Soft Skill/Competency: Composure or Coolness

Refer previous eight posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”,  "Action Orientation", "Creativity", "Interpersonal Skills" and "Communication Skills").

Explanation of the Competency "Composure" or "Coolness"

•  Exercises self-control under trying or tough circumstances or situations or under any kind of pressure.
•  Responds proactively rather than just reacting immediately or without thinking.
•  Responds appropriately without getting perturbed by the stressful news, situations or events of moderate and heavy stresses.
•  Manages negative emotions like anger, frustration, fear, dejection etc effectively and if necessary, in exceptional cases, shows or shares or vents them out  without hurting self or others.
•  Does not get personal or does not raise an accusing finger at others while dealing with a difficult problem or conflict or failure. Rather, concentrates on solving the problem.
•  Motivates others to concentrate on finding solutions to problems rather than getting overwhelmed by stresses and strains involved.
•  Remains focused, tries to think clearly and takes appropriate decisions even under ambiguous, doubtful, stressful, dilemma and crisis situations.
•  Steers effectively through an emotionally packed event.
•  Exudes calming effect on the people around.
•  Is capable of counseling the people under stresses and strains.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

•  May be branded as cold and unemotional person.
•  May control emotions and not show them or vent them out even when it is appropriate to do so and in the process may hurt or harm self or others.
•  May belittle or discard others' feelings or emotions and decisions based on them.
•  May even get branded as uncaring type.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For "Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers", read at: http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Communication Skills

Refer previous seven posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”, "Action Orientation", "Creativity" and "Interpersonal skills").

Explanation of the Competency "Communication Skills"

• Likes to communicate with others.
• Selects the right target groups or individuals for his communication.
• Can organize his ideas, thoughts and messages and structure or format them appropriately and makes sure that they match the requirements of his target groups or individuals.
• Is capable of correctly, precisely, concisely and effectively sending the desired messages or ideas to the receiver at the right pace.
• In doing so, he chooses appropriate language and style for delivery of his messages. 
• Ensures that his message has reached the receiver the way he wanted it to be.
• Furthermore, he puts his best efforts in communicating with others such that it elicits the    desired response from the audience on most of the occasions.
• Is good at making effective and confident presentations to an individual, small groups and large groups whether internal or external to the organization.
•  Can make effective presentation even to a mixed or diverse audience with different backgrounds, interests and sophistication. Also is capable of communicating well with difficult audience.
• Can clearly explain to the audience even a more complex subject matter making it easier for them to understand. 
• Encourages two way communication, feedback and sorts out questions and doubts of the receiver of communication. 
• Therefore, he is an effective, active and empathetic listener.
• Employs right kind of time management while communicating.
• Makes sure that his actions are commensurate with what he communicates.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• May spend too much time polishing and honing his communication.
• May not like to put much of efforts in planning and delivering his communication believing that he is already good at it.
• May fall prey to excessive emphasis on presentation styles and use of sophisticated technology while giving a second degree treatment to the objectives and contents of communication.
• Actions may not necessarily be demonstrative of his communication if he believes that gift of gab is all that matters. 

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For "Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers", read at: http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Interpersonal Skills

Refer previous six posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”, "Action Orientation" and "Creativity").

Explanation of the Competency "Interpersonal Skills"

• Likes to interact with others.
• Can interact with others with ease and naturally.
• Can relate well with diverse personalities.
• Is in a position to establish rapport with others.
• Recognizes that every individual is unique and appreciates such uniqueness in others.
• Can foresee how others will think and behave under different situations.
• Can adjust own behavior to suit the behavior styles of others.
  
• Treats others with respect and politeness.
• Therefore can maintain a very congenial and conducive communication.
• Takes initiative to build up short term and long term relationships.
• Is adept at making personal and professional networks.
• Can create and promote an organizational climate of good interpersonal relations.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• A strong desire to be liked by everyone all the time might seep in and therefore may fall into a tendency of avoiding difficult or unpleasant dealings.
• May spend unnecessarily too much wasteful time networking with others.  
• May not be able to sort out the deeper conflicts.
• May be seen as a person with smooth exterior but no substance. 

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For "Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers", read at: http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Creativity

Refer previous five posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development” and "Action Orientation").

Explanation of the Competency “Creativity”

• Continually challenges the status quo and yearns to bring about improvement and newness in everything.
• Motivates others to challenge the status quo and to bring about improvement and newness in everything.
• Facilitates to bring out creativity in self and others.
• Contributes new concepts, processes and products.
• Does out of box thinking or lateral thinking. Thinks beyond the obvious by exploring wide ranging possibilities even outside the given parameters.
• Participates enthusiastically and contributes significantly in brainstorming sessions to generate creativity.
• Has the facility and talent to connect the seemingly unrelated issues and information to bring out freshness in approaches and solutions. Can grasp the nuances of cross functional working.
• Does the right brain as well as left brain thinking quite actively.
• Looks at the problems and solutions from all the possible angles.
• Is highly inquisitive and questions everything by raising a question, "why"?

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• May not be able to relate to the people who seem to be less creative and also may not appreciate them and their work.
• May get immersed deeply in an idea that may not be quite productive. May lose perspective with reference to business and organizational requirements.
• May shift from a to b and then to c and may get excited in working with many things at a time.
• May focus too much on right brain working and lose sight of hard core analysis and details.
• May lean more on being a loner as against being a team player.
• His idea generation and playing with them may affect a running assignment that he is handling.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/
or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For "Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers", read at: http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Action Orientation

(Refer previous four posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence” and “Self Development”.)

