Personal Development & Skills Development
- Admin
- Jan 19, 2022
- 26 min read
Updated: May 6, 2023
Improving Skills
Aim of the Course:
To explore and appreciate the importance of professional skills for excellence in the workplace.
Objectives:
Gain clear understanding of skills in workplace and in life.
Appreciate the role of different skills in workplace performance.
Commit to actively work towards improving personal skills and using them in the workplace.
Opening discussion.
Only technical skills are sufficient for IT professionals to perform their work, other skills are unnecessary.
Introduction: What skills should we have to succeed?
These are qualities that IT Support staff should be expected to display. They express themselves through daily interactions in the workplace such as:
A technical, logical thought process.
An ability to stick to strict deadlines.
An ability to prioritise and delegate.
A keen eye for detail.
Definition: The ability to do something well; expertise.
Skills are the expertise or talent needed in order to do a job or task. Job skills allow you to do a particular job and life skills help you through everyday tasks. ... It might take determination and practice, but almost any skill can be learned or improved.
Various types of Professional Skills:
Communication skills.
Interpersonal skills.
Problem solving skills.
Punctuality.
Critical thinking skills.
Teamwork and collaboration skills.
Adaptability skills.
Work ethic.
Project management skills.
Other Examples.
Leadership and Management Skills
Advising.
Coaching.
Conflict resolution.
Decision making.
Organizational Skills.
Categorizing data.
Coordinating.
Goal setting.
Multi-tasking
Class Discussion.
Class discussion QUIZ this LINK.
Week 2. Communication skills.
Objectives:
Gain clear understanding of communication skills in workplace and in life.
Appreciate the role of communication skill in workplace performance.
Definition: the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else
transmission, imparting, conveying, reporting, presenting
Communication skills are diverse
Traditionally, communication falls into three categories. There’s verbal, non-verbal and written communication, and being a great communicator requires a nuanced approach to each of these. It’s important to be able to alter your communication style for different situations, people and mediums. Here are some more specific contexts to be aware of, and how to tailor your communication to them:
Online Mostly, this will mean speaking with colleagues, liaising with stakeholders and collecting information via email. There can be a tendency to treat email as a more casual, less-public channel of communication, but this shouldn’t be the case. When writing emails, imagine that they would be read by your entire department. Keep the subject matter professional, always proof read and spell check your emails, and review your send list to avoid a dreaded “reply-all” where only a “reply” was required.
Beyond emails, as organisations become increasingly digitised, you may find that operations, sales and project management occur online too, so consider how you have to transfer your verbal communication skills and identity into the online world.
On the phone Professionalism should underscore all phone conversations, and being clearly spoken and concise will ensure that your phone communication is always successful and understood by the people or party on the other end of the call. Remember that on the phone, as with email, you don’t have the benefit of body language or facial expressions, and what began as a well-intentioned joke could end lost in translation, or worse, be offensive. If you’re on a conference call with multiple listeners, always introduce yourself before you speak, allow pauses for others to finish, and thank people for their time and contributions at the end of the call.
With senior staff or organisational leaders. How you engage with an executive in a meeting or present to new clients should differ from how you chat to your colleague over lunch. Be polite, respectful and always prepared when engaging with staff or clients more senior than you. Know who you’re speaking with, their role and responsibilities and remember that every encounter makes an impression.
How to improve your communication skills.
Whether you see your communication skills as your strength or weakness, there’s always room to improve and refine them so you feel confident and capable engaging with colleagues, stakeholders and senior leaders. Here are some tips to developing truly effective communication skills:
· Don’t be afraid to speak up. You don’t have to be the loudest or the most rough, but contribute to meetings, project work or reviews by offering your opinion and asking questions. These sessions are designed to be collaborative and invite the thoughts and ideas of the team, so put your hand up and tell them how you believe the organisation could increase client retention or improve office administration.
· Ask for help. Who in your organisation always engages employees when they speak? Is there someone’s written communication you’re particularly fond of? Whether inside your organisation or external to it, connect with these people and ask for their tips on improving your communication skills. Note down the strategies and resources they used, and weave them into your own efforts.
