| Some people might say why do i need to learn all | | | | people skills, life skills to be able to manage, show |
| about developing my non financial resource, if i have | | | | vision and lead your team. |
| money and all the material things i need and want then | | | | There is a great saying - the people that know the |
| surely there is nothing else to learn. Well, with all intent | | | | how's will always work for the people that know the |
| and purposes you could be described as a success. | | | | why's. Not all the directors of a company will have the |
| That might be true to a point but you miss the | | | | hard specific skills needed for their business to |
| important message and potential long lasting success | | | | succeed, but i bet you they know a man who knows |
| you can have if only you realise that you need to | | | | how! Look at our leaders today, presidents, prime |
| develop your inner self before you can be truly | | | | ministers, they all have highly developed soft skills, i |
| successful. | | | | mean you can't do a course in how to be a president |
| How many rich people have you heard of or seen on | | | | or how to become a prime minister. So what skills do |
| TV that just do not seem content or happy with their | | | | you need for these roles, well it is exactly the skills we |
| lot ? The issue is not that they don't have money or | | | | have been talking about, i.e. good organisational skills, |
| wealth etc...but they developed their financial resources | | | | good communication skills, good time management |
| before working on their non-financials, this is partly the | | | | skills, good problem-solving skills, good sales skills, good |
| reason why there is an ever growing increase of | | | | listening skills and good leadership skills...So does it not |
| psychologists and rehab centres springing up | | | | make sense to work on developing your non-financial |
| everywhere..... | | | | skills?. |
| The Apprentice: | | | | Tony Buzan and Raymond Keene are world experts |
| Do you remember watching the programme where | | | | on the study of intelligence and IQ, you can look them |
| contestants work on various tasks with the aim of | | | | up, they have produced hundreds of material on the |
| securing a lucrative job with a business tycoon. The | | | | subject of the brain and intelligence. In one of their |
| UK version had Sir Alan Sugar as the tycoon, but it | | | | studies they concluded that there were 10 types of |
| was something he mentioned which also proves this | | | | intelligence, however only 2 gets tested most of the |
| point, it was during one of the tasks when the budding | | | | time, and so most of the tests we receive were not |
| apprentices were sent to an east end market to sell | | | | conclusive on a persons abilities. But they pointed out |
| goods and beforehand, it showed Sir Alan visiting the | | | | one characteristic which they regard as being key, and |
| market where apparently he had plied his trade and | | | | that was the interpersonal intelligence, this in short is |
| selling skills. He basically said, he could re-accumulate | | | | the ability to relate to other people, and alongside this |
| his wealth even if he had to restart all over again. | | | | was the intrapersonal intelligence they described these |
| So why would he say that, initially, i thought this is a | | | | 2 as perhaps most essential as they help in facilitating |
| man with incredible riches and massive confidence in | | | | the other skills and intelligence that they mentioned (to |
| his ability. But, when you think of it deeply, you begin to | | | | be discussed in later posts). |
| realise that he could certainly do it, as what he has | | | | It is really amazing stuff, and gives everyone hope, |
| developed all those years growing up in the tough | | | | especially those who have been discarded or |
| streets of the east end of London was his people | | | | abandoned by the school system. If you read about |
| skills, life skills, essential for the journey which is life. | | | | most of the successful people on earth, so many of |
| Therefore, i personally have no doubt in him when he | | | | them do not have high IQs in the traditional areas |
| says he could re-accumulate his wealth all over again. | | | | which are often tested in our schools, not that these |
| What about Sir Richard Branson, Anita Roddick, Bill | | | | are not important, they are, but it is to show you that |
| Gates, Ted Nicholas, George Soros, to name but a | | | | having a high IQ or exceptional hard skills does not |
| few, do you think they could re-accumulate their | | | | necessarily determine your success in work or |
| wealth if they all had to start over again? Of course | | | | business. |
| they can, they will obviously face challenges, but no | | | | So how can you improve your non-financial resources, |
| more than what they have had to face in reaching the | | | | well some of the answers have been expressed |
| heights they have reached. | | | | already, but in all you need to develop your self help |
| The Story: | | | | training. Self-help is essentially helping yourself to |
| To further show you how developing your non | | | | succeed, whether it is having a mentor, an advisor, |
| financial resources is critical to your success in your | | | | consultant work with you you still need to be |
| career or business i wish to share with you a story i | | | | responsible for the design of your course, your training, |
| came across from an excellent book i read, called | | | | where you go and what you read. Benjamin Franklin |
| Dream Making in a Dream Taking World, by Dr. Price. It | | | | once said: "You will be the same in 5 years, except |
