LIFE SKILLS – A GROWTH MINDSET?

“When people are in a fixed mindset, they believe their basic talents, abilities and intelligence are fixed traits – they have a certain amount, and that’s it! But, in a growth mindset, people understand that talent and abilities can be developed through hard work, learning new strategies, and help from others” …Carol Dweck, Stanford Professor and Author of “Mindset.”

The fact is we can be “technically” competent, but technology is very fluid and constantly changing. Strategic Life Skills are necessary in order to navigate through the challenges we face! Here are some Life Skills to consider:

1. MOTIVATION – Nothing happens until you act. Your surroundings and values will be a source of your motivation. Do you associate yourself with persons of vision and positive energy?   Remember, in many instances, you become who you associate yourself with. Having a clear sense of your values and the mission at hand will help you make decisive and timely decisions. The results will astonish you!
2. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE -Why is this important? Emotional Intelligence [EI] is defined as the capacity to be aware of, to control and express one’s emotions in order to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. You cannot effectively collaborate with others without employing EI! You must relate and persuade others to arrive at a solution, new product or process.
3. COACHABILITY- You must accept constructive criticism. Seek an expert in your field, a trusted mentor or a professional life/executive/career coach to guide you in adjusting your mindset and set your path on to critical thinking. Also, once you practice that skill, you need to coach others on your team.   The key is always “constructive” criticism! Always seek a positive outcome!
4. TECHNICAL COMPETENCE- To be competitive and a seeker of solutions, you must keep up with trends in developing technology, application software, virtual reality, advanced manufacturing, analytics, data mining, bio metrics, CRM tools, etc. – to mention a few. You must consistently navigate through the web and any process management software to keep yourself up to date and competitive in your area of expertise. Technical competence in your professional field is essential.
5. TEMPERMENT -Have a growth mindset. Never stop learning! Be a knowledge seeker – work hard and when you fail, learn from your mistakes move on and continue to grow. We must adapt to an environment of constant change. Approach every challenge as an opportunity to learn, grow and excel!

These Life Skills, as applied to your life and career will lead you into the “zone of effectiveness” and will make significant impact in your personal development, how you relate to others and your success in your career field of expertise. Apply them frequently!