· Undertake training. There are many course and formal training programs available to people who wanting to develop good communication skills. They are specialised and focused, available as workshops, seminars or online courses, and can be found as long or short terms of study.
· Don’t get hung up on mistakes. If you send out an email with a typo, stumble through a phone call or can’t stop the blush filling your cheeks in a presentation, don’t beat yourself up. Improving your communication skills takes practice and mistakes are an important part of learning and self-improvement.
Great communication skills aren’t developed overnight, so be patient with yourself as you practice and undertake efforts to strengthen them. Take small steps, and reward yourself for even small improvements or wins. Document your learning process too, so you can reflect on what you’ve learned and provide guidance to others looking to develop effective communication skills in the future.
Class Discussion.
Class discussion QUIZ this LINK.
Week 3. Interpersonal skills.
Objectives:
Gain clear understanding of Interpersonal skills in workplace and in life.
Appreciate the role of Inter-personal skill in workplace performance.
Interpersonal skills is among certain skills and competencies you need both to secure a job and also to keep it and do it well. This is in addition the formal qualification that you get to qualify for any job position.
Meaning: Interpersonal skills - noun - the ability to communicate or interact well with other people.
They are equally as important to success in roles spanning all industries, but they are rarely asked for specifically in a job description. Here’s some insight into what they are, how to improve them, and how to excel at them.
Benefits of interpersonal Skills:
work more effectively as part of a team.
get our point across effectively.
form and maintain social bonds.
relate to the situations of others.
negotiate with others and customers effectively.
influence others successfully.
A range of interpersonal skills.
Interpersonal skills are diverse and form a central part of working with other people. Here is a list of interpersonal skills that are valuable across all roles, industries and levels of seniority. It includes, but is not limited to:
· Communication. Arguably the most important of all interpersonal skills, communication skills are at the core of engaging with colleagues, stakeholders, prospective clients and senior leaders. This skill can be continuously developed throughout your career and will be valuable to every role you hold. A key part of good communication is being a good listener, knowing how to consider and empathise with what others are saying and feeling.
· Problem-solving. Being able to approach a complicated task and engage your problem-solving to work through it is a highly sought-after quality in candidates. Problem-solving demands analysis, critical and lateral thinking or logical reasoning, and will always require initiative and persistence.
· Adaptability. You don’t have to be far into your working life to know that things don’t always go as planned. Being able to reassess, reflect and reset when projects or strategic direction change is an interpersonal skill that will help maintain momentum and reduce frustration throughout your career. Knowing you’re flexible will also make your colleagues feel confident and comfortable working around you.
· Positivity Do you regard yourself as an optimist? Are you good at seeing the silver lining in a project that didn’t deliver the expected outcomes? Being positive in the workplace is an excellent skill that has the ability to impact the morale of entire teams. It doesn’t mean being naïve or ignorant about the realities of a situation, but it does mean seeing the best in work challenges and people.
· Collaboration. There exists few roles in which you would work in total isolation, which means that collaboration makes the list of interpersonal skills that are highly prized in the workplace. Understanding how to incorporate various ideas, manage expectations and share the ownership of both successes and failures are key to strong collaborative ability. It’s a skill that can be developed and applied in a variety of ways throughout your career.
· Honesty. Whether it’s owning up to a mistake or being honest about the difficulties you’re facing at work, employers want to hire and work with honest people. Being consistently honest and upfront will also assure colleagues and stakeholders that you’re reliable, and that the promises or deals you make can be kept.
· Work ethic. Qualities like loyalty and commitment constitute work ethic, and it is an important interpersonal skill to have. Showing an employer that you possess strong work ethic and drive inspires trust and confidence in them, and you’ll be seen as reliable, independent and able to self-motivate.
· Ability to manage stress. Every job comes with its periods of stress, some more than others. While not often the most pleasant parts of a career, knowing how to manage your time, emotions and relationships during periods of stress while still meeting deadlines is an incredibly important skill to have in the modern workplace.
Class Discussion.
How can we use interpersonal skills to influence an unhappy customer?
Class discussion QUIZ this LINK.
Week 4. Problem-solving skills
Finding innovative solutions to issues or challenges faced is the heart of excellent problem-solving. These solutions are often required for tight deadlines or when only limited resources are available. That is why problem-solving is a skill that can separate the good leaders from the great leaders. Developing problem-solving strategies takes persistence and dedication, but it can be achieved by employees working across all roles and industries.
