Term Paper on "Career Development the Recent Dynamic Turbulence"

Term Paper 6 pages (1705 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Career Development

The recent dynamic turbulence in the business environments has brought many changes in the definition of the well-rounded professional individuals in the workplace. Traditionally, an individual that is technology proficient was considered an asset for the companies. However, in today's environment, the efficiency in technological knowledge is a necessary but without soft skills is not considered as important. Instead, the well-rounded professional individuals are considered to have the mastery in the hard skills as well as soft skills.

Hard skills refer to the whole host of programming and technical languages that are considered important for getting a job in the market. These skills describe what kind of job one does. Soft skills, however, are considered critical because it maps the individual acumen, aptitude, interpersonal roles that are considered critical for being successful in the job market. The examples of soft skills are as follow: how well an individual provides other departments with service, products or information to help them do their jobs. How well one listens to and understands others' concerns.

Whether one is planning to choose a career in technical field or the humanities, he or she will need to have a mastery of the hard skills as well as soft skills.

Below, we define the three characteristics: technical skills, teamwork, and interpersonal skills, considered important for being a well-rounded individual in the workplace

Technical Skills

One of the first attribute for being a well-rounded professional individual in the workplace is to possess the hard knowledge of the subject, even though it is only a subset of all of the skills. However, technology and global economic competition are combining in unprecedented ways to change work and redefine the American workplace (Hirschhorn, 56). Unlike jobs a half-century ago, most of today's jobs that pay family supporting wages and offer opportunities for advancement demand strong technical skills and technological proficiency. Good technical skills and management competencies are important for being a well-rounded individual, since that show that the individual has the knowledge of the subject area. Technical skills that are defined the detailed, to -- the point, results oriented, get-it-done-right -- the first-time skills. Technical skills provide an individual the opportunity to discover, innovate, and bring new technical knowledge in the organization (adapted from ilo.org/public/english/employment/skills/workplace/contents/ch_4.htm).

Seeing the unprecedented demand of technical skills in the future, a number of companies are offering individuals customized training so that they can play their roles as well-rounded professionals in the work place. In many career areas, industry is expanding beyond its more traditional role. For example: a program launched by Ford at the Ford Academy of Manufacturing Sciences (FAMS) includes a paid internship and courses in manufacturing systems and processes, technology, science, and math that promote teamwork and the use and application of math and science knowledge to solve workplace problems. More than 70 high schools are now using the FAMS curriculum.

Similarly, a program founded by the Associated Builders and Contractors and other national construction associations, named as the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) offers modular training curricula in carpentry, plumbing, and other skilled crafts for students who aspire to careers in construction and related fields, as well as current professionals who want to update their skills.

Teamwork

Teamwork is the process in which employees expand their contribution to the organization. By collaborating with others and sharing knowledge, an individual often can perform far more complex activities in the organization than that are based on the individual knowledge alone.

Working in a team also raises the expectations of the individuals since he/she know that by working in a team they can handle difficult assignments. This approach also encourages employees to take responsibility (McCullagh & Caird, 115).

The other advantage of team approach revolves around knowledge sharing. By allowing individuals to share knowledge and work, the individuals not only solve organizational problems but also they build communities of practices that are considered critical for the success of the organizations in the current dynamic environments. Full human potential is realized only when people are in a position to use their talents and strengths. Great performance is found when an individual's natural talents fit his or her role. Matching the right person with the right job is probably the most significant challenge organizations and managers face today in building the team that allows individuals to develop their full potential.

In today's nonhierarchical, flat organization, well-rounded individuals are looking around for clues that define where they stand in the social order of things. The innate hunger to learn and grow is natural to human beings. A team environment is the best place for individuals to grow and take responsibilities.

Conventional management theory has always highlighted the need for employee development. The traditional approach largely involved helping employees to identify their weaknesses, and then creating a plan to correct them. By focusing on their weaknesses, employees would become stronger and more productive.

In the current environment, however, the idea is to look for the strengths of the employees and put them in a team environment that allows sharing of complementary knowledge among the employees for the best results of the organization.

It is a fact that human beings are social animals, and work is a social institution. It is a place where long-term relationships are formed that can range from networking relationships, to friendships, to marriages. Therefore, the evolution of quality relationships between people is a very normal process, and is an important part of a healthy workplace. In the best workplaces, employers recognize that employees want to forge quality relationships with their coworkers, and that company loyalty can be built from such relationships.

While companies often pay significant attention to the loyalty employees feel toward the organization, the best employers recognize that loyalty also exists among employees toward one another. The best managers in the world observe that the quality and depth of the relationships that employees have with others on the job will be a critical component that affects their decision to stay in the organization. This perspective also shows the value of trust between coworkers (Watson, Kumar, & Michaelsen, 594). When strong loyalty is felt in an employee work group, employees believe that their coworkers will help them during times of stress and challenge. In this day of rapid changes in the companies, reorganization, mergers and acquisitions, having best friends at work may be the true key to effective change integration and adaptation.

Therefore, the teamwork can be considered a glue to hold the people together and develop their best strengths in the workplace.

Interpersonal Skills

The ability to get along with others is a talent that requires interpersonal skills. For some people interpersonal skill is natural, as they are extrovert and get along well with others. For some, it is not innate, but to be a well-rounded individual, it becomes a prerequisite that employees focus in developing this skill.

By developing interpersonal skills, one can be more effective in communicating thoughts and feelings and getting the work done. In short, the development of interpersonal skills requires behavioral change to gain the long-term objectives. Therefore, when an organization is in need of quick changes, it is recommended that it can design special training sessions to accelerate the capacity of people to cope with the pace and speed of organizational and technological change. In fact, team development and interpersonal skills are closely linked. A lack of interpersonal relationship often leads to the poor relations in the team also.

Interpersonal skills require not only an understanding of diversity/difference, but also demand that one can empathize with others.

In addition, one should be able to carry the interactions with others respectfully without demanding too much and at the same time getting the work done for the sake of the organization in the workplace. In general, good interpersonal communication skill is at the heart of a well-regarded company. Executives and managers need this skill; teams need it; the sales force needs it; and workers at all levels become more productive when they are able to communicate with customers, and with their management and show empathy with others' contributions (McGrath & Arrow, 412).

Interpersonal skills also mean that one is able to negotiate and resolve conflict among the views of different people.

Only when all of the organizational employees focus on a problem, it can lead to the success in the organization. Whether the goal is to improve relations with customers, make better group decisions, or make more efficient use of resources, conflict resolution and negotiation play key roles. Individuals in business today must learn how to get - for themselves and their companies - what they want and need, while maintaining positive, productive relationships in the process.

Lacking good interpersonal relationship, a team will fragment as energies are spent in moving against each other rather than as a team.

The diversity of people can be its greatest assets, if individuals have the ability to communicate and emphasize with others.

One should understand that emotions are… READ MORE

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