Innovation for lifeTutor Name Here

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Learning Objectives

• Gain ability and confidence to display innovation skills and ideas appropriately in– CV– Interview– Presentations– Written proposals

• Develop knowledge of how to keep improving innovation mindset and skills

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There are four main units in this module:• 1. Displaying innovation skills and interests

• in a CV• in an interview• in presentations• in written proposals

• 2. Continuous innovative improvement of one’s mindset and skills• strategies such as “mindfulness”• Self-actualization

• 3. Emotional Intelligence

• 4. Exercise: Self-assessment and career pathway planning

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• In the first unit, as you doubtlessly already know, to improve your chances to be successful you will need to DISPLAY your skills – they need to be SHOWN. And, naturally, the ways to show them are diffent depending on the venue or environment…

• In addition everyone has their own way of doing things or approaching this task and you want to focus on YOUR best way, the one that is natural to you and will give maximum results.

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• Of course, this is not a “one-time” situation, but something you need to pay attention to over your entire professional life. Thus, in the second unit we will focus on:

– Mindfulness - This is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience.

– Self-actualization - The term was used by Abraham Maslow in his article, A Theory of Human Motivation, Maslow explicitly defines self-actualization to be "the desire for self-fulfillment, namely the tendency for him [the individual] to become actualized in what he is potentially.

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• Then in the third unit, going further (beyond IQ), there is EI:– Emotional intelligence (EI) or emotional quotient

(EQ) is the ability of individuals to recognize their own and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior.

• Finally, in the fourth unit we will bring it all together and ask you to do some practical exercises, using what you’ll have learned in the first three units, to best understand where you are positioned and to plan for your future.

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1. Displaying innovation skills and interests• 1.1 What are they?

These are the skills that you need to contribute to an organization’s innovation performance—to produce new and improved strategies, capabilities, products, process, and services

• 1.2 Why is building these skills important?

• 1.3 How do I effectively display my skills/interests?

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• Obviously before learning HOW to display your skills you should understand why they are important … and before that you know have a good understanding of which skills, specifically, relate to innovation… and to increasing your chances of success.

• What are they?– These are the skills that you need to contribute to an organization’s

innovation performance—to produce new and improved strategies, capabilities, products, process, and services

•  • Why is building these skills important?

– While some people may think that it’s possible to achieve a goal through luck, a magic bullet, or some quick fix, it’s not true at all. The realization of any goal — be it singing, dancing, teaching, coaching, blogging, cooking, or gardening — comes as a result of developing the right skills to succeed in it. Skip this stage of skill acquisition and you will never be able to achieve your goal. You’ll only end up failing or achieving mediocre results in the end.

•  • How do I effectively display my skills/interests?

– It depends on your approach – CV, interview, etc. In all cases focus on what the employers is looking for and use the right words and the most practical results oriented description

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Definition of « innovation skills »

• Innovation skills are practically speaking the types of skills that allow individuals to become innovative in what they do.

• These are usually a combination of • cognitive skills

• the ability to think creatively and critically• behavioural skills

• the ability to solve problems, to manage risk• functional skills

• basic skills such as writing, reading and numeracy• and technical skills  

• research techniques, project management, or IT engineering

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• Sometimes these skills are also referred to as “21st Century Skills” – these skills are a set of abilities that individuals need to develop in order to succeed in the information age. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills lists three types:

•  • Learning Skills

– Critical Thinking– Creative Thinking– Collaborating– Communicating

• Literacy Skills– Information Literacy– Media Literacy– Technology Literacy

• Life Skills– Flexibility– Initiative– Social Skills– Productivity– Leadership

•  • Social and interactive skills, cultural abilities, understanding the prerequisites for working with

customers, preparedness for entrepreneurship, creativity and problem solving skills as well as tolerance for difference and uncertainty are the kind of attitudes and skills that a future, innovation-focused professional should have.