Steps to getting the problem solved.
There’s no shortage of problems you’ll face in the workplace that require solving. You might work in finance and need to creatively educate clients on phishing scams to reduce losses. Or maybe you’re a CEO who needs to modify the organisation’s strategy to counter an unexpected market disruptor.
Whether small, large, predictable or truly challenging, most of the problems you face can be addressed by employing the below steps:
· Define the problem. Articulating the problem you need to solve isn’t just about knowing it exists and working to that knowledge. Write down the extent of the problem and work out who it affects, how far reaching it is, if it’s occurred before, what the consequences are and any existing data or information relevant to the issue.
· Don’t settle for the first, most obvious solutions. Because problem-solving strategies often need to be found and implemented quickly, it can be tempting to use the first solution that comes to mind. But is it the most innovative? And does it have the ability to solve the problem permanently? You don’t have to ignore or reject the first strategy that comes to mind, but be willing to park it until you’ve completed your problem-solving steps and have considered the alternatives.
· Consider all stakeholder interests. Knowing the stakeholders affected by the problem you’re working hard to solve is an important step that should never be overlooked. For example, if a project management tool crashes, you’ll quickly realise that the teams reliant on this tool are affected. But did you consider external stakeholders, service providers and remote workers? What about past projects that need to be reported on? Create a list of all affected people and parties, even if they’re only marginally affected.
· Efficient testing and learning. Be prepared to test the best problem-solving strategies efficiently and learn from what is applied. Document the process from beginning to end to understand what works, what doesn’t, and the point at which solutions failed to solve the problem. Having comprehensive documentation will be beneficial when you do find the right solution, and will serve as a valuable guide for colleagues and teams who may later face the same challenges.
· Engage the best people. When you’ve found the best problem-solving strategy for the task at hand, know how to engage the best people and resources to resolve the problem. The best skills may come from an internal department, from external contractors or freelancers or from a combination of both. Knowing how and when to engage the best people is a key problem-solving skill.
Develop your problem-solving skills.
In addition to following a series of logical steps to get your problem solved, you’ll find you can improve your problem-solving skills by using particular resources and developing several other complementary skills. When committing to becoming a better problem solver, consider the below:
· Mine data Knowing how to read, interpret and use available data will be a valuable tool in solving the problems you face in your career. Data often presents the factual information or statistics required for developing a solution, so always exploit it if available. Understanding how to mine data also involves knowing how to translate and share it with colleagues and stakeholders, who, once understanding it, may contribute to a fast and effective solution.
· Constructive debate. Arguing for and against a particular problem-solving strategy is a useful way of determining the pros and cons of each, and deciding which solution you’ll implement first. Debating options also requires you to research and develop levelled arguments for each strategy, a valuable technique in selecting the best solution and optimising as you go.
· Identify problems before they occur. Someone with brilliant problem-solving skills (and very likely the respected leaders you admire) will have, over time, developed the ability to identify problems before they occur. While this doesn’t mean they can always be avoided, it does allow more time to establish and implement the best problem-solving strategy. This special skill also relies on extraordinary knowledge of an organisation, its values and processes, the industry it exists within and broader market trends.
· Learning from mistakes. In all areas of your professional life there is the potential to make mistakes, having tried something that, despite your effort and consideration, fails to achieve the desired outcome. Making mistakes to develop your problem-solving ability is no different, and they remain an important way of learning how to improve process and practice.
· Great communication skills. Most great problem solvers are likely to have excellent communication skills. These skills enable to you effectively detail what the problem is, engage the right and most valuable people, and keep them connected to the task at hand from start to finish. So if you’re looking to develop your problem-solving strategies, we highly recommend working on your communication skills as well.
Improving your problem-solving skills will enable you to see problems as opportunities to improve systems and relationships, not occurrences to fear or panic over. The more your skills and strategies are developed and practised, the more you’ll have to draw from when you’re faced with bigger and more challenging problems in your professional life.
Class Discussion.
We must avoid problems at all cost
- Discuss this statement.
Class QUIZ this LINK.
