Skills You Need for Workplace Success

Skills You Need for Workplace Success. Course Outline and proposal.

Session 1: Course Overview-Sameer. There have been a number of studies that identify the key skills that workers need to be successful. Various studies call them different things - critical employability skills, soft skills, or transferrable skills. Regardless of the name these skills are critical for workplace success. Eight of the most commonly identified skills are: Being a Productive Team Member, Flexibility, Problem Solving, Resourcefulness, Giving and Receiving Feedback, Self-Confidence, Creative Thinking and Emotional Intelligence. Many of us possess one or more of these attributes already and perhaps all of them. Luckily these skills can be improved upon through training. This course looks to take you from where you are now to a new level of understanding for the key skills that will help to make you successful at work..

Learning Objectives by render forest. After you complete this course, you will be able to: Know your own team member roles and responsibilities. Understand ways to be an effective team member. Know how it feels to experience change and know your level of change tolerance. Understand ways to be flexible in times of change. Know what a problem is and ways to approach problem solving. Recognize the self-fulfilling prophecy and its relevance to their work..

Learning Objectives by render forest. Appreciate the variety of behaviors that characterize resourcefulness in the workplace. Identify tips to giving and receiving feedback. Realize the uses of feedback to increase their strengths as leaders in the workplace. Recognize self-confident behaviors in the workplace. Utilize a three-step process to building your own self-confidence. Apply a number of group methods for creative thinking. Recount the history of social and emotional intelligence theory. Define Daniel Goleman’s five sets of social and emotional competencies and correlate them to workplace experiences..

Why did you take this course? Use this opportunity to consider your personal learning objectives and reasons for taking this course..

Pre-Assignment by animation. There have been a number of studies that identify the key skills that workers need to be successful. Various studies call them different things - critical employability skills, soft skills, or transferrable skills. We all have strengths and abilities that enable us to achieve a certain level in life and we are informed by the successes that we have had in our career. Take some time to consider your resume and work history. Then, see which of the types of skills listed above that you’ve developed over the years..

Pre-Course Assessment by animation. An important aspect of being an effective team member is to have True /False As a general rule most people like change.( True /False) In dealing with change it’s important to adjust to the new reality. .( True /False) One method of dealing with change is to stall or delay a decision until it is no longer necessary. .( True /False) In order to solve problems sometimes you need to make assumptions about what the situation means. ( True /False ) Resourcefulness is about getting the most out of every person and situation.( True /False).

Pre-Course Assessment by animation. To be successful feedback needs to analyze the mistakes that people have made and pointing them out should lead to improvements. ( True/False) Self-confidence can be learned. ( True/False) Brainstorming is the most used method of creative thinking because it works for all groups and all people ( True/False) No matter your age you can influence your social and emotional competencies.( True/False).

Session 2: Being a Team Player ( Renderforest ). An important skill for the workplace is being a team player. In this session, you will complete a Team Roles and Responsibilities Questionnaire to determine what kind of team player you are. Then you will look at a number of guidelines to being an effective team member..

Team Role Analysis Questionnaire. Instructions Complete the Team Roles and Responsibility Questionnaire and then read the Team Roles Analysis Questionnaire Interpretation following the scoring. This questionnaire will help you to clarify how you operate in teams. Answer all questions based on your behavior in teams in general. This could include school, work, family, sports, church or other activities in which you worked in a team..

Team Role Analysis Questionnaire. The questionnaire has five sections, each of which will focus on a different team behavior. For each section, you will be asked to allocate ten points. The number of points that you assign to each statement should reflect your perception of your behavior at the present time. The more strongly that you believe you demonstrate a particular behavior, the more points you should allocate to that item. Be sure to allocate 10 points only - no more, no less - to each section..

Section 1: Decision-making Animation required. When a decision is being made in my team, I Points 1. State my opinion as a specialist in my own discipline 2. Explore the full implications of all ideas suggested 3. Take an independent viewpoint by considering every aspect 4. Evaluate the impact of possible decisions on other groups 5. Persuade the team to accept my point of view 6. Foster an atmosphere of openness in the team so that people can say what they really think 7. Offer radical suggestions that no one else considered 8. Structure the discussion so that each member clearly understands the available options 9. Make sure that the team adheres to a strict timetable for decision-making 10. Help the other team members to clarify their views.