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1.1 Descriptions of skills/interests

• Creativity, problem-solving, and continuous improvement skills • The skills, attitudes, and behaviours needed to generate ideas

• Risk assessment and risk-taking skills• The skills, attitudes, and behaviours needed to take calculated

risks and to be entrepreneurial

• Relationship-building and communication skills• The skills, attitudes, and behaviours needed to develop and

maintain interpersonal relationships that support innovation • Implementation skills

• The skills, attitudes, and behaviours needed to turn ideas into strategies, capabilities, products, processes, and services

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• Here are some specific EXAMPLES for each area:

Creativity, problem-solving, and continuous improvement skills – You will be able to offer yourself and your organization greater possibilities for achievement when you can:

• ACT AND CONTRIBUTE– Look for new ways to create value in products, processes, services,

strategies, and capabilities– Identify problems and potential solutions—question assumptions,

recognize opportunities for change and improvement– Seek different points of view—ask questions, explore options, solicit

feedback– Be adaptable and flexible when challenging ideas, seeking solutions,

and solving problems– Rethink the way things are done—break the mold– Approach challenges creatively—think outside the box– Look for surprising connections—be open-minded, seek and apply

knowledge from a wide variety of fields– Put forward your own ideas with confidence– Suggest alternative ways to achieve goals– Evaluate solutions to make recommendations or decisions

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• MANAGE AND SUPPORT OTHERS– Demonstrate trust in other people’s ideas and actions– Nurture and promote creativity and inventiveness– Question and challenge the way you operate—think beyond

individual and organizational comfort zones– Project a vision of where you want to go—keep the big picture

in mind– Be open to new ideas and different ways of doing things—

commit to continuous improvement– Monitor successes and failures to find ways to continuously

improve– Recognize and reward original ideas and ideas for

improvement

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Risk assessment and risk-taking skills – You will be better prepared to add value to a task, project, or activity when you can:

• ACT AND CONTRIBUTE– Engage others to make use of their skills, knowledge, and abilities– Build and maintain relationships inside and outside your organization,

and with people from diverse backgrounds– Recognize that relationships are reciprocal—invest in building and

maintaining relationships– Understand and work within the dynamics of a group– Share information and expertise inside your organization and among

your business partners—explain and clarify new and different ideas– Respect and support the ideas, approaches, and contributions of others– Listen to and value diverse opinions and perspectives– Accept and provide feedback and guidance in a constructive manner– Overcome barriers among people that may impede results—anticipate

sources of assistance and resistance

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•  • MANAGE AND SUPPORT OTHERS

– Encourage, mentor, and coach others to share ideas and speak freely—foster an atmosphere of open-mindedness

– Involve others by delegating responsibility and supporting their efforts– Make it easy for groups of people to collaborate and deliver new solutions– Allocate resources for networking and sharing ideas, knowledge, and skills– Promote personal development in others so they are better able to contribute to a team– Provide constructive feedback, guidance, and honest praise– Recognize and reward the success of individuals, teams, and groups of people

Relationship-building and communication skills – You will be better prepared to add value to a task, project, or activity when you can:

 • ACT AND CONTRIBUTE

– Engage others to make use of their skills, knowledge, and abilities– Build and maintain relationships inside and outside your organization, and with people from diverse

backgrounds– Recognize that relationships are reciprocal—invest in building and maintaining relationships– Understand and work within the dynamics of a group– Share information and expertise inside your organization and among your business partners—explain

and clarify new and different ideas– Respect and support the ideas, approaches, and contributions of others– Listen to and value diverse opinions and perspectives– Accept and provide feedback and guidance in a constructive manner– Overcome barriers among people that may impede results—anticipate sources of assistance and

resistance•  

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• MANAGE AND SUPPORT OTHERS– Encourage, mentor, and coach others to share ideas and speak

freely—foster an atmosphere of open-mindedness– Involve others by delegating responsibility and supporting their

efforts– Make it easy for groups of people to collaborate and deliver

new solutions– Allocate resources for networking and sharing ideas,

knowledge, and skills– Promote personal development in others so they are better

able to contribute to a team– Provide constructive feedback, guidance, and honest praise– Recognize and reward the success of individuals, teams, and

groups of people•  

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• Implementation skills – You will be better prepared to carry a task, project, or assignment through to success when you can:

• ACT AND CONTRIBUTE– Set realistic goals and priorities– Access and apply knowledge and skills from inside and outside your

organization– Exercise ingenuity when devising, planning, and implementing

solutions– Plan for contingencies—be ready with alternative strategies– Adapt to changing circumstances– Use the right tools and technologies to complete a task, project, or

assignment– Be tenacious—show initiative, commitment, and persistence to get the

job done– Accept feedback and learn from mistakes– Check to see if a solution works, and act on opportunities for

improvement– Use metrics to measure and show the value of a solution– Be accountable for what you and your group implement

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• MANAGE AND SUPPORT OTHERS– Adopt and promote a “can do” attitude– Understand how change affects the performance of your

organization– Be proactive in leading and responding to change– Empower employees to make decisions– Tolerate mistakes when trying out new ideas– Value, support, and reward initiative– Make change visible—highlight new and improved products,

services, processes, strategies, and capabilities– Measure the impacts of a solution on performance,

productivity, and financial results

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1.2 Why are these skills important?

• Each person, regardless of ability, style or orientation can and should be more innovative every day.

• Organization will expect you to possess and use key innovation skills!

• “Innovation is necessary in all business life … because if you don’t continue to innovate, then your competitive advantage disappears very quickly.”

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• Why do YOU need to have/improve these skills?

• The reality, as outlined in the book “Innovation is Everybody’s Business” (Tucker, 2010), is that each person, regardless of ability, style or orientation can and should be more innovative every day. It’s really about continuous improvement and continuous learning. Organization will expect you to possess and use key innovation skills!

 • Organization will expect you to possess and use key

innovation skills!

• It is a business imperative: “Innovation is necessary in all business life because things are so easily copied, and the transfer of knowledge across the world is so quick, if you don’t continue to innovate, then your competitive advantage disappears very quickly.” (Matt Copeland)

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1.3 How do I effectively display my skills/interests?

• 1.3.1 First things first!• Which skills do you have (to what level)? Which are you

lacking?• Take a self-assessment

• 1.3.2 Which skills/interests to highlight? To whom? Where? • Tailor to your situation and needs

• 1.3.3 Strategy• 1.3.3.1 Develop an overall strategy• 1.3.3.2 Adapt your strategy to where you will display

your skills: CV, interview, presentation, written proposal

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• First things first!• Do things in the proper order; do not skip things that you should do

first– Which skills do you have (to what level)? Which are you lacking?

• Skill is the unified force of experience, intellect and passion in their operation

• “I'm aware of what's missing from my life.” - Ang Lee… are you aware?

– Take a self-assessment• “The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most

fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.” ― Pema Chödrön

• At a minimum please complete the handout “10 Basic Skills Every Employee Should Have”

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• Which skills/interests to highlight? To whom? Where? – Tailor to your situation and needs

• “You cannot tailor-make the situations in life but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations” - Zig Ziglar

•  • Develop an overall strategy

– “A country's (or a person’s) strategy is always based on a fundamental philosophical outlook” - Marc Forne Molne

•  • Adapt your strategy to where you will display your skills: CV,

interview, presentation, written proposal– “You have to be fast on your feet and adaptive or else a

strategy is useless.” - Charles de Gaulle

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1.3.1 Innovation skills self-assessment• Take an online or “paper” self assessment such as:

• http://innovationskillstest.ca/ (GISAT2.0)• You will need to create an account first: http://bit.ly/cboc_new_account

• http://bit.ly/gisat2_paper

• Be honest!