Explanation of the Competency “Action Orientation”

• Emphasizes that actions are more important than mere ideas.
• Looks around for what needs to be done.
• Does it without being told.
• Demonstrates initiative.
• Uses energy and drive.
• Has more bias for action than for thinking, planning and analysis.
• Does not spend too much time in thinking, planning and analysis. Is not an over-thinker or over-planner or does not get stricken by analysis paralysis.
• Acts with urgency to the situations that demand urgency.
• Is aware of the time lines for actions and therefore, sticks to deadlines by starting and finishing on time.
• Takes actions proactively to exploit the business opportunities.
• Encourages action orientation in others, particularly in his team members and motivates them accordingly.
• Makes allowances and concessions for slippages and errors in action oriented persons or action oriented situations.
• Identifies the strategic opportunities that are time sensitive, grabs them and acts on them without loss of time, realizing that the delay in actions can be quite catastrophic.
• In such strategic situations, creates urgency and acts as a propeller to set himself and others in motion with the required pace.
• Tries to build an action oriented culture in the organizations he is associated with.

Pitfall to be Avoided

• Possibility of turning into a workaholic impacting adversely on personal and family life.
• Possibility of suffering from stresses due to burn out.
• Lack of planning and more of impulsiveness to act may have adverse impact on smooth, quality, economic and timely actions.
• May end up setting highly ambitious though unrealistic goals and deadlines.
• May become intolerant of people with lacking action orientation of people with slow pace of working. This may jeopardize his interpersonal relationships with them.
• May be less flexible in changing the plans.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For "Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers", read at: http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Self Development

(Refer previous three posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving" and “Self Confidence”).

Explanation of the Competency “Self Development”

(For more benefits to you, It will be prudent to refer (Self Development) http://managing-self.blogspot.com/ and (Self Motivation or Internal Motivation) http://internal-motivation.blogspot.com/)

• On a day to day basis, tries to introspect or examine his own strengths and weaknesses.
• Seeks and welcomes others’ feedback on his strengths and weaknesses and examines them positively or constructively. Others can include anyone who can provide the feedback; even an enemy, neighbor or spouse :) apart from the usually known people like, bosses, colleagues, direct reports, internal and external customers etc.
• Accepts criticism (as part of feedback) from others in his own stride.
• Looks around for information on appropriate way and means or strategies for self development.
• Continually works to improve upon his strengths and to remove the weaknesses, particularly those weaknesses which have become or can become critical in achieving successes in professional, personal, family and social life.
• Then looks around for opportunities and utilizes them by taking up appropriate assignments or projects to enhance his strengths and eliminate his critical weaknesses.
• Reads, observes, refers and participates through the authentic literature and courses/workshops/seminars for enhancing knowledge and skills/competencies.
• Continually develops his will power, value structure, knowledge and paradigms to enhance his effectiveness in professional spheres and all the walks of life. (Refer Shyam Bhatawdekar’s Model “HSoftware” for effectiveness at http://humansoftware.blogspot.com/ and/or http://knol.google.com/k/shyam-bhatawdekar/management-in-life-profession-family/6txz9nck6g3/3# )
• Actively learns from his own and others’ successes and failures on an ongoing basis.
• Sets an example for others to learn, improve, develop and grow.
• Assists others in facilitating their self development.

Pitfall to be Avoided

• Too much self centered.
• Obsessed with self help development gurus, books, literature or any other gadgets.
• Lopsided distribution of time and efforts on self improvement particularly at the cost of achieving results on important tasks on hand (which can be done with existing levels of knowledge and skills/competencies).
• Wasting time and other resources in improving the knowledge and skills/competencies where one is already very good at currently.
• Lopsided allotment of resources on self development rather than their appropriate utilization on the development of one’s team members.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/


For "Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers", read at: http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/


For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Self Confidence

Explanation of the Competency “Self Confidence”

• Displays a confident disposition. Instills confidence in others.
• Has confidence in his own abilities.
• Has no doubts and hesitation in his abilities.
• Uses his abilities confidently to tackle the day-to-day and also difficult situations and problems.
• Likely to lead in solving the issues.
• Will take responsibility and accountability with no fuss.
• Speaks out his mind. Therefore, makes his thinking and opinions heard and understood by other related persons.
• Does not feel threatened in sharing his knowledge and skills with others.
• Does not get cowed down by aggressive behavior of others.
• Can take criticism in his own stride.
• Does not become defensive; cannot be pushed to corner.
• Does not easily complain or grumble or blame about others or about situations.
• Does not hesitate in sharing his success and limelight with others.

Pitfall to be Avoided

• Arrogance.
• Know-all type behavior.
• Poor listener.
• Therefore, devaluing others’ feedback, opinions and suggestions.
• May instill inferiority complex in others.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For "Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers", read at: http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer:  http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Problem Solving

For soft skill/competency "Result orientation", refer: http://shyam-bhatawdekar.blogspot.com/2010/08/soft-skillcompetency-result-orientation.html

Explanation of Competency "Problem Solving"

• Defines the problem correctly. Makes a good problem statement.
• Decides on what data and information to collect to find out the causes of the problem.
• Sets up the cause and effect relationship accurately.
• Observes the underlying patterns in the problem.
• Defines the type and extent of information that must be collected to work out alternative solutions.
• Looks beyond obvious solutions. Uses creativity to find out better solutions.
• Decides on the most appropriate solution. Applies trade off analysis properly.
• Anticipates the hindrances to problem solving and takes care of them proactively, well in advance.
• Contributes his best when a group is working on solving the problem.
• Infuses critical thinking in solving a problem.
• Knows and further keeps learning where to look out for or whom to contact in the process of problem solving. Tries to become more and more resourceful.
• Escalates the problem to an appropriate person or level when it appears beyond his scope of cracking due to several reasons.
• Makes sure that the problem is tackled at the root level so that it does not surface again.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• Slowing down on taking (calculated) risk.
• Too much of unnecessary analysis what is generally known as analysis paralysis.
• Stealing the show from the other members of the group when the problem is being solved by a group.
• Taking up too much in case of escalation of the problem.
• Losing sight of time lines in order to find the best solution.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer:  http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Result Orientation

From this post onwards, for quite some time to come, you will see here a detailed treatment of some of the major soft skills/competencies. This will help you to understand these soft skills/competencies in quite clear ways so that you can actually implement these competencies for your overall success.