Section 2: Creativity. In a team brainstorming or creativity session, I Points 11. Can be relied on to come up with unexpected ideas 12. Stand back and comment on what others say 13. Quickly choose the best idea and encourage others to adopt my viewpoint 14. Contribute to the session if I believe that I can add something of value 15. Organize the team so that the brainstorming session is executed properly 16. Builds on the ideas of others 17. Contribute ideas that are relevant to my profession or technical training 18. Create the right climate for a productive, creative session 19. Bring out ideas from outside the team 20. Make sure that the team maintains a strict schedule so that the session is productive.

Section 3: Planning. When the team is planning what needs to be done, I Points 21. Assign actions and priorities to others 22. Consider the possible implications of our plan on other teams 23. Make sure that effective planning methods are used 24. Pull together information and develop comprehensive plans 25. Contribute ideas pertaining to those subjects in which I have expertise 26. Make sure that a clear timetable for action is developed 27. Help motivate my team members 28. Assist the team in whatever ways seem helpful 29. Consider each aspect of the plan to ensure that it is realistic 30. Invent unexpected ways to use resources.

Section 4: Team Effectiveness. When the team is reviewing its effectiveness, I Points 31. Make sure that the views of each team member are considered 32. Present my opinions and ideas when they would be helpful 33. Get the opinion of people outside the team 34. Question the fundamental effectiveness of the team and suggest radical changes 35. Summarize every viewpoint and evaluate the team’s overall strengths and weaknesses 36. Contribute as a functional specialist 37. Record all of the useful points and establish a timetable for improvement 38. Take an impartial attitude in order to evaluate the team objectively 39. Decide what needs to be done and convince others to accept my views 40. Stimulate open communication among team members.

Section 5: Valuing Contributions. Others value my work in teams because… Points 41. I work hard to create a positive climate 42. I think of innovative ideas 43. I am flexible 44. I contribute specialized knowledge and expertise 45. I make sure things get done 46. I build positive links with other teams 47. I bring structure to team meetings 48. I provide leadership 49. I build on other people’s ideas 50. I provide impartial assessment of the team’s activities.

Scoring. Instructions We will transfer your scores from the questionnaire items to the appropriate boxes below. We will then add the items in each horizontal row of scores and record your totals in the boxes provided. You will use these results to answer the questions on the following screen..

All Animation. Item Number Your Totals Team Roles 8 15 23 31 47 Process Manager 2 16 24 35 49 Concept Developer 7 11 30 34 42 Radical 6 18 27 40 41 Harmonizer 1 17 25 36 44 Technical expert 9 20 26 37 45 Output Driver 3 12 29 38 50 Critic 10 14 28 32 43 Cooperator 5 13 21 39 48 Politician 4 19 22 33 46 Promoter.

Team Roles Analysis Questionnaire Interpretation Process Manager All Animation.

Concept Developer All Animation. The concept developer ensures that ideas are developed and evaluated. This person helps to identify possibilities and transforms them into practical proposals. The concept developer has the ability to see the potential merits and drawbacks of ideas. When someone suggests an idea, the concept developer is creative and excels in envisioning, imagining, thinking logically, and understanding..

Radical All animation. The radical presents new ideas by considering problems and opportunities from unexplored angles. This person sees new possibilities, adopts unconventional approaches, has insights, and produces novel proposals. The radical often is strongly intuitive. Radicals look at situations with a fresh perspective, prefer to think things through independently, and refuse to accept ‘conventional wisdom’. The radical is a free spirit..

Harmonizer All Animation. The harmonizer builds team morale by energizing, supporting, and encouraging others and by resolving interpersonal conflicts. The harmonizer believes that team efficiency is based on positive interpersonal relationships. He or she encourages commitment and cooperation and, thereby, good performance. The predominant impression that others have of the harmonizer is that he or she is a caring person. The harmonizer tries to ensure that team members value one another and gain something significant from their membership in the team..