Week 5. Punctuality
Importance of being punctual at work.
Punctuality and good time management are skills required across all industries. That’s because being late has the ability to negatively affect whole teams, disrupting meetings and giving yourself and others a reputation for being unprofessional. While it might be a big shift to how you organise and manage your life, learning to be punctual will benefit your career immensely. Here are our tips on how to improve your punctuality.
It pays to be punctual.
There’s no shortage of reasons for why being on time is a valuable soft skill to have. Exhibiting your consistent punctuality will show you’re reliable and serious, and will always play a positive role should you want to be considered for more senior position.
It also has the following positive effects:
· It shows you’re dedicated and serious about your work.
Are you always first in the meeting room helping a presenter set up? Do you make time to have an opportunity to read over your notes while you wait in reception for an external meeting? Being punctual will show colleagues and stakeholders that you’re committed to the work you do, and the people your organisation serves. It shows you’re dedicated not just to doing the job, but doing a great job, and that you understand that a reputation matters. Colleagues will feel supported and encouraged by your consistent preparedness, and you may find you’re asked to help with more senior projects as a result of your punctuality.
· It exhibits respect to your colleagues, managers and stakeholders.
If you’re always running late (even by a couple of minutes), then meetings, briefings and presentations won’t get started on time. And if one meeting spills overtime, then you can bet any meetings that follow after will have to start late too. Expect colleagues and stakeholders to be neither pleased nor productive at such disruption.
· You appear organised and professional.
Much of being punctual is knowing the details, data and facts of the situations you face at work. Something as simple as triple checking the address of a client meeting will ensure you arrive at Wambui Road on time, and not with a mere 10 minutes to make your way down a long street at peak hour.
Punctuality also provides time to check meeting essentials and secure the best seat – one that gives you eye contact with the main speaker, and puts you in a position to contribute in a meaningful way. It’s hard to be considered a serious contributor if you burst into the conference room ten minutes late with papers flying everywhere, or you have to creep between colleagues to the back of the room to sit yourself down.
· It reduces stress.
Any action or habit that reduces stress and anxiety in your professional life should be pursued feverishly, so consider learning to be punctual a must. Arriving late is a known stressor and can make people feel isolated, ill-prepared, ineffective and fearful of discipline that being consistently late might warrant. Better still, if you’re generally prone to anxiety, being punctual gives you time to adjust to the surroundings, breathe deeply and steady yourself for that big meeting or presentation.
Be on time, every time.
There are many ways to learn how to be punctual, all of which centre on learning how to better manage and respect time. Try the below tools, resources and strategies to ensure you’re known for your punctuality, not your tardiness:
· Use a diary
Whether it’s a bound book, on your phone or connected to your email provider, have a diary that reflects all upcoming tasks, meetings, appointments and deadlines. Use colour codes and symbols to separate personal and work-based commitments, and set reminders that allow you to prepare in advance for upcoming deadlines.
· Download apps
There are a range of apps and programs designed to help you manage tasks and be more punctual. Try Rescue Time, Remember the Milk, Wunderlist and Time Doctor to develop customised time management systems and schedules for you and your team members. Most apps are available across devices so content and notifications can be accessed anywhere. While apps are valuable resources, ensure that tasks and notes are consolidated in one place so that nothing is missed, and you can see a true representation of the day, week or month ahead in a single program.
· Get clocks and timers
Set all the clocks you work from slightly early and use timers to measure how long it takes to complete the different tasks your job entails. This allows you to establish a realistic understanding of how long activities and projects take, and commit to doing only what can be achieved before you’re due elsewhere.
· Always allow extra time
If it only takes 25 minutes to get from the city to your meeting, allow 40 minutes for traffic. If it takes an hour to get to work, allow an hour and fifteen minutes. Allowing extra time to arrive at meetings, set up presentations, negotiate traffic and speak with colleagues who stop you for an unexpected chat. It serves as a free and easy-to-implement insurance policy you’ll always be glad you invested in.
· Avoid distractions pre-departure
Don’t take calls, reply to emails or settle in to review the content of a report before you’re due elsewhere. Not only is it easy to lose track of time and end up late for your meeting or appointment, but the task may not get the time and consideration it deserves.
