Brighter career through soft skills..

Today the Indian youth is facing not only the problem of unemployment but also the intricate trouble of un-employability. This clearly indicates that the deficiency of competency in soft skills is leading to such an unfortunate un-employability. The competencies exist in every individual to a particular level. Skills are the abilities to do something well or expertise but talent is natural aptitude. Skills are to be practised, acquired and nurtured on a regular basis.

-Let us take an illustration of a very good management lesson related to sharpening of skills. It is an inspirational and motivational story called, Have You Sharpened Your Axe?
-A young man approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job. Lets see you fell this tree first said the foreman. The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled the large tree. The foreman was impressed and said to the young man: You can start on Monday.

-Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday arrived and went by. On Thursday afternoon the foreman came to the young man and said:You can pick up your pay-check on your way out today. Startled the young man exclaimed, But I thought you would pay on Friday! Thats right, said the foreman, but we are letting you go today because you have fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you have dropped from first place on Monday to last place today.

-But I work really hard, said the young man. I arrive early, I leave late and I even work through my breaks. Please dont just fire me. The foreman knew this to be true, and sensing the young mans integrity, stopped and thought for a bit. Then he asked: Have you been sharpening your axe?

-The young man replied:No sir. I have been working too hard to take time for that. Moral of the story is…Do not work so hard that you dont take time for the most important things in life – the things that ultimately make you more effective. Honing of your skills must start at this point…

Have the right attitude…
-Your thoughts become words; words become actions so your behaviour should be in positive affirmations only. A habit is a behaviour that is repeated often without thinking about it. Convert your cants into your cans and see your dream converting it into plans.

A simple procedure for developing a habit:
-Your verbal statements control your feelings
-Your feelings control your thoughts
-Your thoughts control your behaviours

Your behaviours control your habits Basic principles for developing a right / positive attitude:

-Avoid negative thinking and complaining
-Spend time with people who have a positive attitude
-Be thankful for your job
-Give yourself a chance to recharge
-Reward yourself for doing a good job

Whether you think you can or think you cannot-you are probably right.
— (Henry Ford)

Develop the strongest desire…
-Your desire to achieve heights in your career should be greater than your fear of failure. Even if you fail over and over again in your life, that strong desire should act as a driving force to let you start again until you reach your goal.

Always take self-initiation…
-Self initiative is about doing things without having to be told or about learning a new task without having to be prompted or directed to do so, and working without having command from anyone. Self initiation can take courage and a strong sense of self to show initiative, especially if you fear that people may disagree with your actions or suggestions. Some people have a real fear of speaking up, or of taking any action thats not yet authorized by the leadership team, because theyre afraid of failure or rejection.

Persistence is the art of moving forward even when you encounter inertia or difficulty. Initiative has become increasingly important in todays workplace. You show initiative when you act without being told what to do, persist in the face of inertia and difficulty, and see your idea through to a successful conclusion.

Initiative is doing the right thing without being told. Victor Hugo Work for your team…

-The process of working collaboratively with a group of people in order to achieve a goal. Teamwork is often a crucial part of a business, as it is often necessary for colleagues to work well together, trying their best in any circumstance. Teamwork means that people will try to cooperate, using their individual skills and providing constructive feedback, despite any personal conflict between individuals. TEAM means – Together Everyone Achieves More.

Do SWOT analysis…
-It is a structured planning method used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in an individual or in a project or in a business venture. Discover New Opportunities, Manage and Eliminate Threats.
-Strengths: characteristics of the business or project or individual that give it an advantage over others.
-Weaknesses: characteristics that place the business or project or -individual at a disadvantage relative to others.
-Opportunities: elements that the project could exploit to its advantage.
-Threats: elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business or project or individual.
-Try to practise these principles regularly and you will be on the pinnacle of success. Wish you good luck.