Explanation of Competency "Result Orientation"

• Always keeps the focus on achieving results as per the goals set.
• Therefore, keeps the focus on the tasks and activities that are related to achieving the results.
• Defines all the related tasks and activities in terms of the results to be achieved.
• Then puts the required efforts and time needed to accomplish those tasks and activities.
• While focusing on the results, also maintains the required process orientation for quality results. Even contributes in improving the processes.
• Improves effectiveness and efficiency of working in order to achieve better productivity of all the resources including time.
• Accepts the accountability for achieving the results.
• Overcomes the resistance and obstacles, if any, in meeting the desired goals.
• Makes sure to maintain team work and team building particularly on the work involving interdependencies.
• Does frequent reviews and keeps a track of the actual achievements against the plans. Initiates the corrective actions necessary to bring the tasks and activities on track to remove the backlogs.
• If necessary, works with interest even on uninteresting tasks for project completion.
• Rewards self and others for putting in efforts towards result achievement.
• Tries to achieve better benchmarks in result achievements continually so that stretch targets can be set in subsequent projects.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• Compromising on quality.
• Disrupting team work and team building particularly in the work involving interdependencies.
• Short circuiting the processes and compromising on quality and other standards.
• Overshooting the budgeted costs.
• Eyeing short term results at the cost of long term implications.
• Not sharing success with others who also contributed in achieving the results.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer:  http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Qualities and Competencies to Become Successful CEO

• Start thinking and behaving like a CEO at whatever level you are at present. Everyone is really a CEO of his own job. If he starts handling his job the way a CEO handles the corporation, he shows a definite potential of a future CEO of a company. Refer: (Ownership on Job) http://job-ownership.blogspot.com/, (Genuine Professional) http://knol.google.com/k/shyam-bhatawdekar/the-genuine-professional/6txz9nck6g3/10#
• CEO should have the competency of looking at the “whole”: outside of the company and inside of the company. He should be able to assimilate and link together the entire factors of business: people, economy, governments, markets, customers, employees, technology, business associates and the lot. CEO’s assumptions or paradigms about each of these factors should be correct; otherwise there would surely be problem(s) for the company in the future.
• CEO should have a great vision. He should be able to foresee what is good for the organization and what is not and organize the necessary decisions and actions. He should be able to ask questions like what the company’s business should be and what it should not be and then, should be able to find the right answers.
• CEO has to be very courageous. Having envisioned the changes needed, he should have sufficient guts to lead those changes.
• CEO should have the competencies to uphold high standards of ethics even under trying times.
• CEO should have competency of keeping his organization clean legally, always on the right side of the law. Refer: (Corporate Governance) http://corporate-governance-policy.blogspot.com/
• CEO cannot just have only result orientation. Equally important is his process orientation. The two together set tone for long term as well as short term successes.
• CEO should be great in strategic planning and goal setting. Setting up of the strategies and goals for the organization gives the road maps, mile stones and destinations as an effective guide to its people. Also refer: (Strategic Management) http://strategic-managing.blogspot.com/ and (Goal/Target Setting) http://goal-target-setting.blogspot.com/
• CEO should be able to communicate with all sorts of people everywhere, effectively. It includes his convincing and influencing abilities. It includes his keen listening abilities and interpersonal relations. It includes his consensus and team building skills.
• CEO should be good in his analysis, judgments, decision making and firmness.
• CEO should have great eyes for the talents.
• On the whole, CEO should possess excellent leadership qualities. Refer: (Leadership) http://lead-max.blogspot.com/

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

How Much Value My Competency Can Add?

For everything you wanted to know on building leadership and management, refer Shyam Bhatawdekar’s website: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia “Management Universe” at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)


The More the Value Addition Due to Your Competencies, the More You Can Earn

The money you can earn as a professional by using your competency depends squarely on the value it can add. Extent of value derived by the usage of your competency is decided by the user or the customer. If the perception of the customer allows your competency to be seen as a high value adding competency, you can claim more money for providing that competency to your customer and more often than not, the customer will pay you that much. On the other hand even if you reach the highest level of expertise in a particular competency, it is not necessary that you will end up earning more particularly when the customers does not see it delivering high value to him.

It is also a matter of supply and demand. The much needed rare competencies may get paid more since at that point of time they are seen to be delivering high value to its customers in their perception.

An example will illustrate the point brought out in this paragraph. You will generally see that a specialist doctor say, a surgeon will end up earning lots more that the best or most proficient waiter in a restaurant. Yet a chief chef in the same restaurant, if he is worth his salt (as far as proficiency or expertise in cooking is concerned) may also end up earning as much as the doctor or an engineer.

So, it seems that high value adding competencies alone can earn more money for you.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Definitions of Some Related Terms That Often Confuse Many

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

The terms given below are alphabetically arranged.

Ability: An individual's capability either developed or not developed (undiscovered, unrealized and untapped). An accountant may be able to sell but has not done so.

Attitude: An individual's tendency to act in predictable ways. A manager may have humanistic attitude and therefore, he may be compassionate towards people.