While being punctual is a desired quality in the workplace, the reality is you’re going to be late at least a couple of times in your professional life. Whether you get held up by traffic, a meeting runs overtime or you have an unexpected family matter to deal with, being late can sometimes be out of your control. When this happens, notify your manager or those you’re meeting with, and apologise for the inconvenience. Explain what held you up and give an estimate of how long you think you’ll be.
Class Discussion.
Be on time every time - discuss one practical adjustment you will make at personal level to achieve this.
Class QUIZ this LINK.
Week 6. Critical thinking skills
Critical thinking is a process.
It involves several steps or phases, each of which enable you to make reasonable, rationale and well-thought out decisions about the tasks and challenges you face at work. Critical thinking skills also enable you to refine and analyse information, so that you continue to make great decisions, and better understand the connections between ideas, people and systems. Here’s some advice on developing a better understanding of critical thinking skills, and advice on how to highlight them as you apply them on you job.
Why is critical thinking important?
Critical thinking skills, like leadership and strategic thinking skills, are about being proactive, not reactive; being able to analyse, not just accept; and approaching problems in a thorough, systematic way.
People in possession of strong critical thinking skills will likely be able to take the following actions, applying them to all parts of their role:
They demand information and answers. But they don’t settle for the first or easiest answer. As the name suggests, critical thinking is about being critical. It requires ideas and plans to be scrutinized and tested, treating each objectively until the best and most efficient solution is found.
They see connections between concepts and projects. Critical thinkers will have the ability to visualise and understand how the different projects they work on, and the teams they interact with fit into and complement one another. Whether it’s drawn out on paper, mapped onto a computer program or in their head, critical thinkers are able to see the whole picture, not just individual or isolated elements. This ability to see how things work together also allows for projects and processes to be streamlined, cutting costs, resources and labour.
They continually evaluate and analyse. This is about breaking down concepts and drawing meaning from projects, campaigns and research. It’s about identifying and eliminating inconsistencies and reflecting on errors, determining what can be improved for the future. Evaluation and analysis are constant processes for critical thinkers, who are always looking for the best and most rewarding solutions to the challenges they face.
Show off your critical thinking skills
While it’s easy to list technical proficiencies in a resume, or show evidence of your formal qualifications in a job interview, an aptitude for critical thinking can be more challenging to convey. Making reference to your critical thinking skills is easy, just follow our tips to show that you possess this vital ability:
Email Writing - Mastering email etiquette
Although most professionals are well versed in using email, many still struggle with the finer points.
Be kind.
Avoid using email to say no, argue, criticise or deliver bad news. Pick up the phone or deliver the information face to face. Don't hide behind emails!
Make every email fight for its right to be sent.
The less you send, the more likely your messages will be read. Don’t copy others unless they really need to read it.
Be considerate, not cryptic.
Don’t expect others to decipher what you mean by reviewing an entire email thread. Just because you are on the go doesn’t mean you should expect others to piece together what’s being requested.
Use only one account for work.
Keep work-related emails coming and going from your work account only.
Respond in a timely manner.
Try to respond to all messages within 24 hours, but don’t say you’ll reply with a more detailed response at a later date unless you really intend to follow through.
Be crystal clear.
In your subject line (and you should always have one!), explain what you want:
Reply with care.
When responding to an email with multiple recipients, think twice about whether you really need to reply to all, and double-check your response before doing so. Bad “Reply to All” threads run rampant throughout organisations.
Think before you send.
Always review the distribution list when sending a sensitive message.
Arrive at your customer site armed with several examples of how you’ve handled making important decisions or solving complex problems using the pitched solution. Practice weaving examples of your critical thinking skills into your responses so you can make mention of them without being directly asked.- Answer before they ask.
You may also be presented with hypothetical scenarios, and asked how you’d use your critical thinking skills to find solutions. Draw on your examples and experiences, but be prepared to adapt them to better fit the scenario you’re faced with. Talk through your reasoning and considerations to exhibit that your thinking is logical and methodical.
Handling Tasks.
