The Business: Skills Part 2

7/31/2019 The Business: Skills Part 2

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The Business


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Preface

ii

He is quick, thinking in clear images;

I am slow, thinking in broken images.

-Robert Graves, In Broken Images

This book is intended as a companion to the eLearning series The

Business from FPEC Education & Media. It includes some of the classroom

material that has been used and developed in producing The Business. The

material is all original and written for use chiefly with students at the

University of Bors and course participants at the Volvo Group. It is not

some great work of depth or meaning, but rather an organic and living

process that will need constant revision and updating. I suggest in browsing

its pages that you, the reader, use it as a platform for your own thoughts and

models, rather than accepting it wholesale as a tailormade business

language solution.

In short, the world and that of commerce is changing. Rather faster than we

can ever perceive. Tiny changes are taking place now that will build a world

we barely recognize sooner than we can possibly anticipate. It is in this spirit

of constant adaption and re-evaluation that this tome is offered. I hope it

provides some growth, stimulation, and - dare I say it - fun.


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Interpersonal skills is another woolly term that seems to be a catch-all for a raft ofabilities. Excellent people skills or proven social skills often appear in profiles to

denote overall competence in dealing with other people. But these traditionally

soft skills are constantly gaining currency in the modern work environment. Why?

Well, some point out the growing international climate making sensitivity to others

of increasing importance. Others allude to a reduction in power distance, or a

flattening of hierarchies, meaning that traditional chain-of-command-style

structures are being replaced by flatter organizations requiring greater horizontal or

peer-to-peer interaction. Still others place importance on the explosion of

information technology that has given us greater opportunities of communicating

at all levels. All these differing viewpoints are certainly not contradictory. In fact,

they may well go hand in hand in producing the modern workplace where human

interplay dictates success.

Communication skills is often seen as synonymous with interpersonal skills.However, I have tried to distinguish between the more clearly communication-

based skills in our first group and the often value-based skills in this category. I am

not sure I have succeeded in this distinction. But as a working division it will have

to do. So what do I mean by value-based contra communication-based? Well, the

former is not only focused on the communicative transaction or interaction, but

rather on the results of that interaction, i.e. its value. So in communication the

Section 1

CONTENTS

1. Interpersonal Skills

2. Networking

3. Building Relationships

4. Praising

5. Sharing Credit

6. Dealing with the Public

7. Empathizing

8. Mediating

9. Cooperating

Interpersonal Skills

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majority of the skills are acts of communication, e.g. speaking,

expressing, understanding, listening etc. In contrast, in

interpersonal skills, the skills tend to focus on the values of the

interactions. This

tendency is not true in

all cases, inasmuch asthere must be some

overlap. However, I

have tried to preserve

the distinction between

being simply a good

communicator and

being good with

people. This, to my

mind, is often two very

different things.Networking

Networking, both

virtually and not, has

become a key skill in many positions. Though it is true to say that

good communicators are often also skilled networkers, these

categories are not necessarily mutually inclusive. I consider

myself an excellent communicator, but am far more comfortable

with performance and structured situations than casual

networking, mingling or working a room. There is an element of

self-promotion in networking as the communication is just a

means to an end, the end being the other person or persons

possible and potential value to you.

Building Relationships

If networking can generate a

contact net that is a means to

an end, then knowing how to

build long-term relationships

is potentially a far more

important skill. To some, this

may seem somewhat of a

bogus skill. They may, in fact,think it a natural ability that

does not belong in the work

skills toolbox. You do not

need to be a communicator

to build lasting and

meaningful relationships, but

an ability to engender trust

and win and maintain others loyalty is a crunch-skill in making a

team or business, project or idea work.

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Praising

A little praise goes a long way. It is not the same as flattery, which

flatters to deceive. Instead, it is the lifeblood of why we work.

Recognition. Having the

ability to let people knowthat they are doing a good

job is an ability I have

come to appreciate more

and more over the years.

Moreover, I have come to

realize that it should not be

taken for granted, but

rather actually worked on

and at.

Sharing Credit

Being a team player is a

well-worn term but

essential in describing work. One of the fundamentals of team

play is most definitely sharing credit. Acknowledging the part and

role of others in a team and sharing in mutual success is an active

skill that creates a winning environment where staff loyalty and

morale will soar.

Dealing with the Public

Another side of networking and relationship-building is that very

particular skill of dealing with the public. This could have easily

appeared in

communication skills, butinstead is here due to the

fact that it is not the

communication itself but

the value and respect

given to others. Again,

though communication

skills always help, they are

not a guarantee of having

skills in dealing with the

public. It is a finely honed

combination of personal

intimacy and professional

distance that makes this a

skill that is learned.

Empathizing

Having just mentioned the ability to be close and detached at the

same time, empathy is a perfect follow-on subject. It is the

capacity to put yourself in the place of others and really

understand their emotional state. This requires a great degree of

detachment from your own self and personal issues. Giving more

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space to others than ourselves is a competence that we need to

develop in an age where social media allow ever-increasing levels

of self-interest and self-involvement.

