Work-ready Skills: A Personal Action Plan Example

Communication

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I believe that I am poor in communicating since I tend to think communication is one-way. I often impose my views on other people and do not listen to what they have to say. I also tend to exercise command while communicating. For instance, I may offer directives to an employee such as telling them, "You need to finish up your work faster," instead of listening to their views on why they are late. I also have the tendency to assume that I already know what the person I am trying to communicate to has to say which is the reason why I always interrupt when another person is speaking. Robles (2012, p.461), states that communication skills are necessary for the workplace since it helps in keeping an organization's working environment smooth and free of perception related hostilities. The short-term plan for the development of the skill involves having a predetermined script for encounters at the workplace that require either formal or informal communication. For instance, during official communications, the script will first require me to listen without interrupting what the other person has to say. It will then require me to be polite and considerate to what the other people when responding. The consideration will apply to the individual's race, culture, and personality. The other short-term plan will also encompass a change of tone and choice of words I use so that they do not sound commanding and as a directive. I will also be inquisitive to a colleague's concerns instead of assuming that I already know the answer. The first long-term plan for improving my communication skills will involve getting formal training. Kassim and Ali (2010, p.169) explain that it is effective to seek professional help when trying to learn useful communication skills. The best way to approach this is to approach an organization that offers training on the ability. One may even graduate will a diploma or a degree in a communication-related course.

The other long-term plan will consist of building my empathy. It will help me to stop imposing views on other people and make communication a two-way street. I will thus stop taking an opposing viewpoint and understand what the other person is attempting to communicate. The step will indirectly help my listening skills and in the long run, make my conversations less subjective and more objective.

Teamwork

Dixon et al., (2010, p.35) state that teamwork skills are essential in an organization since it helps in creating efficiency and brings about innovation through brainstorming. However, when I am given assignments that require working as a team, I tend to be too quick to blame other team members for keeping up their responsibilities. I absolve myself from any faults before pointing own a responsibility on another person. I also communicate indirectly with other team members. Instead of using face to face communication, I may send text messages or simply send another person to deliver my message to the intended recipient. Sometimes I have an attitude where I am not concerned with what other team members are doing nor the difficulties they are experiencing while doing team duties. I are about the results and not what they go through in delivering the results. I am also quick to identify a team members faults. An example of a short-term plan that I will employ in improving my teamwork skills is staying positive. Staying positive will encompass seeing the good in other. It was because of the negativity that I had that I was always blaming and noticing faults in other team members.

I will also learn to be compassionate and respect what other people are doing. The step will help me respect their ideas and follow up with them to learn the difficulties they experience while working on team projects. The step will help me eliminate the bad attitude that I have towards the progress of other team members. I plan to become an avid communicator to reduce the communication tendencies that I was accustomed to such as sending a team member to communicate a message instead of sending the message directly to the individual. According to the National Research Council (2013, p.12), the benefits of personified communication within a team include increased morale and motivation and higher productivity which results in improved outcome for team initiatives. Being an avid communicator will help me learn how to appreciate others in the team. It will thus make me cease from being quick to point out faults from other team members. Besides, I intend to learn how to acknowledge and appreciate other team members. Acknowledgment and appreciation will provide team members with a boost that supports their enthusiasm to work on team projects.

Learning

I have once sought feedback from one of my superiors, who indicated that I disregard new techniques and skills taught during seminars and training session and choose to apply old methodologies when doing tasks. One reason that can be attributed to the character is being resistant to change even though it may potentially bring improvements in outcomes.

I also have an attitude that learning is a difficult process. I feel that it is time-consuming and that sometimes there is no need to learn a new technique of doing things while the old one works well. Learning is important for it can improve performance outcomes in an organization (Marsick and Watkins, 2015, p.12) One of the techniques that I can employ and that will help me embrace learning is being resistant to change. Being resistant to change limits my capacity for improvement placing me at a circumstance where am accustomed to what I have been engaged in.

I will also attempt to look for the positives in every undertaking and embrace change for the benefits that may be forthcoming through learning. The step will enable me to relinquish my conservativeness and help me become a liberal person who is open to novelty. I will use the values of positive reinforcement as a long-term tool that enables me to embrace learning. I will motivate myself with the benefits of learning so that I eventually stop viewing learning as a difficult process.

Positive enforcement will provide me with a sense of worth in my learning experience. I will be doing so by setting measurable goals of my learning process and taking account of how much I have gained. Additionally, it will encourage me to continue pursuing the learning process since I will have a record of progressive steps that I am making towards realizing the benefits of learning (Guay, Ratelle, and Chanal, 2008, p.233).

Bibliography

Dixon, J., Belnap, C., Albrecht, C. and Lee, K., 2010. The importance of soft skills. Corporate finance review, 14(6), p.35.

Guay, F., Ratelle, C.F., and Chanal, J., 2008. Optimal learning in optimal contexts: The role of self-determination in education. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 49(3), p.233.

Kassim, H. and Ali, F., 2010. English communicative events and skills needed at the workplace: Feedback from the industry. English for Specific Purposes, 29(3), pp.168-182

Marsick, V.J., and Watkins, K., 2015. Informal and Incidental Learning in the Workplace (Routledge Revivals). Routledge.

National Research Council, 2013. Education for life and work: Developing transferable knowledge and skills in the 21st century. National Academies Press.

Robles, M.M., 2012. Executive perceptions of the top 10 soft skills needed in todays workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(4), pp.453-465.