” powered by The Diplomat-Bucharest.

“When they don’t find internal resources, companies are looking for external coaches. Usually, when leaders identify some problems within their teams like lack of motivation or burnout, they send their employees to a coach.

As coach, when I see that something is not working and is not on my side, I can recommend to a person to go to a therapist.

Usually, when they hear about mental health, people get scared. If I am working with a client and I’m saying ‘You have a mental health problem’ than they get scared. I use instead the words mental fitness, and I teach them how to train their mind in becoming their best friend, and not their greatest enemy.

Romania is a country that does not have problems with the difference between women and men. I am referring to benefits and salaries. I have friends from other countries like Spain where there is a huge difference in terms of salaries between women and men. In Romania we are not aware of such a significant difference.

This might have something to do with communism, because back then all the people had to work. They would not be let to stay at home. We have this mindset that both women and men must work and must be treated the same.

What I have noticed recently is that young generations are not that interested in coming to school because they don’t know their colleagues, so they are not interesed in socializing with them.”

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