Technical Expert All Animation. The technical expert is a subject-matter specialist. The technical expert contributes an expert or professional viewpoint to the team, making the team the beneficiary of his or her extensive training and experience in a particular area..

Output Driver All Animation. The output driver makes sure that tasks are completed. He or she sets time limits and targets and follows through on assignments. The output driver pushes to get things done and maintains standards. He or she checks to see whether things could go wrong at the last minute and is a creative tactician and planner..

Critic All Animation. The team member who takes the role of the critic must be intellectually capable, temperamentally inclined, and appropriately skilled. The critic takes a mental step back from the team to judge, to consider possibilities, to look for possible pitfalls, to sound notes of caution, and to question and challenge ideas. He or she confronts the team with objective observations and carefully weighed options. The critic’s commentary should be objective, not negative or positive..

Cooperator All Animation. The cooperator is an industrious team member who assists in whatever ways are needed by working hard and by being adaptable. The cooperator is sensitive to others’ needs and is willing to tackle unpleasant jobs without complaint. To succeed as a cooperator, a person must have well-developed observation skills, a sense of altruism, enthusiasm, and a variety of capabilities. The cooperator’s key contribution to the team is flexibility..

Politician All Animation. Because politicians believe that they know the right thing to do, they try to influence other people to support their opinions. They mold the team’s views, build alliances, and guide others. Politicians are results oriented, influential, power conscious, and persuasive. Such people are dogged and resolute; they pounce back after setbacks. The role of politician has been described as that of ‘shaper’, as the politician shapes opinions and objectives..

Promoter All Animation. The promoter is an extrovert with a set of appropriate skills. The promoter gathers useful contacts and makes connections outside the team. He or she is open minded, socially skilled, and cooperative. This person links the team to others with his or her outgoing and social nature and ability to build relationships, to investigate resources, and to check out ideas and possibilities. Promoters are ‘fixers’ who enable things to get done..

Effective Team Membership next chapter Sameer to speak.

Listen and share information All Animation. Contribute your ideas and solutions, don’t sit waiting for someone to come up with the idea - they may not..

Recognize and respect differences in others All Animation.

Ask questions All Animation. Unless you understand what’s going on you can’t contribute effectively. Realize that if you don’t understand something there are probably more on the team that don’t either. Ask questions..

Do your work All Animation. If you have been given a task within the team do it..

Have fun All Animation. Everything is done better if you want to do it..

Session 3: Flexibility All Animation. Workplaces experience change to such a degree that change has become a new norm. This means that to be successful at work you need to change tolerant and flexible in your approach to work. In this session, you will complete a Change Tolerance Exercise to see how change tolerant you are. Then you will explore how to become flexible no matter where you fall on the tolerance scale.

Change Exercise All Animation. If you can, right now get up and change where you are sitting so you can experience the emotions and feelings often associated with change. Then, write your observations in the space below, using these questions as guidelines. How did it feel to be asked to change seats? Did you view changing seats as an opportunity to see things in a new way or as an uncomfortable or undesirable change? What are some things that make people resistant to change?.

Change Tolerance All Animation. Let’s take a look at what our change tolerance level might be. Change Tolerance Exercise Read each description. Select whether you agree or disagree with the description on the basis of your management work. Don’t look for hidden or double meaning in the descriptions; your first reaction is probably your best..

Becoming Flexible All Animation. In a few words, the key to becoming flexible is: get involved! You need to take on those new challenges – anticipate change, overcome your fear, and respond to change positively. It’s true that as humans we generally don’t like change. We see the unknown as negative. We feel we have a plan, a set of processes and a mindset that can accomplish our tasks and when change rears its head we don’t like it. We rigidly resist changing what we’ve already decided will work. Change is scary. So what can we do?.