• Set aside sufficient time to complete the self-assessment

• Fully review your results

• Create a plan of action

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• Be honest! – “I think that's the most important thing you can do to be

a real person - is to be honest with yourself” - Mike Dirnt•  • Set aside sufficient time to complete the self-assessment

without interruptions (the online GISAT will take 45 minutes to an hour). Make the investment!

•  • Fully review your results - do a complete analysis and

write yourself a short description of what your scores mean – (what it means to you, what it means to an employer)

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1.3.2 Which skills to highlight?• The best way to identify which skills you need to

highlight is to put yourself in the employer's shoes.

• What are the employer's needs?

• How can you fulfill those needs?

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• Allow yourself to see or experience something from someone else's (the employer’s) point of view

– Use active listen to be sure you understand the other person’s viewpoint..

• If you find yourself in a conflict or rift with someone, stop the decision-making for a moment and simply repeat in your own words, the other person’s argument as persuasively as possible. Then ask whether you heard it right. And then wait for an answer.

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1.3.3 Strategy• What is it? Definitions:

• 1. A method or plan chosen to bring about a desired future, such as achievement of a goal or solution to a problem

• 2.The art and science of planning and marshalling resources for their most efficient and effective use. The term is derived from the Greek word for generalship or leading an army

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• Keep in mind that your first plan may not be the best. Test it in use and change it as necessary

• .• YOU are the sole leader of YOUR plan – so take on

that role and marshal your resources for maximum impact.

•  • One method for having a successful strategy:• "My approach works not by making valid

predictions but by allowing me to correct false ones“ - George Soros

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•1.3.3.1 Develop an overall strategy

• You need to create your own individual and personalized strategy at all three levels.

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• What is an individualized strategy? • An individualized instruction can also be called a

differentiated strategy. Think of individualized strategy as referring to those practices which recognize the uniqueness of each individual and thus provide for adequate guidance, and other support suited to bring about a wholesome development in the person (mind, body, and spirit).

• You shouldn’t always stick to the same pattern of presenting yourself but should adapt new ways such as audio, video, etc. so that you have multiple options for sharing information and making sense of meeting, and even exceeding, needs.

• To differentiate or to individualize strategy is to recognize that we all have varying background knowledge, readiness, preferences, interests, and to react responsively.

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• The intent of individualizing strategy is to maximize each person’s growth and individual success by meeting each individual where he or she is, and assisting in the discovery process. It provides the opportunity for you to be successful.

 • Self – tailored to your current situation and planned

progress based on honest and complete self-assessment. • Others – especially tailored to the employer’s needs but also

co-workers, clients, stakeholders, etc. • Culture + Environment - tailored to the organization’s

culture (shared assumptions, values, and beliefs, which governs how people behave in organizations) and even further the environment (industry, region, country, etc.).

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1.3.3.2 Adapt your strategy to where you will display your skills

• 1.3.3.2.1 CV (Résumé)

• 1.3.3.2.2 Interview

• 1.3.3.2.3 Presentation

• 1.3.3.2.4 Written proposal

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• CV/Résumé – a résumé is a brief summary of your skills and experience over one or two pages, a CV is more detailed and can stretch well beyond two pages

• Interview – a job interview is a type of employment test that involves a conversation between a job applicant and representative of the employing organization. Interviews are one of the most popularly used devices for employee selection

• Presentation – a presentation is the process of presenting a topic to an audience (it could be just one person). It is typically a demonstration lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, or build good will – even to entertain

• Written proposal – a written proposal is a formal way of putting forth an idea and asking for action on it 

• As you can see each domain is different so you must adapt your strategy, plan, and approach.

• “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change (i.e. adapt).” ― Albert Einstein

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1.3.3.2.1 CV/Résumé – the basics• You should never forget that your CV/résumé is

what will get you the interview

• Therefore it is up to you to sell yourself well enough so that when a potential employer see it, they know right away that you are a good candidate for them

• Make sure that your CV/resume is up to date and showcases all of your skills and qualities

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• The three major differences between CVs and resumes are the length, the purpose and the layout.