Behavior: What an individual performs or does is his behavior and that is observable. It is based on his thinking which is not observable.

Competency: It is the developed ability of an individual. One competency may be a good integration of several allied skills related to the competency. Conducting an effective meeting is a competency that calls for many allied skills like making a meeting agenda, promoting healthy group process, resolving conflicts, managing time etc. Competencies are observable and ratable/measurable.

Knowledge: What an individual knows and comprehends is knowledge. Knowledge may be obtained from formal education, observations, training and experience.

Management: It consists of planning, organizing, staffing, directing (also leading) and controlling.

Potential: It is the predicted future performance of an individual.

Performance: Actual work output/results given by an individual against the expected results or goals/objectives is his performance. It is normally the basis for appraisals and rewards.

Practice: An individual acting as per his or organizational strategies and policies is putting the policies into practice.

Skill: It is the work behavior. In a sense, every verb in a dictionary is a skill. It is micro competency. Allied skills make a competency. In earlier example of conducting meeting, listening is another skill that is essential for conducting effective meetings. Skills are observable and ratable/measurable.

Style: Patterns of behavior is style. A person with humanistic values will have particular sets of behavior towards people and that defines his style.

Traits: They are personal characteristics. For example, an individual can be harsh, arrogant, aggressive or some other person may be polite, just, assertive etc. Many a time, they may not be observable or ratable/measurable.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read "Management Anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/


You may also like to read short articles on "Out of Box Ideas" at: http://wow-idea.blogspot.com/

Questions to Evaluate Job Applicants on Soft Competencies/Skills

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)
(You will benefit more if you also read all of my previous write-ups on this site and also read about Shyam Bhatawdekar Effectiveness Model- HSoftware at http://humansoftware.blogspot.com/ and about Self-concept at http://self-image-concept.blogspot.com/).
(If you wish to read or listen to the audio of the long article written by me on this subject covering all the posts I published here, please refer URL: Life Management: Competencieshttp://knol.google.com/k/shyam-bhatawdekar/competency-matrix/6txz9nck6g3/4)
Sample Questions

• Tell us about an important assignment you handled. How did you manage it and what were the results?
• How do you set up the priorities for your day-to-day work?
• If any of your projects derails, goes behind schedule, how do you pull it up to bring it back on track?
• What is more important to you; processes or results? What ever is your answer, why do you think it that way?
• Can you give an example of any process improvements you achieved recently and what was its impact on various factors?
• Why do you think reengineering of processes fail many times? Do you think one should not reengineer but go gradual on improvements?
• How do you rate yourself as a result focused person and why?
• Are you a deadline and timeline conscious person and how do you make sure that they are met?
• Do you like to take the challenges involved in fire fighting or would you rather be more cautious and eliminate such emergencies?
• Have you worked on any cross-functional project? What were your experiences on it as compared to a purely internal or departmental project?
• Do you believe in internal customer care concept? Would you still help the next-in-line department if because of your cooperation it is going to steal the show? Do you any such example from your past experience?
• Do you have at the back of your mind somewhere the requirements of you ultimate external customers? Does your approach to work get guided by it? Can you illustrate the point in light of your experience so far?
• How do you rate yourself as a decision maker? Can you describe any decision making situation where you were at cross roads; a dilemma situation, and you came out as a winner?
• Tell us about a situation where you goofed in decision making? How did you handle it then?
• Can you construct your decision making process and share with us? Take your time to think and then tell us.
• Are you the type of person who wishes to have a 100% correct decision and in the process may miss out on time lines or budget limits etc or will you take a chance to meet the other factors? In either case, tell us why?
• Suppose you take a considered decision in a situation where others are shying away from any commitment but it is important to take decision and it backfires. Do you display courage, own it and face the consequences or do you manipulate an apology or play a blame game or play politics and get scotfree?
• Continuing from the earlier question, then, what is right in an hierarchical formal organizational situation where every one's authority areas are earmarked, yet decisions are not forthcoming?
• Can you confidently communicate with your superiors your professional ideas? Do the persons high up in the organization hierarchy intimidate you?
• If you are confident and at ease in dealing with superiors, what have you done to build up this kind of confidence?
• How do you update your knowledge and skills? Do you have any specific approach to it? Can you elaborate it?
• Describe your problem solving process.
• Which do you prefer, attend to the problem and give an immediate short term solution so that things move on or would you wait on solving the problem until you have eliminated it from the grass root level?
• Do you encourage participation of your team members or do you push your decisions through them? Provide some examples to illustrate your style.
• In building consensus on a solution to a complex problem, have you faced any difficulties? What were they? How do you manage?
• Do you see the conflicts in your day-to-day work among the people and of people with you? What is your conflict management style?
• Can you describe your conflict handing process? Give an example.
• Do you lose your cool or get angry or frustrated when you get into a conflict with some one? How do you act?
• Did you ever have significant difference of opinion with your boss? What was it? How did you deal with it?
• Has it ever happened with you when your basic values were put to test in an organizational situation. What did you do?
• In your previous jobs, did you work with great teams? Give an example and why do you consider that to be a great team? What was your role and contribution in making it so?
• What are your proposals for development of people working for you? Have you tried some of them?
• What are your leadership qualities? Do people work for you with enthusiasm by taking initiatives? Then, you must also be delegating lots?
• Sometimes it happens that if you work for perfection or 100% quality, you may lose an opportunity, time is of essence. Would you rather push an imperfect product or solution so as to make the most of the opportunity? What's you take on it?
• Are you a good implementer, an action person? Are you also a good thinker and planner? What is more important for you? Why?
• Can you narrate the problems you faced in implementing any solution that you recently introduced? How did you tackle them?
• Tell us something where you applied your creativity and met with a breakthrough.
• What kind of creativity systems or techniques do you use with your team?
• Do you encourage borrowed or copied creativity or you only appreciate something originally done? Why?
• Can you sell your concept, ideas and solutions to others who matter? Share your experience with us on this.
• How do you rate yourself as a presenter? Are your presentations appreciated by your audience? Can you tell us the kind of feedback you get from them on your presentation?
• Do you have any experience of conducting or coordinating the meetings, either in a room or using teleconferencing facilities? Give one such example and how did the meeting go on various counts?
• You have been assigned a project but you have not been given a clear picture of it; its pretty hazy. Can you still proceed and complete it? Did you do something like this in your earlier jobs?
• In the event when some information is just not available, does the lack of information bother you? Can you work in ambiguous situations? Do you have such an experience to share with us?
• Are you open enough to share your part of information in a team situation or in a cross functional project? Perhaps keeping that information up your sleeve till emergencies arise can be a way to gain importance. Your comments?
• Are you a person who first sees the big picture of things and then go into details or do you do it the other way round? Can you give an example from your work situation.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read "Management Anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