Mediating

It takes all sorts to make a

world, or so the saying -

adapted from Cervantes Don

Quixote - goes. Another

important cog in the wheel of

team play is the task of

mediating between parties

and departments,personalities and wills. You

can formally mediate between

two parties in a dispute. On

another level, skilled

mediators continuously act to

bring about consensus in a

diverse workplace. This

interpersonal skill is often

taken for granted, but can, in

fact, be actively developed. Making the most of those around and

balancing disparate wills and desires is an invaluable ability.

Cooperating

The foundation of good team work is cooperation. Being able to

pull together and work together as a team is not just a chance

happening. It is due to team skills such as cooperating. True,

teams may well be able to utilize or carry loners and mediatorsmay be able to bridge

the gap between

irreconcilable parties.

But in the end your

staffs ability to

cooperate and work

together as a team will

be decisive.

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Yet another oft-quoted skillset is Leadership Skills. Leadership occurs at multiplelevels in a company and its skills are applicable to a wide range of positions and

duties. Having been a manager for many years myself, I have my own particular

take on what makes a good leader. But in the end it is a leaders actions that

define them. And so it is the skills that truly make the difference. For reasons of

space, Ill look at some of the skills Ive picked out and discuss them.

Motivating

For me, leading people means motivating them. End of story. The ability to

motivate others, not only as a group, but also as individuals, is a critical factor in

success. Motivating can mean many things and depending on staff and situations.

Recognizing what motivates individuals and what they respond to is one part. The

other is acting upon that analysis and proffering the right incentive in the right

situation.

Section 2

CONTENTS

1. Leaderships Skills

2. Motivating

3. Leading People

4. Mentoring

5. Delegating

6. Interviewing

Leadership Skills

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Leading People

Motivating is just one part

of the leader toolbox. The

actual operational skill of

leading people is anobvious ingredient. Not

only does this need to be

reflexive, i.e. in relation to

the group or business

being led, but also people

choose leaders to

demonstrate vision and

bring things into play that

are not reflexive. Leading

by example is one skill

that always hits home. If

you can assess the mood

and morale of a unit correctly, and engender that mood as a

leader then success is never far away.

Mentoring

One of the things I most look for in a leader is guidance and

development. In short, I want to learn. To that end, I want to know

what path my manager has plotted out for me. An ability to

mentor and nurture talent is paramount to my mind. A good

leader has to consider

succession planning right

from the off. Developing

successors and strength in

depth is an invaluablestrategic skill.

Delegating

The worst kind of manager

or leader is a perfectionist

who believes in the maxim:

If you want something

done properly, then do it

yourself! Nothing could be

further from the truth.

Delegating tasks and responsibility generates trust and a positive

work culture and morale. Moreover, it is essential to the success

of any management unit. It leaves time for long-term planning andstrategy, without which the business would flounder.

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Interviewing

Job interviews and appraisals, performance and pay reviews,

personal development, investigating complaints and even formal

inquiries: yes, interviewing is a key skill at management level. Of

course, excellent interpersonal skills can only help in doing this.But the interview is a particular animal and one that can be

mastered as an important tool in the skillbox.

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Mac OSX

Client Server/Networking/Hardware

CISCO Routers

WAN (Wide Area Networks)

TCP/IP

Apache Web Server

Active Directory

Microsoft Exchange Server

Microsoft SQL Server

Oracle Database Server

Checkpoint Firewall

Novell Console One

Art & Graphics

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Corel Draw

Xara

Video Editing

Adobe Premiere

Final Cut Pro

Avid Media Composer

Audio Editing

Logic

Pro Tools

Cubase

Desktop Publishing

Microsoft Publisher

Adobe InDesign

QuarkXPress

Presentation

Microsoft PowerPoint

Macromedia Flash

Keynote

Spreadsheet

Microsoft Excel

Word Processing

Microsoft Word

Corel Word Perfect

Pages

Programming

Microsoft Visual Basic.NET

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Basic/Qbasic

C Programming

C++ Programming

Java Programming

SQL

FortranCobol

Database/Statistics

Microsoft Access

FileMaker Pro

SPSS

Quick Books Pro

Windows QSB

Engineering Software

AutoCAD

Matlab

MathCad

Pro E

PT Modeler

Web Page Design

HTML

DHTML

XML

ASP (Active Server Pages)

JSP (Java Server Pages)

PHP

Adobe InDesign

Adobe GoLive

JavaScript

Microsoft FrontPage

Macromedia Dreamweaver

CSS (Cascading Styling Sheets)

Intermediate ActionScript

Macromedia Dreamweaver

Macromedia Flash

Macromedia Fireworks

Macromedia Coldfusion

Certifications

MCSE

MCSA

CCNA

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)

Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA)

Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA)

Microsoft Office Specialist

CompTIA A+, Computing Technology Industry Association

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CompTIA Network+, Computing Technology Industry Association

