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Soft Skills

Pro-Calibre – The Great Team Player

Pro-Calibre  –The great team player

 

Team Management rates surprising second in employability skills

There are ten employability skills highly regarded by corporations today. When Kent University conducted a survey to uncover and rate the most valuable, the results were surprising. With Time Management at number ten and Verbal Communication rated at number one, Teamwork came in at a surprising number two.

We have a whole range of soft skills training workshops available!

Natural skill or inherent talent?

When you consider the skills of Teamwork, trying to define or explain it can sound like a cliché. Is a great team player naturally gifted or can an understanding of the skills take an average professional and turn them into a pro-calibre player?

Maybe this story can explain. There were two elite footballers (strikers) who played for one of the biggest clubs in UK if not the world. There was history between the two and a grudge had developed. It was alleged they never spoke off the field. However, on the field they played their hearts out and in 1999 the team won everything; European Cup, Premiership and FA Cup.

Maintaining Team Integrity

But both players knew that if the team won, as individuals they won. And the team won big time. Yet how can a person work with someone they don’t like? If I don’t like working with someone should I speak my mind and instigate subtle efforts to be abrasive? What if I refused to work with them? The results may not be in your favour. The Manager of the successful football team was notorious for removing players, even superstars, to maintain the integrity of the team. So is the true calibre of the Pro being able to remain professional even if it goes against their personal feelings?

team-building courses londonHow difficult has it been not to rebuke a decision of a senior manager, or even challenge a harsh comment by a client? There are merits to this. Should the individual focus on what’s best for the team even if it means a sacrifice of personal identity?  Is the focus of all-for-one and one-for-all the philosophy to develop that Pro-calibre status? A belief that when people combine effort they simply achieve incredible results, regardless of how we feel about each other.

Merging Personal and Team Identity without Sacrifice

History must be our guide. From monstrous buildings to feats of genetically empowered science, when our minds and efforts merge, we not only reach for the stars, we grab one. It is the strength of the team that consistently outperforms expectations and embodies company ethos. The philosophy that together we stand, with similar ideals and a fierce goal to win, that will reap the rewards.

Pro-Calibre; Raising your Game

That Pro-Calibre can only be defined when I make others feel that their contribution is important, no matter how small. The level of my job status in hierarchy can only add the dynamic potency to this. As a Leader this ability to acknowledge contribution can set a tone of business that all who come in contact will intuitively recognise. And consequently, they will want more exposure to it. This isn’t a feel good factor it is the attitude of wanting to win, to be the best. It raises our game. For most professional coaches there is a line of thought that there are ten qualities that make a great team player. I think there is just one. What do you think? In a team is it the recognition of others that inspires your performance, or is it the pay cheque?

How about raising your game even further through training? We have finance for non finance managers London courses as well as a number of minute taking courses available. See which training soft skill course would suit you!

Categories
Soft Skills

What Do You Think? Adopting Resilient Thinking

What Do You Think?

Adopting Resilient Thinking

What’s on your mind right now? When I google ‘thoughts’ the web search says that on average each of us has 45,000 thoughts a day, with 80% being negative.  That’s an avalanche of choices to go down. How do those thoughts affect you? To what degree can they change your mood?

The effects of negative thinking

In the article what happens to the body if I complain? I was shocked to learn that it can lower immune function and creativity, release stress and attract negativity. Can the human mind relearn and change, even reject this state of mind? I whole-heartedly believe it can!

Complaining or negative venting never delivers a worthwhile outcome. Is it easier to point out the negative than think of improvement? If I point out a weakness (obvious or not) does that give me a sense of dominance? And if I do, how will others react to me?

What if we focussed on what is good about a given project or idea, finding the solution (our problem solving training can definitely help!), and moving on in the direction in which we wish to progress?

The Critic

This is the trap of so-called conventional wisdom – a cycle of ‘criticism’. If I present a new idea to 10 people will 9 tell me why it won’t work? Does perfection in modern society mean becoming a master of this avenue of thought? Is being a Critic the height of professional achievement? From Sport, Entertainment, Business, Political – are we to be scrutinised and judged by the well-renowned personality with the job title of Critic?

From business into personal relationships, is the Critic poised at the edge of symptomatic co-dependency? Criticising your partner, even holding them responsible for your value systems. Psychologists would certainly tell you that this is so with suggestions that 90% of us are engaged in this social behaviour pattern.

Resilience and Negative Overload

Resilient ThinkingBecoming centred in your own worth is absolutely crucial for self-esteem and personal resilience. Being able to have a balanced view which says, ‘I can see how this might work’ or, ‘let’s think how to improve this’ is a great place to start. Over-coming the tentacles of depression can indeed start from the belief ‘I am grateful for…’ and an easier step out of negative overload. Meditation is after all a thoughtful dynamic which can lead an emotion into place rather than be led by one. Yes, we can learn change. It starts with mindfulness and the value we put on ourselves.