You may also like to read short articles on "Out of Box Ideas" at: http://wow-idea.blogspot.com/

Overdoing Competencies Is Bad

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

(You will benefit more if you also read all of my previous write-ups on this site and also read about Shyam Bhatawdekar Effectiveness Model- HSoftware at http://humansoftware.blogspot.com/).

(If you wish to read or listen to the audio of the long article written by me on this subject covering all the posts I published here, please refer URL: Life Management: Competencies
http://knol.google.com/k/shyam-bhatawdekar/competency-matrix/6txz9nck6g3/4)

Excess Is Bad

We know that excess of anything or excess of everything is bad. It is not any different with competencies or skills. Whether it is a hard skill or a soft skill, too much indulgence in it or overdoing that competency can prove to be harmful to self and others, particularly your associates. Mastery over skills is OK but obsession with it and therefore, overdoing it can mean difficulties.

This point will become more clear if I give a few examples.

An over organized person or a person who is really great in planning things can be a very competent person till he starts overdoing it. The moment he starts overdoing it, he may lose sight of other things. He may become too rigid and structured and less tolerant to continuous and quick changes or unavoidable chaotic situations many times prevalent in real life situations. He may also be pretty divorced with the human element; he may not be comfortable associating with people who are otherwise good and efficient but little less organized in his opinion. With this lopsided weight on planning and organizing he loses his overall balance and becomes overall less competent.

Another example that comes to my mind is that of an over confident person. Such a person when he starts overdoing or overusing his self confidence, starts behaving as if he is a know-all type. In the process, he stops listening others' views or feedback and thus, deprives himself of good ideas, suggestions and recommendations of others around him. In many cases, he may even hurt other people due to his arrogance resulting out of display of his over confidence. These people, then, may not be comfortable associating with him. Overall he is at disadvantage despite being confident.

Persons having mastery over listening skills or interpersonal skills and in turn, overdoing these competencies may have a tendency to be goody goody all the time. They may use more time than really necessary for people's participation in decision making. Too much listening or even avoiding conflicts or unpleasant situations most of the times in order to maintain great interpersonal relationships may seem to make them look too accommodative and at times, even weak. In emergencies, they may find it difficult to take control of the tough aspects of the situations on their own and the things may slip up.

So, with this discussion, it is easy now to realize that while a good grip and mastery over the skills or competencies are a must, too much indulgence in them or obsession with them or overdoing them may disturb the overall balance between various competencies that are required in order to accomplished various tasks.

Here is the word of caution. While it may not be a good idea to overdo a skill or a competency, it is also important not to compromise or lose integrity in practicing a competency or skill. The two are not the same and should not be confused for one another.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read "Management Anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

You may also like to read short articles on "Out of Box Ideas" at: http://wow-idea.blogspot.com/

Proficiency Levels of Competencies

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

(You will benefit more if you also read all of my previous write-ups on this site).

(If you wish to read or listen to the audio of the long article written by me on this subject covering all the posts I published here, please refer URL: Life Management: Competencies http://knol.google.com/k/shyam-bhatawdekar/competency-matrix/6txz9nck6g3/4#)

In one of my previous posts here, I mentioned about competencies or skills having four levels of proficiencies. According to the proficiency level, a person can be classified as:

1. Unconsciously incompetent (or ignorant or almost ignorant)
2. Consciously incompetent (or learner)
3. Consciously competent (or conscious practitioner) and
4. Unconsciously competent (or master)

Every professional requires a mix of number of skills or competencies. Some are his core competencies and others are subsidiary competencies. Now he should be at unconsciously competent level of proficiency in his core competencies i.e. he should have mastery over those competencies. However, being less than having mastery in other subsidiary competencies will not make him a lesser professional since those are only subsidiary or supporting competencies. And he is already perfect in core competencies required for his job.

For example, a vocal singer should be really good at singing though he may not be really all that good at playing the musical instruments. He will still be OK with possessing just about some degree of competencies in some musical instruments. That will help. Or he should be just about somewhat good at communicating with the audience though he may not be the best speaker.

Therefore, it will be a good idea to analyze the core competencies and other supporting competencies that you would need for doing your job effectively. Having done that, you must work out the levels of proficiencies you will like to achieve in each of these competencies.