Comp TIA A+ Certified Technician, Computing Technology IndustryAssociation

Languages and Scripts

C, C++, Visual Basic, Visual C++, PL/SQL, Java, JavaScript, HTML,DHTML, HTTP/1, HTTP/1.1, Pop Server, TCP/IP, SQL, Oracle PL/SQL,PERL, J2EE, ODBC/JDBC, Python, PHP, mySQL, PostScript, EJB, XML,KSH, ANT, AWK, SED, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Coldfusion, ActiveServer Pages (ASP)

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networking making new contacts, developing andmaintaining a contact network, mingling,working a room, collecting and updatingcontact details, giving referrals,recommending others, liaising

building relationships developing and maintaining rapport,connecting with people, bonding, team-building, building alliances, creatingallegiances

praising giving credit, attributing acclaim, rewarding,showing appreciation, endorsing,encouraging, giving positive feedback,giving recognition

sharing credit not taking credit from others,acknowledging others, giving recognition toothers, team-building, paying tribute,developing staff loyalty and team morale

dealing with the public servicing customers, handling clients,giving good service, developing andmaintaining customer relations

empathizing relating to others, identifying with others,sympathizing, acknowledging andaccepting difference, seeing similarities

Section 4

CONTENTS

1. Interpersonal Skills

2. Leadership Skills

3. IT Skills

Vocabulary Builder

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mediating acting as a go-between, bringing toagreement, achieving consensus,acting as a middleman, arbitrating,reconciling parties, parleying, agreeingterms

cooperating working with others, being part of ateam, collaborating, working well in ateam, pooling resources, joining forces,

facilitating, expediting

representing others looking after others interests,substituting, speaking on behalf ofothers, acting on behalf of others,acting as proxy for others, sitting in forothers

handling complaints dealing with grievances, investigatingallegations, accepting criticism,troubleshooting operations

compromising finding the middle or common ground,conceding to others, meeting halfway,agreeing to disagree, finding a happymedium, giving in order to get

showing cultural awareness respect ing other cultures, empathizing,treating people with sensitivity, showinginterest in culture, acknowledging andaccepting difference, showing tolerance

resolving conflict settling disputes, working throughproblems and issues, ironing outdifficulties, working out differences,diffusing potentially problematic

situations, dealing with rivalries

counseling giving advice, advising, guiding, givingguidance, listening to grievances,engendering trust

Leadership Skills

motivating encouraging, developing andmaintaining morale, evoking passion,empowering staff, developing andmaintaining a positive culture,managing by objectives

leading people inspiring others, engendering trust,demonstrating vision, growing thebusiness, leading by example

mentoring coaching, teaching, training,sponsoring, endorsing

delegating assigning tasks, appointing topositions, commissioning activities,sanctioning actions, trusting others

interviewing asking questions, examining,investigating cases or issues, holdingformal inquiries, questioning, soundingout, panel interviewing, one-to-oneinterviewing, deliberating

reviewing performance appraising staff, carrying outappraisals, assessing progress, settingup short and long-term goals,evaluating contributions

initiating and managing change making and introducing organizationalchanges, promoting change to

employees, dealing with uncertainty,allaying fears of failure, uniting diverseopinions, engendering trust, mourningloss

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long-term planning strategizing, strategic planning, facingpresent realities, analyzing currentsituation, envisioning the future, statingvision, stating mission, mappingcompany values, analyzing trends

supervising managing people, managing projects,administering operations, overseeingstaff, assigning tasks

developing staff employing and developing staff,planning and overseeing a career path,taking skill inventories, growing staff,keeping motivated, offering lateralprogression

managing risks analyzing risk, prioritizing risks,assessing vulnerability, contingencyplanning, managing crises, developing

safeguarding ethical pract ice ensuring best pract ice, leading byexample, promoting corporateresponsibility, promoting best conduct,raising awareness

budgeting and projecting carrying out projections, settingfinancial targets, calculating costs,projecting sales, forecasting sales,reading balance sheets

building a leadership style developing and maintaining aconsistent style of leadership, setting

boundaries, setting an example,leading by doing, communicatingclearly

representing the group accepting responsibility, promotingaccountability, speaking for others,acting on behalf of others interests

IT Skills

using spreadsheets producing and updating spreadsheets,invoices, simple statistics and businessdocuments

using word processing software writing and producing documents anddocumentation, letters etc

using e-mail writing, sending, receiving mail andmanaging mailboxes

using presentation software drafting documents and puttingtogether presentation material;presenting with a computer

installing and using operating systems handling and managing industry-standard operating systems

installing and using hardware setting up, operating andtroubleshooting devices and hardware

using calendars managing meetings & appointmentselectronically

using Internet browsers browsing and surfing in industry-standard browsers

instal ling & updating software handl ing, maintaining andtroubleshooting general software

using databases accessing and retrieving or sharinginformation and files via databases

typing & entering data typing up, writing and using a keyboardas a work tool

using smart phones, docking & file-sharing

managing smart phones in variousfunctions, especially docking or linkingto existing mail accounts and storagefacilities

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The Business: Skills Part 2

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