Cindy Anne Berlandier
Managing Director
DynaMind Associates Pte Ltd
FOR the past 30 years or so, people have been at the core of my career, my business and now my personal development journey. Being an entrepreneur for more than half of this period has also assisted me to understand further the importance of soft skills in a person's life. So, what makes the training industry tick and where is it headed?
Let us first look at what training should entail. Depression, drop in self-confidence, high stress levels and relationship challenges are what people face when caught in uncertainty. These are not issues that more technical skills and knowledge would be able to resolve. In our current pared-down economic climate, most companies are advocating technical training and upgrading for their employees. That's all very admirable, yet not really resolving the real challenges people are facing.
The ability to fulfil the job requirement is often not the concern. Rather, the attitude while fulfilling the job requirement is the variable. The results that you achieve often depend on improving, adopting and constantly holding a positive attitude which is a mindset that comes about through soft skills training.
Re-design Your Life
It is important that we are constantly re-inventing, re-designing and re-defining our roles, our work and our lives to make what we do more fulfilling. The ability to eradicate what is not working, enhance what is working and add what is really important, may be what is missing right now.
When we are able to examine our personal values and re-align them to our company's, we can even increase profitability as a result.
The training programme includes changes in mindset and thinking patterns, eliminating fears and identifying strengths and talents. Strengthening the emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence of a person is a fundamental part of this programme.
Studies have shown that a large percentage of employees do not view themselves as an integral part of their own career advancement, job satisfaction or overall professional development. Passivity and indifference in the workplace are common. It is therefore crucial for employers to take necessary steps to make employees understand the importance of their roles and how by 'stepping up' they can ensure greater job satisfaction.
Workplace relationships are vital in enhancing productivity and ultimately, profits. Studies by the Carnegie Institute of Technology of 10,000 individuals concluded that 15 per cent admitted technical ability as a determining factor in their success, 85 per cent stated people skill or ability as the dominant factor. The study further showed that out of 4,000 people who lost their jobs, 400 or 10 per cent did so because of technical skills while 90 per cent lost their jobs based on people issues.
Emotional and spiritual intelligence although already built-in traits of human beings, need some probing and discovering for some of us. At the core of the most important factors for companies like IBM, GE, and Citicorp are 'values' and 'purpose'. Ironically, many companies put greater focus on enhancement of skills and knowledge.
High potential
High potential employees should be encouraged into mentoring or enrichment programmes that provide them with expert guidance and support through external and certified coaches. Programmes that teach stress management and work-life balance help advance the company's values and purpose. These traits in turn contribute to profitability.
A local survey commissioned by the Singapore Institute of Management in 2009, shows that 80 per cent of Singapore managers view good health, work-life balance and passion for work as more important than career advancement and higher salary. When it came to training, seven in 10 managers viewed skills and knowledge upgrading as important. However, most preferred to implement training of soft skills practices through short-term workshops and courses rather than long term programmes or job rotations within the organisation.
Mentorship mantra
Achieving success requires a plan. 'A goal without a plan is just a wish' Antoine de Saint-Exupery said that and he was right. In planning for success, the first step is to make a decision to succeed, then continue the momentum with necessary action with perseverance, without exception.
Among the success principles highlighted at DynaMind's training for professionals and executives is to seek guided wisdom from those with the relevant experience. Sun Microsystems compared career progress of 1,000 employees. It was found that where both a mentor and mentee were part of the career development process, 20 per cent were more likely to get a raise. Employees from this group were also five times more likely to get promoted than those that did not have a mentor or coach.
As human beings, we each carry a responsibility to reach our highest potential. The question is, are we willing to take it? It all begins with our willingness to accept the unlimited possibilities that we have and accept our personal call to live the greatest life we are capable of. Striving to reach our greatest potential will allow each of us, in our unique and special way to change the world, one life at a time, starting with our own.
As Mother Teresa said: 'Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you've got anyway.'