If you’re set an online or remote work task as part of the support process, the key is to detail your thinking and strategy. How did you arrive at the answers solutions and suggestions? Why did you pick this particular planning model? Keep notes for yourself as you work through the task you’re assigned, and include it at the end as an executive summary, or as accompanying notes. They don’t need to be long or verbose, but they do need to exhibit how your critical thinking skills were engaged. We’d recommend using steps or bullet points to illustrate your process.
Critical thinking skills are important to all industries, and employees who have exceptional critical thinking skills can help to grow pools of highly capable and talented thinkers.
Class Discussion.
Be a critical thinker - discuss one scenario for critical thinking in your job role.
Class QUIZ this LINK.
Week 7. Teamwork and collaboration skills.
There’s a famous quote about teamwork by philosopher Aristotle that says, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. It suggests that the work produced by teams is better than if that same work was completed by individuals, and that a special quality emerges when cooperation and collaboration occur.
Whether or not you agree, the reality is that no matter what role you’re in, at some stage you’ll need to collaborate with other people. So, we’ve pulled together some top advice on how to improve your teamwork skills and become a great collaborator. After reading, you’ll no doubt see why, thousands of years later, Aristotle’s words still ring true today.
Improving your teamwork skills
Why is teamwork important? Because an organisation of any size cannot operate smoothly and successfully when people work alone. Success requires departments internally and stakeholders externally to engage, debate, share skills, exchange knowledge and integrate resources to get the job done.
While teamwork skills are incredibly important in the workplace, that doesn’t mean everyone has them. Maybe you’re a natural introvert? Have you spent many years working remotely and independently? Did you get used to that?
These are all valid reasons for why you might want to improve your teamwork skills, and here are a few ways to ensure you’re the best collaborator you can be:
· Commitment to a dedication. High performing teams are absolutely focused on the end result, committed to the result they’ve agreed to, and will find innovative solutions to achieve this. The dedication or goal of every team member counts, so whatever your role, show that you’re committed, even in the face of change or adversity, and always be ready to assist others.
· Be governed by goals and live by purpose. If you’re new to working in teams, or wanting to improve your collaborative skills, remember to always keep the project goals and organisational purpose front of mind. If all your work aligns to this and you can remind your team of this throughout the duration of your work, you can be sure you’ll make valuable contributions, and help others do so too.
· Learn to listen. While teamwork requires a solid amount of idea and strategy generation, an important component of teamwork is also listening; knowing when the contributions of others need to be heeded. Improving your listening skills and seeing different suggestions as valuable ensure the best ideas are surfaced, tested and implemented. You’ll also assist in boosting the morale and confidence of those you’re collaborating with, making every team member feel like they’ve been truly heard and considered.
· Combat negativity. Improving your teamwork also requires you to know how to combat negativity. International speaker and leadership consultant Graeme Joy coined the term “idea assassins”, identifying those who are quick to list reasons why you won’t achieve your goals. Joy says the difficulty with idea assassins is that they often have something “pertinent and valuable” to say about what makes others fail. Their advice can be vital to success, but the challenge is to take this information and analyse it, without it becoming a hindrance to your work, project or team.
Diversity is key to teamwork
The best teams aren’t made up of people who look, think, act or lead in the same way. Why? Because you’d end up with a group who are likely to agree quickly on most ideas, rather than debate and challenge them to find the very best solution. When considering how to improve your teamwork skills and better understand why collaboration is important, consider that the most successful teams look for diversity in the below areas:
· Personality. Having a variety of personality types on your team helps being differing perspectives and ideas to projects and problems. For example, a traditional Type A personality may present the big ideas initially, while a conventional Type C personality might spend time quietly analysing and finessing the proposed ideas. Combined, you’ll likely get a team that has considered many approaches and strategies, and will likely find better solutions.
· Skills and experience. It’s unlikely that an individual alone possesses the breadth of skills and experience needed to complete every task your department or organisation demands. Aspiring to have a range of skills and experiences will allow for a greater range of ideas and processes to be tested, where team members can draw on past and seemingly unrelated experience to brilliantly solve the task at hand.
· Work styles. Engaging different work styles to collaborate starts with acknowledging that there's often more than one right way to get the job done. Maximising benefits when working with people who have different approaches to tasks requires patience and respect, so ensure that these are always present, even if the work styles vary immensely.