| follows and answers why you need to work on | | | | the books you read and the people you meet". I think |
| developing your life skills, your people skills, why for | | | | that kind of sums it up. You need to learn from others, |
| instance a lawyer might need to attend a workshop | | | | your peers and your mentors, a prudent person will |
| on communication skills, or why an engineer should | | | | learn from their own experience, but a wise person will |
| read plays by shakespeare, or why an accountant | | | | learn from others. |
| should watch a DVD on leadership skills. | | | | Furthermore, you are likely to find, and this may prove |
| You may have heard of the story of the "swallows of | | | | controversial, that people with soft skills earn more |
| capistrano". It is the story of these tiny birds on their | | | | money than people with hard skills. For a start all the |
| migration habits. Each year, the swallows fly 6,000 | | | | directors, CEOs are people with soft skills. But you do |
| miles from Buenos Aires, Argentina to San Juan | | | | the research yourselves, you are likely to discover all |
| Capistrano, in southern California. Most of the journey | | | | those sales related positions within your company are |
| is over open ocean and for a long time Researchers | | | | those with the highest wages and perks. I am also |
| could not work out how they managed this trip. The | | | | talking from experience having started my working |
| birds could not swim, and they could not fly 6000 miles | | | | career within a software company. |
| non-stop. | | | | There are 3 main types of jobs, all coming under one |
| It was later that Researchers found out that the | | | | of these three headings, you can disguise them all you |
| swallows on their journey carried twigs in their beaks, | | | | like, it will fit under one of these: sales, administration |
| and so when they got tired they would drop the twig | | | | and technical. All essential in any business, but |
| into the water and float on them until they were | | | | somehow, the sales positions when you consider the |
| rested. After a while, they would take off again until | | | | OTEs etc.. earn far more. |
| they reached their destination. | | | | Now does that mean we should all become salesmen |
| Like swallows, people are on a long journey, so like | | | | and women, of course not, but what i do mean, is we |
| twigs are to swallows, soft skills are to people, without | | | | need to perhaps think more like salespeople, |
| them, you are likely to sink! You see having life skills | | | | unfortunately sales staff get a bad headline, but if you |
| enables you to move from one career to another, | | | | think about it we are sales people, everyone lives by |
| they are portable, for example, if an auto mechanic | | | | selling something. As a child you would have requested |
| suddenly decided to change career, and there is a | | | | for your favourite toy or gift and somehow you were |
| good chance this might happen to you, long gone are | | | | able to negotiate, setup a deal with your parent, in |
| the days of job for life, and all research shows that | | | | which they bought you the present, these are sales |
| people are likely to change careers at least 10 times in | | | | skills in action. |
| their lifetime, and those are conservative estimates, it is | | | | As we get older, we seem to loose these soft skills |
| the soft skills that will enable you to move on, as once | | | | we had in abundance whilst growing up, however, |
| you have the communication skills, the interpersonal | | | | unless you get specific training you loose it for good. |
| skills to back you up the transition is easier. | | | | Sales people on the other hand get regular |
| Soft skills vs Hard skills | | | | re-programming of these essential skills through tailored |
| I am not saying that hard skills are non-essential of | | | | training for their jobs etc...And so it is no wonder why |
| course they are, if you are a car mechanic you need | | | | some of them are some of the highest paid people in |
| to know your hard job specific skills, and if you are an | | | | business...So regardless of what you do, you need to |
| accountant the same applies or whatever career you | | | | basically learn these skills which sales people seem to |
| are in, but the difference between those climbing the | | | | have autonomy over, as these are the skills which will |
| ladder of success and those stuck at the bottom of | | | | help you get a promotion, help you build confidence in |
| the ladder of success are the soft skills. | | | | yourself, help with your organisational skills, listening skills |
| Those people with far developed people skills are likely | | | | etc.. and more importantly could also help you in landing |
| to be in position of power and moving upwards in their | | | | your ultimate DREAM job. |
| careers. Let me give you a little assignment, in your | | | | Finally, to wrap up this particular post, i would like to |
| company where you work try to examine your | | | | leave you with an excellent quote from Ansel Adams, |
| managers, directors and the CEOs of the business | | | | it follows: |
| and try to determine what separates them from the | | | | "You don't make a photograph just with a camera |
| rest of the group, by and large you will find it is their | | | | You bring to the act of Photography all the pictures |
| soft skills, and not necessarily any particular hard skills. | | | | you have seen,the books you have read, the music |
| To be in a position of authority you need to have | | | | you have heard, the people you have loved. |