• A resume is a brief summary of your skills and experience over one or two pages, a CV is more detailed and can stretch well beyond two pages. The resume will be tailored to each position whereas the CV will stay put and any changes will be in the cover letter.

• A resume is the preferred application document in the US and Canada. Americans and Canadians would only use a CV when applying for a job abroad or if searching for an academic or research oriented position.

• In the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, a CV is used in all contexts and resumes aren’t used at all. The CV prevails in mainland Europe and there is even a European Union CV format available for download.

• [http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/documents/curriculum-vitae/templates-instructions] 

• In Germany, the CV is more commonly known as a Lebenslauf (true to the latin origins) and is only one of many application document the German job seekers must produce to get an interview.

 

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CV/Résumé - First impressions count• The fact of the matter is that recruiters

and hiring officials will scan read a CV or application

• Be sure to include • Creativity, problem-solving, and continuous

improvement skills • Risk assessment and risk-taking skills• Relationship-building and communication skills• Implementation skills

photos source: pixabay - CC0 Public Domain

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CV/Résumé - Checklist• Don't fall at the first hurdle.

• Is your email address appropriate? • Would you give a job to Hotlips7@x.com ?

• Have you spelled it correctly?

• Other hurdles• Making Grammatical Errors and Typos

• There’s no room for sloppiness!

• Submitting Incorrect Information• Correct info will eventually come out anyway

• Giving Everyone the Same Résumé• Your résumé is not one-size-fits-all (jobs)

• Getting Too Elaborate With Formatting and Style• And allow “breathing space” on your page

photos source: pixabay - CC0 Public Domain

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• There’s no room for sloppiness. • According to a recent survey, 58% of employers identified

résumés with typos as one of the top mistakes that led them to automatically dismiss a candidate.

• There really is no excuse for a number of grammatical errors. Common errors seen include misuse of words (“your/you’re” and “lose/loose”), words spelled incorrectly (“business” and “finance,” if you can believe it), and overuse of punctuation (namely, commas). Don’t solely rely on spell check.

• It is helpful to get a second set of eyes on your résumé after you’ve reviewed it yourself.

• You can reach out to a trusted mentor or colleague in a similar industry, or if you’re a student, use the resources at your college career centre or local library.

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• It may seem obvious, but getting simple details wrong will get your résumé tossed into the reject pile, fast.

• When you put an incorrect phone number down or mess up your job titles or dates, it makes your résumé look haphazard.

• If you say you’re detail-oriented, and employers catch incorrect information on your résumé, it’s a big red flag.

• Even if you make it to the interview stage, the incorrect information will come out eventually.

• A wrong phone number can easily be called and a job title can be verified with a former employer.

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• This may come as a surprise to some job seekers, but your résumé is not one-size-fits-all (jobs).

• No two roles are alike—and your résumés shouldn’t be either. A recent survey found that 36% of employers identified résumés that are too generic as one of the mistakes that may lead them to automatically dismiss a candidate.

• Instead of sending out a generic résumé to multiple employers the more effective option would be to work on one application at a time, tailoring your résumé to fit the job description, and taking the time to truly understand what each employer is looking for.

• A personalized résumé is focused to the target audience’s needs.

• For example, if the job description says the role requires market analysis and planning, then weave that language into your résumé content, using real examples of analysis you performed and the results you achieved.

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• Formatting is key. Don’t let your résumé get out of hand with fonts and graphs and distract the reader from what’s important (how qualified you are). 

• In a nutshell: you should make sure you are answering the requirements within the job listing while also telling your most relevant employment (and/or educational) story, including specific achievements that map back to what the employer is looking for.

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1.3.3.2.2 Interview – the basics• If you pass the resume screen, usually the next

major step is the interview

• Employers often focus on eliminating applicants who are not appropriate – Don’t given them any reasons to eliminate you

• The experience, for you, can be like running through a mine field. One misstep, and you're OUT - a very stressful situation.