Analyzing Change All Animation. If you take the time to understand the change - what it is, where it’s coming from it can be much easier to deal with it. This is especially important if you are a team leader because everyone will be looking to you for your reaction to the change. Some of the things you should consider doing include: Separate your emotions from your assessment of the effects of the change. Assess the short- and long-term effect of the change on the organization. Highlight the positive effects on reaching the desired outcomes. Minimize any negative effects coming from the change. Adjust to the new reality. Keep focused on the outcomes. Make it work (with the changes)..

Session 4: Problem Solving Sameer. At work you will be required to solve problems almost every day. Some problems will be small but some will be larger and more complex. It is good to have a process that you can rely on to solve these problems. In this session, you will define what a problem is and look at ways to approach problems. As well, you will be introduced to eight essentials to defining a problem and will try your hand at some actual problem solving..

What is a Problem? All Animation. What, specifically, is a problem? A problem can be a mystery, a puzzle, an unsettled matter, a situation requiring a solution, or an issue involving uncertainty that needs to be dealt with. You are dealing with problems every day. There are three ways to approach problems: You can stall or delay until a decision is no longer necessary, or until the problem has become even greater. You can make a snap decision, off the top of your head, with little to no thinking or logic. You can use a professional approach and solve problems based on sound decision-making practices..

Eight Essentials to Defining a Problem All Animation.

Rephrase the Problem All Animation. If you have a hard time with wordsmithing , grab a dictionary and thesaurus (or look at online versions) and play with your problem statement by changing it several times. Start with one word or short phrases. If you don’t enjoy word games very much or feel yourself struggling, ask for help from a colleague or friend. Here’s an example. If the problem seems like “Our sales are decreasing,” start replacing words to become clearer about what’s going on:.

Rephrase the Problem All Animation. “Our market share is decreasing.” “Our new sales are the same as last year.” “Repeat sales have decreased 16% over last year.” “Our outgoing sales call volume has increased 18%.” “Our incoming complaint calls have increased 22%.”.

Rephrase the Problem All Animation. By doing this type of rewording, you can narrow things down and determine that the real problem isn’t that your sales team is neglecting their work or needs more training. The problem appears to be that repeat sales are down and correlating with that is an increase in complaints. Finding out why will be your next step..

Expose and Challenge Assumptions All Animation. We assume a lot. It’s human nature. Unfortunately, assumptions can really interfere with getting an accurate problem statement. If you pull up to the gas pumps, you might assume that you can buy regular, mid-grade, or premium gas. And yet, when you pull up to a rural station and there is only one option (regular) for your car, which usually gets premium, you have to decide whether you have enough fuel left to make it to the next gas station..

Expose and Challenge Assumptions All Animation. When defining your problem, write a list and include as many assumptions you can think of, especially the obvious ones. This helps to clarify the problem. Then, test each assumption and find out if some of them are actually wrong, or if you imposed them on yourself. One common assumption is to say, “We’ve never done it that way, so we won’t be allowed to do it in the future.”.

Use Facts All Animation. Sometimes we see a problem and just want to jump in and fix it. However, we are also generally responsible for things like time and money, so it’s important that we look at the details and determine what the problem really is. If a problem is too vague, it might not even be serious enough to warrant solving. Find the data you need to define the problem. If you can draw a picture or a graph, do so. Ask questions and gather information that honestly describes the problem so that you can get specific about it..

Use Facts All Animation. “You’re always late” is a very vague statement of a problem. “You’ve been late three days in a row” is specific. With straightforward problems like this one, you will find that defining the problem and bringing it to the other person’s attention will often resolve it. There are very few people who will continue to challenge the supervisor once they demonstrate an awareness of the late behavior being repeated..

Grow Your Thinking All Animation. Problems are often related to other problems. They can be a small element of a larger issue, so this element of problem definition includes considering the problem as part of something larger. To do this, you make the problem more general. Ask questions such as: “What’s this connected to?” “What is this an example of?” “Where have we seen this before?” Leveraging the word play we used earlier, replace specific words with more general ones. “Budget” becomes “finances,” “office desk” becomes “furniture,” “mouse” becomes “pest.”.