· Roles. While it might seem unconventional to have members of the customer service team present in a marketing strategy brainstorm session, consider this: who spends the most time with your organisation’s customers? And while it’s not standard practice to have members of IT in a sales executive meeting, asking yourself: who customises the sales software used by the team? Where relevant and appropriate, consider including members or different departments, and of varying levels of seniority to your meetings to gather a holistic view of issues and information that you and your team may not have otherwise had access to.
Teamwork should be an exciting part of every role you undertake, whether you’re just starting out as an accountant or you’re the CEO of ArielTech. Being open to constantly improving your teamwork skills will help you not only get the best out of your collaborations, but likely open up opportunities that you never even imagined, propelling your career in truly rewarding direction.
Class Discussion.
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Aristotle.
Discuss this statement in light of Ariel Tech's business.
Class QUIZ this LINK.
8. Adaptability skills.
There are very few successful people or organisations who got to where they are by simply doing the same thing. In fact, great leaders seek out change and pursue it feverishly, understanding that to be truly innovative and ahead of trends, you must embrace change. But being adaptable is not just about embracing change. Being adaptable means being a perpetual optimist and exhibiting extraordinary resilience.
Adaptability skills can be possessed both in attitude and action, and one can’t exist without the other. Learn how you can adapt to change better with these tips.
Benefits of being adaptable
How important can being adaptable be? Well, the short answer is very, as it’s a skill that has no bounds in the ways it can be applied in the workplace. Here are three benefits of having strong adaptability skills:
· You’ll embrace challenges better. Being adaptable means working without boundaries, and being open to finding diverse and unexpected solutions to problems and challenges in the workplace. Without limitations on your thinking and actions, challenges become something not to dread, but to seize and enjoy working through. As someone who is adaptable you’ll also be willing to engage a variety of people with diverse skills to get the job done, building broad networks of highly engaged and capable people as you go.
· You’ll become a better leader. Great leaders know that change is inevitable, and they don’t shy away from it. They also remain positive in the face of adversity, keeping their teams and employees focused and motivated through tough or lacklustre periods. Great leaders are also open-minded and considered, knowing that solutions and brilliance can be found in many places. They’re never quick to disregard solutions that might be viable. All these important leadership qualities have adaptability at their core, and rely on an ability to adapt to, and embrace change.
· You’ll always be relevant. People who are willing to change, or shake up conventional ways of doing things will remain relevant throughout their working lives because they’re comfortable experimenting. Whether it means trialling a new project management system to better adapt to your growing organisation, or completely reengineering how you manage teams, be willing to trial different tools, strategies and techniques to achieve the best outcomes. Workplaces are changing faster than ever before, and if you’re not willing to constantly adapt, then expect to be left behind.
How to develop your adaptability skills
Want to know how to adapt to change? It’s a skill that takes practice and commitment, but it is within reach for employees across all industries. Consider adaptability a must-have soft skill if you’re aspiring for a leadership role at your organisation. Here’s how to advance your adaptability skills:
· Learn from others. As is the case with learning a whole range of critical soft skills, learning to better navigate change and become adaptable is best done from others. Do you admire how Fiona from finance consistently delivers fiscal results with a positive message for the future, even if targets have been missed? Or perhaps you like how Sean brings in members of different teams to brainstorm solutions to the IT team’s challenges? Take notes when these people exhibit the adaptability skills you’re keen to learn, or ask them directly for tips and guidance. While you can learn from people both inside and external to your organisation, if you’re learning from those internally, you’ll get the added benefit of learning how the skills are applied best to the organisation, its values and its people.
· Find the silver lining. Extracting positives from situations or projects that don’t go as planned can be hard, particularly if the loss was big, or a significant deadline was missed. However, being able to find the silver lining in all the work you do is a brilliant example of adaptability skills in action, as it requires you to reset and reframe your focus, often taking a step back and viewing things less critically and more objectively. If you find it hard to identify the positives, start by noting down what you learn when things don’t go as planned, factoring this exercise in as a crucial part of your review strategy. The more you engage in this process the more optimism you’ll find you have, and the easier it will be to change tack and overcome challenges next time.