• Handle that stress by– Preparation– Visualizing– Remember that people DO get hired!

photos source: pixabay - CC0 Public Domain

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• If a job seeker's resume passes the resume screen, the job interviews are usually the next major step in the pre-employment screening process.

• During this screening process, employers often focus on eliminating applicants who are not appropriate for the job or the situation.

• The result can be, for the job seeker, like running through a mine field. One misstep, and you're OUT - a very stressful situation.

• PREPARATION is therefore key.

• But, don’t panic … remember that tens of thousands of people are hired every month in Europe, even in tough economic times. 

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Interview - Preparation• Prepare for the standard interview questions and types of

interviews you might have. Practice with a friend or your mirror

• Prepare by knowing as much as you can about the job, the organization, the competition, the location, and the industry• Very carefully read the job description• Visit the organisation’s website• Put Google, Bing, and YouTube to work gathering important

information about the organization• Check the LinkedIn Company Profile (and, if possible, the profiles of

the interviewers)• Do Internet research on any other names you may have• Check stock and financial information • Lastly, check on breaking news on the organization

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Interview - Visualisation

• How to visualize

• Find a quiet place

• Clear your mind 

• Imagine your goals

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• As in sports, when interviewing for a job, a high level of performance is required for a short period. Thus, using visualization techniques can help build confidence and reduce anxiety. The trick is to create a memory of a successful meeting. When interviewing, you'll feel a sense of déjà vu, as though you had the experience before.

 • Stress counselors say the following steps are helpful when trying to

visualize:• Find a tranquil, quiet place where you'll be totally undisturbed.• Purge your mind of thoughts that don't directly pertain to your

visualization.• Lie down with your legs uncrossed and your arms at your sides.• Close your eyes and inhale slowly, expanding your chest and lower

abdomen. Then exhale slowly and relax. Repeat this, and as you become more tranquil breathe more slowly and evenly.

• Relax your feet and legs, and imagine that they're becoming heavy.• Say to yourself, "My feet and legs are becoming more relaxed. They're

now deeply relaxed." Repeat this for your ankles, thighs, pelvis, stomach, back and chest. Then repeat it with your hands, forearms, upper arms and shoulders. Relax the muscles of your neck and jaw. Allow your jaw to drop. Rest and enjoy a totally relaxed feeling.

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• To relax more deeply, imagine that you're alone in an elevator.• Visualize the doors closing, then the numbers showing the

floor level. Imagine that you're on the tenth floor and going to the first. Feel the descending motion as the elevator drops. As the elevator passes each floor, you'll enter a deeper, calmer mental state. When you reach the first floor, your mind will be open and tranquil. When the elevator doors open, imagine that you're sitting in a comfortable chair in a dimly lit room. Picture a large screen on a wall. You're now ready to begin visualizing.

• Repeat these steps at least three times before the actual interview, visualizing for as long as you like. With repeated visualizations you can enrich the scenes with more detail and perfect the outcome. When you want to resume normal consciousness, mentally return to the elevator and ascend to the tenth floor. When the door opens, open your eyes. Chances are you'll feel rested, strong and determined.

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Interview – Remember that …

• Interviews vary (both structure and type)

• It’s a two-way street – so ask your questions re. the job and the organization

• There may be follow-up interviews

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• Interviews vary in the extent to which the questions are structured, from totally unstructured and free-wheeling conversation, to a set list of questions each applicant is asked. An increasingly common initial interview approach is the telephone (or Skype) interview. Prepare as if it were “live”!

• A job interview typically precedes the hiring decision, and is used to evaluate the candidate. An interview also allows the candidate to assess the corporate culture and demands of the job.

 • Multiple rounds of job interviews and/or other candidate

selection methods may be used where there are many candidates or the job is particularly challenging or desirable. Earlier rounds sometimes called 'screening interviews' may involve fewer staff from the employers and will typically be much shorter and less in-depth.