In most of the corporate organizations, you may find that each of the competencies that is required in that organization is divided into say, 4 or 5 proficiency levels. Each organization will decide and design on the number of these levels and define these levels for each competency or skill, for both- the soft skill or hard skill- as per its specific needs. It will be peculiar for each organization. Yet, just to illustrate, in a generic way, the definition of each level for each competency may look like this:

Level 0: Ignorance: no knowledge or skill proficiency in that particular area or type of competency.
Level 1: Some familiarity and some skill proficiency: but cannot function independently or apply it effectively.
Level 2: So so or average working knowledge and so so or average skill proficiency: can function fairly independently and can apply with reasonable effectiveness.
Level 3: Strong working knowledge and strong working skill proficiency: seldom needs to consult or ask others for guidance or advice in this area and can apply very effectively.
Level 4: Expert knowledge and expert skill proficiency: has mastery over the area, has detailed and in depth knowledge and understanding, master craftsman skill proficiency wise, can apply with tremendous effectiveness and is sought after for advice and guidance by others when they are not in a position to solve the problems.

Having done this, then, for each job position, the organization fixes the level of proficiency of that particular competency that the incumbent who would occupy that position should possess. For example, if a job position requires 2 core competencies C1, C2 and 3 supporting competencies S1, S2 and S3, the organization may specify their proficiency levels as, may be, highest level 4 for core competency C1, level 3 for C2 and lower levels like level 2 for supporting competencies S1 and S2 and level 1 for S3. When the organization recruits a person to fill up this particular job position, the interviewers will like to check up whether the interviewee has these 5 required competencies at the required proficiency levels.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read "Management Anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

You may also like to read short articles on "Out of Box Ideas" at: http://wow-idea.blogspot.com/

Soft Skills Are Important though Difficult to Learn and Master

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

(You will benefit more if you also read all of my previous write-ups on this site).

One can master writing a code in a particular computer language, one can master playing tennis or basket ball or golf, one can master a specific classical dance, one can master singing, one can master acting, one can master cooking a recipe, one can master judo, kung fu or karate, one can master painting, one can master opening and assembling a machine or equipment but mastering soft skills is very very difficult. People work for hours and months and years to acquire, learn, practice and master these hard skills or technical skills or external skills.

However, most people don't even appreciate that there is something to learn and practice and master in soft skills. For most people, the soft skills just happen, you don't have to learn them. They think that some people are good at them because they are gifted with them as if it's out of some genetic or psychic determination. And then they say, "He is naturally good in maintaining great relationships with people, I just can't be doing that; I am just not cut out for it. I generally mess up my relations with many people". "He is a born speaker, I am not that talented". "He has a way to negotiate to resolve conflicts, I create more problems". These expressions are not mere cliches, people say them with all their seriousness and sound a bit pathetic and diffident towards themselves that they can't be so good at these things.The truth is that there is hardly any genetic or psychic determination here. The people good at soft skills have mastered soft skills by working at them for hours and years together.

A child learns to communicate (soft skill) when he is around one year of age and it does not happen to him automatically. The child has tremendous desire to learn speaking and then he puts tremendous efforts in developing his vocabulary of words, phrases and sentences with body language, gestures and grunts. And as the child grows over the years he picks up the right ways of speaking as well as the wrong ways of speaking. When he does with the right kind of things, he speaks well and impresses but if he does with wrong things, he derates. The one who keeps correcting and practices more and more the right ways of speaking becomes a good and effective speaker. The one who does not correct himself and does not learn the right ways of speaking falls behind in the soft skill called "speaking". So soft skill is necessarily an outcome of the desire-knowledge-practice-habit model described earlier.


Read "Management Anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

You may also like to read short articles on "Out of Box" ideas at: http://wow-idea.blogspot.com/

Soft Skills

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

(You will benefit more if you also read all of my previous write-ups on this site).

Earlier, I have emphasized the importance of acquiring and mastering the soft skills. Hard skills are important and you should never undermine them. They are your bread and butter skills. For example, a tourist guide has to know the technical aspects of his job like showing his tourists the right places in a proper sequence with authentic commentary on them, the legalities of his job, the safety aspect of his tourists etc, yet, he will be more in demand and earn more if he also has the necessary soft skills for the job like manners and etiquette, interpersonal relations with tourists, humor, creativity etc.

Hard skills are more rational types and soft skills improve your emotional intelligence. Soft skills make you more cultured, empathic, understanding, caring and also, more sophisticated.

You must try to find out what soft skills you should choose to acquire and develop for success in your personal, professional, family and social life.

I am giving below a fairly comprehensive list of soft skills for your guidance.

1. Observation
2. Know yourself (introspection)
3. Openness and flexibility (paradigm shifting)
4. Internal motivation and passion
5. Action orientation, drive and self initiation
6. Self development
7. Self confidence
8. Assertiveness
9. Integrity
10. Trustworthiness
11. Composure and self presentation (appearance, manners and etiquette)
12. Intellectual horsepower and learning
13. Creativity and innovation
14. Conviction
15. Moral courage
16. Dependability and reliability
17. Dealing with ambiguity
18. Time management
19. Goal setting and result orientation
20. Decision making
21. Problem solving and process orientation
22. Organizing
23. Coordinating
24. Delegation
25. Communication (speaking, listening, empathy, body language, writing)
26. Interpersonal skills
27. Negotiation
28. Conflict management
29. Presentation
30. Convincing
31. Coaching and developing people
32. Counseling
33. Mentoring
34. Team work
35. Team building
36. Consensus building
37. Conducting meetings
38. Leading
39. Big picture thinking and strategic thinking
40. Motivating others
41. Controlling
42. Safety
43. Stress management

Go through the above list very carefully and tick out the soft skills where you need to pull up yourself. Then, you have to go through the cycle of gaining authentic knowledge of that skill, understanding the process of building that skill, practicing that skill following the process, practicing it, practicing it and practicing it till you get the mastery over that skill, till that skills gets internalized in you- it becomes your habit (I wrote about this model of skill building in detail, in my earlier write-ups here on these pages; please read it).