· Be willing to make mistakes. No one’s perfect, and making mistakes is a very human and very real thing that will happen throughout your career. While making an error can be frustrating, or even humiliating, it’s how you manage the aftermath that counts, and this phase that will help improve your adaptability skills. If you learn from your mistakes, share newfound knowledge and test alternative solutions, then chances are these mistakes will form some of the most important lessons you will learn throughout your working life.
· Ask questions. Just as they must embrace change to grow, the best leaders and organisations among us usually haven’t achieved success by working alone. They have inspiring mentors, innovative colleagues and gifted networks they can lean on for support, ask question of and debate ideas with. Asking questions is a great way to learn more and challenge established ways of doing things, a key component of being adaptable. Just make sure that your questions are well researched and delivered professionally, to ensure you receive the most valuable answers.
Learning how to adapt to change is a soft skill that will not only make you a top candidate when applying for new roles, but one that has the capacity to give you a renewed optimism about your work. It’s a brilliant life skill that has great application in both your personal and professional life, so start implementing these tips to strengthen your adaptability skills today.
Class Discussion.
''A Perpetual optimist.'' is a must requirement to win customers. - discuss.
Class QUIZ this LINK.
9. Essential front desk officer skills you need.
A good first impression counts, and as the initial point of human contact for any business, a receptionist needs to create a welcoming yet professional image.
After all, a warm greeting by a receptionist can speak volumes about how the company will treat its customers.
But successfully running the front desk calls for much more, and the role of a receptionist demands an impressive line-up of hard and soft skills.
Take a closer look at the top seven areas of improvement for a Receptionist that can go a long way to ensure the workplace runs like a well-oiled machine.
1. Strong technical receptionist skills.
In today’s technology driven workplace, receptionist skills need to encompass managing both hardware and software including handling phone systems, printers and copiers. Word processing skills are essential but receptionists may also be asked to work with Excel, desktop publishing software or industry specific programs.
With so many companies asking their employees to do more with fewer resources, receptionist often find their duties have expanded well beyond the initial job description and this can call for additional skills such as social media management or event planning.
2. Ability to work independently
The front desk can be an isolated place. Without colleagues to consult at neighbouring work stations, the ability to work independently is among the top receptionist skills.
This calls for the ability to think fast and come up with innovative solutions to different challenges – all while reassuring clients, customers and co-workers that they in the hands of a professional.
3. A brilliant communicator.
Receptionists know that communication skills are at the heart of their job.
Along with providing accurate information about the business to customers, receptionist skills include managing tricky calls, dealing with difficult customers or time-poor co-workers, and sending clear, succinct messages to the appropriate recipient either verbally or in writing via email or SMS.
4. Exceptional time management.
Throughout each working day, receptionists juggle a multitude of different tasks, managing the demands of screening calls, making appointments, taking and relaying messages and still completing clerical tasks on time.
It calls for a high level of multi-tasking coupled with strong receptionist skills such as time management and the ability to prioritise duties. In a busy workplace that can mean operating with grace under fire.
5. A genius organiser
Take a look around your workplace, and it’s likely the front desk is the neatest work area in the office. It has to be this way as a front desk laden with paperwork doesn’t just convey a poor impression to visitors, it can also represent an information security risk.
So a good receptionist has to be a genius organiser with a system in place to find contact details or files at a moment’s notice when requests come in on the fly, while still maintaining a super tidy desk.
6. Dependability
No business can afford to have phone calls unanswered or leave clients unattended – even for just a few minutes.
Companies depend on the receptionist to arrive punctually at the front desk each morning, return from lunch at the allotted time, and not let anything slip through the cracks during the day.
7. Outstanding interpersonal skills
Research reported in the Harvard Business Review found co-workers tend to collaborate better with like-minded colleagues. This explains why the marketing team tends to socialise together, or the IT department is likely to be a close-knit group.
Receptionists do not have the luxury of working chiefly with colleagues who may be very similar in outlook or qualifications to themselves. They need to maintain good relationships with EVERY employee, including senior management and executives, while also having the interpersonal skills needed to deliver a high quality face-to-face contact with clients and visitors.
Class Discussion.
“Everyone has a role in telephone management.''
Discuss this statement in light of Ariel Tech's business.
Class QUIZ this LINK.
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