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Interview – the actual interview•  You know (but it bears repeating):

• Arrive a few minutes ahead of time• Be dressed appropriately• Have good questions ready for the interviewer(s)• Have your cell phone turned off• Come with copies of your resume available to hand to the

interviewer(s)

• RELAX! Be yourself, be natural, be focused and remember that the interview is a “two-way” street

• Afterwards• Sending a thank you -- if done reasonably well -- will definitely

not hurt your chances at a job

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1.3.3.2.3 Presentation – the basics

• Develop strong presentation skills beforehand

• Also practice for “stress” types of presentations

• The topic is important, but your process is even more critical!

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• Develop strong presentation skills beforehand. It will be too late if you are not already comfortable and highly skilled in making presentations. Practice this skill until you master it – it will certainly be useful through your professional career.

• Candidates may also be asked to deliver a presentation as part of the selection process.

• One stress technique is to tell the applicant that they have 20 minutes to prepare a presentation, and then come back to room five minutes later and demand that the presentation be given immediately.

• The "Platform Test" method involves having the candidate make a presentation to both the selection panel and other candidates for the same job. This is obviously highly stressful and is therefore useful as a predictor of how the candidate will perform under similar circumstances on the job. Selection processes in academic, training, airline, legal and teaching circles frequently involve presentations of this sort.

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Presentation – a process

Image pending approval

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1.3.3.2.4 Written Proposal – the basics• A formal way of putting forth an idea and

asking for action on it 

• Consider who will read the proposal and the person’s knowledge level

• Decide, beforehand, on YOUR process for writing a proposal and practice it

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Sample proposal process• Follow these steps:

1. State your purpose

2. Give some background information

3. State a solution to the problem

4. Specify costs

5. Restate both the problem and solution

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2. Continuous innovative improvement of one’s mindset and skills

• Continuous improvement – an ongoing effort to improve an individual’s skills and mental outlook

• This never-ending process requires

• A strategy, such as “mindfulness”

• A focus on self-actualization

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• Similar to an organisations  continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI we are referring here to an ongoing effort to improve not products, services, or processes but, at the individual level, skills and mental outlook.

• Likewise, these efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once.

• “Strive for continuous improvement, instead of perfection.” - Kim Collins

 • Two key ways to succeed with this ongoing effort is via

“mindfulness” and “self-actualization”.

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2.1 Mindfulness • Mindfulness is awareness that arises

through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally

– Practicing mindfulness improves both mental and physical health

– Mindfulness involves both concentration and acceptance

– It takes practice to become comfortable with mindfulness techniques

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• Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad.

•  • Instead of letting your life pass you

by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience.

•  

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• In this context mindfulness is defined as moment-by-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, characterized mainly by "acceptance" - attention to thoughts and feelings without judging whether they are right or wrong.

• Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally,” says Kabat-Zinn. “It’s about knowing what is on your mind.”

• Practicing mindfulness improves both mental and physical health.

• Mindfulness involves both concentration (a form of meditation) and acceptance. Deliberately pay attention to thoughts and sensations without judgment.

• It takes practice to become comfortable with mindfulness techniques. If one method doesn’t work for you, try another.

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2.2 Self-actualization• The desire for self-fulfillment

• This tendency might be phrased as the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming

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• The term was used by Abraham Maslow in his article, A Theory of Human Motivation, Maslow explicitly defines self-actualization to be "the desire for self-fulfillment, namely the tendency for him [the individual] to become actualized in what he is potentially.

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• Some of the key characteristics of self-actualized people: • Acceptance and Realism: Self-actualized people have realistic perceptions

of themselves, others and the world around them.• Problem-centering: Self-actualized individuals are concerned with solving

problems outside of themselves, including helping others and finding solutions to problems in the external world. These people are often motivated by a sense of personal responsibility and ethics.

• Spontaneity: Self-actualized people are spontaneous in their internal thoughts and outward behavior. While they can conform to rules and social expectations, they also tend to be open and unconventional.