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read "Management Anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekat at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

You may also like to read short articles on "Out of Box Ideas" at: http://wow-idea.blogspot.com/

Re-skilling, Upscaling the Skills and Multi-skilling

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

(You will benefit more if you also read all of my previous write-ups on this site).

In today fast changing world where almost everything is changing at a mind boggling pace, you can not rest after achieving high levels of proficiency in the skills required for your personal, professional, family and social activities. If you stop practicing at those skills, you will deteriorate in those skills, therefore keep re-skilling yourself in all those skills required for your effectiveness and success. Keep practicing those. Its like sharpening the saw every now and then.

You will soon realize that the existing job profiles are constantly changing. Some jobs become extinct or may become less lucrative or less paying or you may lose interest in your existing activities etc. Therefore, you have to be alert and look out for more potential opportunities. For example, a coder or a computer programmer may like to up-scale his skills to work as a system analyst or a business analyst or a programming/project manager. So, upscaling in the associated field is the key for long term staying power with lots of career satisfaction and so, the family happiness.

You may like to work in two types of jobs or pursue career in two or more professions. In that case, you have to be skilled in more than one sets of skills. We call it multi-skilling. You may like to be a multi skilled person.

So use re-skilling, upscaling the skills and multi-skilling to your advantage.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read "Management Anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

Competency Matrix, Competency Mapping, Gap Analysis and Competency Building

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

(You will benefit more if you also read all of my previous write-ups on this site).

The model to build up your hard and soft skills/competencies and gain excellence in them, in a focused manner, is a four stage model:

1. Developing your competency matrix: By your self analysis and taking help of others (your friends, spouse, parents, brothers & sisters, professional associates, bosses etc), find out the hard and soft skills/competencies you should possess in order to be successful in your professional and family roles. Write them down.

2. Map your own competencies against the competency matrix requirements: Check out if you have those required skills/competencies and are they at the desired level of proficiencies.

3. Analyse the competency gaps: By doing steps 1 & 2, you will come to know your skill/competency gaps. Which are the skills/competencies that are totally absent in you and you should pick them up fast because they are critical to your success. You will also know the skills/competencies which you already have but not at the desired levels of proficiency. Pull up there. Do not worry about other skills/competencies outside of your competency matrix (step 1). Write down these gaps.

4. Bridge the competency gaps: Now is the time to act on the identified gaps (step 3) in skills/competencies. For each skill/competency that you need to improve, you should work out a clear cut time line based action plan. Look out for the sources & resources and ways & means to pick up and pull up your skills/competencies found as gaps. Try to reach the desired levels of proficiency in a well defined time span. Implementation and practice are the essential aspects of building skills/competencies as emphasized in my earlier write-ups.

So, go ahead, follow the above-mentioned SOP (model) and become the highly skilled/competent person in your chosen roles and become successful in life- professional, personal, family and social.

Do not bother to look at those skills/competencies which are not appearing in your competency matrix (step 1) though they may look good or your friends may be good at them. Don't waste your energy and time in picking them up or improving them. If you work on them, you will reach only to a mediocre level from your existing poor level. However, if you concentrate on your competency matrix (step 1), you will go from strength to strength and in the same period of time, you will reach to excellence level. So, don't attempt to become mediocre in the skills/competencies not required by you for your success but become excellent in all the skills/competencies required by you for your success.

You will have to work on this model quite frequently, say once or twice every year of your life. There will be changes in profile of jobs, techology, social activities, business practices and many other things and that will impact on your competency matrix.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read "Management Anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

Soft Skills and Hard Skills: More About Them

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

(You will benefit more if you also read all of my previous write-ups on this site).

Hard skills are technical skills. Like writing programs for computers, preparing a balance sheet, working on a particular machine for a particular process in a manufacturing workshop, acting in a television serial or a cinema film, carrying out a surgery etc. You must have proficiency in these skills in order to become a good professional in your chosen fields and to earn decent living.

You can do a still better job of your chosen professions if you also acquire proficiency in those soft skills which are required to perform your jobs better. These soft skills are behavioral in nature. For example, how do you communicate with the people, how good are you in making business presentations, how empathetic you are with the people you come across, can you work as a team member, do you manage your time well and so on. These skills make all the difference.

Mere technical skills allow you certain degree of success. You can achieve higher degree of success if you equip yourself with soft skills too.

Technical skills are obvious and people learning them find it easy to understand and follow the processes of acquiring these skills. However, one wonders as to what is there to learn in soft skills; you are already doing them. Say, communication. You have been speaking and listening from the very young age and so, one may think as to what is there to learn more and how to learn. But if you look around you may find that some people are more effective in speaking than others. Here is the answer. The people who speak more effectively have learnt and practiced to speak effectively. They have followed and implemented certain processes and guidelines for speaking more effectively. It did hot happen to them accidentally or automatically.

Soft skills make a difference in the external and internal personalities. People who acquire soft skills of high order are more sophisticated, more cultured, more reformed and are found to be more successful in every walk of life.

Therefore, in addition to perfecting your hard skills, also try to perfect your soft skills.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read "Management Anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

Soft Skills and Hard Skills

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

(You will benefit more if you also read all of my previous write-ups on this site).

You will need to sharpen your soft skills as well as your hard skills in order to become effective, efficient and successful in your life and your professions.

Hard skills are to do with the technical skills and soft skills are the behavioral skills. Both types of skills are required for carrying our your professional activities effectively and efficiently. They are also required to be successful in your personal, family and social life.

