Survival Skills
RECENTLY I was compelled to attend a 2-day seminar on communication skills. I grumbled and griped (as is my wont) but nonetheless bowed to the wishes of the high command. To say that at the end of it all, I was a changed woman would be an understatement. I felt on top ... of every thing! A few important lessons were learnt, some pearls of wisdom gathered and an insight obtained into how inadequate one really was— not a very nice feeling. However, I came back with a pad full of notes on how to acquire skills essential for survival at the workplace. An abridged list reads something like this:
Hearing vs. listening: To survive and win in today's competitive workplaces one needs a variety of skills that can provide the edge you need to come out tops. One of the important things that people often forget is that if you want to be a good communicator, you have to be a good listener too. If you enjoy listening to others and encourage them to share their ideas, you will not just make a great team member but also a productive one. Hearing is a physical ability while listening is a skill. This skill will enable you to understand what the other is saying - something most of us woefully lack. Being attentive to what the speaker is not saying is as important as what he is mouthing.
Techie and savvy too: No matter what your work, you necessarily need to be computer literate. I remember my first day on the job when my boss asked me to go ` boot the system'. I looked completely blank much to his disgust and my despair. My problem was, I could neither think nor write with a mouse in hand instead of a pen. But today as I bang away on the keyboard with two fingers, I realise how far I have come! In most workplaces computer literacy is an expected standard. No matter where you work, a computer will be the basic tool you will have to use. Being computer savvy will not only help you get a job but help you advance in your career too. Being savvy does not mean you keep track of every software or hardware ever introduced, but that you are comfortable around them and look upon them as handy tools rather than with fear and foreboding.
Write right: A facility with written communication is as important as being articulate. Most of us take it for granted that when required we will be able to put together a project report, a memo or even correspond with a client with great ease and flourish. That's where one goes wrong. Whether it is a short memo or a lengthy report you should be able to put forward your ideas clearly, succinctly and effectively. Writing effectively is a skill that can be learned.
Crisis control: Develop the ability to solve problems as they occur. Just-another-day-at-the-office is not always that. Being prepared to deal with any kind of crisis quickly and seamlessly will set you apart from others. This is important not only for your employer but for your own success too.
Time is money: A cliché if ever there was one, nonetheless time management is a skill that most of us overlook. Being able to manage your time will help you organise your personal and professional life better, it will help you prioritise your goals and stay ahead at work.
Letting your work speak for itself is usually good enough for one to get noticed. But sometimes it needs more than that— it needs a showcasing of your talents and skills, a platform to be visible - a certain flamboyance - if one is capable of it. You may not attain unqualified success but you will be remembered as someone who dared to be different.
PADMA
padma.hyd@cnkonline.com
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