• Autonomy and Solitude: Another characteristic of self-actualized people is the need for independence and privacy. While they enjoy the company of others, these individuals need time to focus on developing their own individual potential.

• Continued Freshness of Appreciation: Self-actualized people tend to view the world with a continual sense of appreciation, wonder and awe. Even simple experiences continue to be a source of inspiration and pleasure.

• Peak Experiences: Individuals who are self-actualized often have what Maslow termed peak experiences, or moments of intense joy, wonder, awe and ecstasy. After these experiences, people feel inspired, strengthened, renewed or transformed.

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3. Emotional Intelligence

• Emotional intelligence (EI) or emotional quotient (EQ) is the ability of individuals to

• recognize their own and other people's emotions

• to discriminate between different feelings and label them appropriately

• to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior

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• Emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) is the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. It is generally said to include 3 skills:

• Emotional awareness, including the ability to identify your own emotions and those of others

• The ability to harness emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problems solving

 • The ability to manage emotions, including the ability to

regulate your own emotions, and the ability to cheer up or calm down another person

• EQ can actually be more important than IQ in some situations!

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3.1 Recognize your own and other people's emotions• Benefits of higher Emotional Intelligence

• easier to form/maintain interpersonal relationships and to ‘fit in’

• better at understanding own psychological state

• Note that there is no correlation between IQ and EI scores

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• There are clear benefits of higher Emotional Intelligence:• People with higher emotional intelligence find it easier to

form and maintain interpersonal relationships and to ‘fit in’ to group situations.

• People with higher emotional intelligence are also better at understanding their own psychological state, which can include managing stess effectively and being less likely to suffer from depression.

• Keep in mind that academic aptitude (IQ) has no connection with how people understand and deal with their emotions and the emotions of others (EI). This makes perfect sense: we’ve all met very clever people who nonetheless had no idea about how to deal with people, and the reverse.

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3.2 Discriminate between different feelings and label them

• Which ones do you recognize well?

• Which ones do you know know too well?

• Take an online quiz available at: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/ei_quiz/

Image source: Wikimedia Commons, used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Ivan Lanin.

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3.3 Use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior• Used in these ways:

• Perceiving emotions • detect and decipher emotions in faces, pictures, voices, etc.

• Using emotions • harness emotions to facilitate various cognitive activities

• Understanding emotions • comprehend emotion language and to appreciate complicated relationships

• Managing emotions • regulate emotions in both ourselves and in others

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4. Exercise: Self-assessment and career pathway planning

• Do a self-assessment (as outlined earlier) as soon as possible

• Career pathway planning requires an honest look at • Career goals• Skills• Needed knowledge• Experience• Personal characteristics.

• Career pathing requires YOU to make a plan to carry out your career path

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How to create your career pathing • You need to decide on your career

goals and desired jobs

• Put your career path plan in writing

• You own your career path plan

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• Each one of these three steps will clearly take time and focused involvement from you.

• You need to decide on your career goals and desired jobs. While coaching and mentoring may help you arrive at several possible career options, a complete career exploration is your own task outside of work. You can contact career professionals at your college career services offices, local community colleges, or research online where career information and career tests and quizzes abound. Comprehensive information about career choice and planning can be found at http://careerplanning.about.com

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• Put your career path plan in writing. If you are lucky enough to work within an organization that has an employee performance and / or career development process, the written plan is an integral component. If not, put your own plan in writing and share it with your supervisor, Human Resources, and involved others. Writing down your goals is an integral part of achieving them. [Note: This is a good question for you to ask the interviewer.]

 • You own your career path plan. You can seek assistance

from others, but you are the fundamental recipient of the rewards earned by following a planned career path. You are responsible for seeking a mentor, applying for internal job openings, and developing the skills and experience necessary for you to achieve your goals. Never forget this significant fact: you own your career path plan. No one will ever care as much as you do.

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