You should first identify as to which soft skills and hard skills you need to develop. Each person may have his or her unique requirements. Once having identified them, you will need to feel motivated about developing those skills. I have emphasized earlier that there is no short-cut to master the skills. You will have to acquire the right kind of knowledge about those skills and then
keep on practicing.

Then you are there to win the world.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read "Management Anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

Doing Every Verb of a Dictionary Needs Skill

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

(It will be prudent to read my previous posts).

To sit (properly and decently) needs skill of sitting properly and decently. You have to learn the right way of sitting and then keep doing it that way every time you sit.

To walk (smartly) needs the skill of walking smartly. You have to learn as to how to walk smartly and then practice walking using that knowledge.

To dance (artistically) needs the skill of dancing artistically. (The professional dancers rehearse hours and hours before they are ready to perform in front of an audience or a camera).

To make love (in satisfying manner) does not happen the very first time. You got to learn its theory and then practice it and every time improve upon the way you do it in order to gain the right kind of expertise in it.

So choose the skill you need to and so, wish to develop and learn about its theory and practice it.

Good luck.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read "Management Anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

Excellence in Competencies/Skills

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

(It will be prudent to read my previous posts).

You will be able to achieve the excellence in any skill or competency only if you rehearse or practice the learned skill a large number of times. Knowledge alone is no guarantee for achieving great levels in skills or competencies.

Only if you start swimming, you will become a swimmer; mere knowledge of swimming or great theories of swimming will not automatically make you even an ordinary swimmer. Knowledge surely helps and is a must but without doing, it is of no use to you. If you wish to become a good teacher, start teaching the subject you know well. If you want to become an actor, start acting. Seek roles in movies or dramas or TV shows and keep refining your acting by doing it and also applying your knowledge in doing it better. If your desire is to become an author, start writing. Write something every day. And use your knowledge to write even better. Doing is what makes you what you wish to become, knowledge alone does not.

Implementation of knowledge is the name of the game.

Great Knowledge + Zero Implementation = No effectiveness, No results, No success
Some Knowledge + Some implementation = Some Effectiveness, Some Results, Some Success
Great Knowledge + Great Implementation = Great Effectiveness, Great Results, Great Success

There are 4 levels of competencies or skills:

1. Unconsciously incompetent: Ignorance (example: you are not even aware that there are some proper styles of swimming)

2. Consciously incompetent: Acceptance of incompetence and creating a desire to learn (example: you accept that you do not swim properly and you will like to learn the correct styles of swimming)

3. Consciously competent: Gaining the knowledge about the skill to be mastered and begin practicing the knowledge gained (example: gaining knowledge on how to swim using proper styles of swimming and start swimming using the right styles of swimming)

4. Unconsciously competent: Keep practicing the knowledge gained till you gain mastery in the skill (example: you have now become an expert swimmer since you have been swimming using the proper styles of swimming over number of hours and you can now give yourself 9 on 10 or even 10 on 10)

For greater success in life, you should try to reach the unconsciously competent level in the skills required by you for your professional, personal, family and social activities/tasks/projects.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read "Management Anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

Excellence in Any Skill is All About "Practice"

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

(It will be more useful if you read all my posts).

In my previous post, I mentioned that "practice" makes a man (and a woman) perfect. Its true.

Why do you think that the soldiers and their officers in the armed forces walk smartly (as compared to large numbers of civilians)? Simply because they are given the knowledge on how to walk smartly, they learn the standard operating procedure (SOP, the process) on walking smartly. And, then, they walk every day for hours together in their daily parades/drills. They rehearse and rehearse and try to make it perfect.

So, when you have a desire to pick up any skill and become the best in it, get the required knowledge to perform that skill correctly and then, practice, practice and practice.

You do need skills of all sorts to become successful in your personal, professional, family and social life and you got to be damn good in them if you wish to excel. And who doesn't?

So, choose a skill and perfect it.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read "Management anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

Effectiveness: All about Desire, Knowledge and Skill

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

(This post is in continuation of my previous post).

Personal and professional effectiveness means that you can perform a particular task or activity in a superior manner, better than the best benchmark currently available for that task/activity or at least, you should be able to match up with it. It may not be possible to reach that excellence level from the level where you are at present, all of a sudden. However, you can improve upon your effectiveness gradually from your current status to the newly defined status.

You will have to follow a standard operating procedure (SOP or a process) for that.

First, you should have a desire to improve in that particular task/activity. You can take a horse to water but can not make it drink water unless the horse has desire to drink water. Same with human beings too.

Secondly, you should learn the relevant knowledge pertaining to that task. There is lot of knowledge for every task. Some one has written a 200 pages book titled "how to do a great handshake".

And, then you should practice that task again and again. Practice makes a man (and woman) perfect. There is no short cut to practice. There is no short cut to knowledge and desire also. If you wish to excel in shaking hands with people, first learn from that 200 pages (make sure that the stuff is authentic) and keep on shaking hands with every one you meet.

Ultimately, you will score 10 on 10 in shaking hands and it will become your habit. You will internalize that skill. It will happen to you, automatically, in the superior most manner, effortlessly.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read "Management Anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/

You Will Learn to Manage Your Personal, Family & Professional Life

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

Through these pages, I am going to pen down a few very important things for you. If you learn and practice them, you are sure to become very effective. With that enhanced effectiveness, you will be able to manage your entire life very successfully. You will manage all aspects of your life: personal, professional, family and social.

More than 100,000 people from all walks of life have attended my talks, presentations, seminars and workshops (around 35000 hours of speaking engagements). A large numbers of them tell me that they are benefited.

On this site, by and by, I will keep on posting those few important things. Be on look out for them here.

See you soon.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read "Management Anecdotes" authored by Shyam Bhatawdekar at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/