Life Skills to Lead and Succeed!

"Know thyself" - Socrates

What are Life Skills?

The World Health Organization has defined life skills as, "the abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life".

UNICEF defines life skills as "a behaviour change or behaviour development approach designed to address a balance of three areas: knowledge, attitude and skills". The UNICEF definition is based on research evidence that suggests that shifts in risk behaviour are unlikely if knowledge, attitudinal and skills based competency are not addressed.

What are the Core Life Skill Strategies and Techniques?

UNICEF, UNESCO and WHO list the ten core life skill strategies and techniques as: problem solving, critical thinking, effective communication skills, decision-making, creative thinking, interpersonal relationship skills, self-awareness building skills, empathy, and coping with stress and emotions.

Self-awareness, self-esteem and self-confidence are essential tools for understanding
one's strengths and weaknesses. Consequently, the individual is able to discern available opportunities and prepare to face possible threats. This leads to the development of a social awareness of the concerns of one's family and society.

Subsequently, it is possible to identify problems that arise within both the family and
Society. With life skills, one is able to explore alternatives, weigh pros and cons and make rational decisions in solving each problem or issue as it arises. It also entails being able to establish productive interpersonal relationships with others.

Life skills enable effective communication, for example, being able to differentiate
between hearing and listening and ensuring that messages are transmitted accurately
to avoid miscommunication and misinterpretations.

What are the main components of Life Skills?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) categorizes life skills into the following
three components:

a) Critical thinking skills/Decision-making skills - include decision-making/ problem solving skills and information gathering skills. The individual must also be skilled at evaluating the future consequences of their present actions and the actions of others. They need to be able to determine alternative solutions and to analyze the influence of their own values and the values of those around them.

b) Interpersonal/Communication skills - include verbal and non-verbal communication, active listening, and the ability to express feelings and give feed back. Also in this category, are negotiation/refusal skills and assertiveness skills that
directly affect ones' ability to manage conflict. Empathy, which is the ability to listen
and understand others' needs, is also a key interpersonal skill. Teamwork and the ability to cooperate include expressing respect for those around us. Development of
this skill set enables the adolescent to be accepted in society. These skills result in the
acceptance of social norms that provide the foundation for adult social behaviour.

c) Coping and self-management skills refers to skills to increase the internal locus of control, so that the individual believes that they can make a difference in the world
and affect change. Self esteem, self-awareness, self-evaluation skills and the ability to
set goals are also part of the more general category of self-management skills. Anger,
grief and anxiety must all be dealt with, and the individual learns to cope loss or
trauma. Stress and time management are key, as are positive thinking and relaxation
techniques.

Life skills approach can be successful, if the following are undertaken together:

a) The Skills -This involves a group of psychosocial and interpersonal skills (Critical thinking skills/Decision-making skills, Interpersonal/Communication skills, Coping and self-management skills) which are interlinked with each other. For example, decision-making is likely to involve creative and critical thinking components and values analysis.

b) Content - To effectively influence behaviour, skills must be utilized in a particular
content area. "What are we making decisions about?" Learning about decision-making will be more meaningful if the content is relevant and remains constant. Such content areas as described could be drug use, HIV/AIDS/STI prevention, suicide prevention or sexual abuse. Whatever the content area, a balance of three elements needs to be considered: knowledge, attitudes and skills.

c) Methods - Skills-based education cannot occur when there is no interaction among
participants. It relies on groups of people to be effective. Interpersonal and psychosocial skills cannot be learned from sitting alone and reading a book. If this
approach is to be successful, all three components, life skills, content and method
should be in place. This effectively means that life skills can be learnt through the use
of certain methods and tools.

Criteria for using Life Skills

UNICEF has identified the following criteria to ensure a successful life skills-based education:

* It should not only address knowledge and attitude change, but, more importantly, behaviour change.

* Traditional "information-based" approaches are generally not sufficient to yield changes in attitudes and behaviours. For example, a lecture on "safe behaviour" will not necessarily lead to the practice of safe behaviour. Therefore, the lecture should be substantiated with exercises and situations where participants can practice safe behaviour and experience its effects. The adult learning theory emphasizes that adults learn best that which they can associate with their experience and practice.

* It will work best when augmented or reinforced. If a message is given once, the brain remembers only 10 percent of it one day later, and when the same message is given six times a day, the brain remembers 90 percent of it. Hence the need to repeat, recaps, reinforce and review.

* It will work best if combined with policy development, access to appropriate health services, community development and media.

What does Research say about the Outcomes of Life Skills-Based Education?

Programmes aimed at developing life skills have produced these effects such as
Lessened violent behaviour; increased pro -social behaviour and decreased negative, self-destructive behaviour; increased the ability to plan ahead and choose effective solutions to problems; improved self-image, self-awareness, social and emotional adjustment; increased acquisition of knowledge; improved classroom behaviour; gains in self control and handling of interpersonal problems and coping with anxiety; and improved constructive conflict resolution with peers, impulse control and popularity.

We think and manage with our head. Resilience, keeping records, making wise use of resources, planning/organising and goal setting is 'head' related managerial functions. Service learning, Critical thinking, problem solving, decision making and learning to learn were related to our thinking processes, which we manage with our head.

Functions of the heart are relating to people and caring. How do we relate to people? We relate to people by accepting differences, conflict resolutions, social skills, cooperation and communication. The second function we do through our heart is caring. We care through nurturing relationships, sharing, empathy and concern for others.

We give and work through our hands. Community service, volunteering, leadership, responsible citizenship and contributions to group effort -- are our way giving back to society. We work through our marketable skills, teamwork and self-motivation to get the things done.

Living and being comes under the functions of health. Healthy lifestyle choices, stress management, disease prevention and personal safety are our prime concerns for better living. Self-esteem, self-responsibility, character, managing feelings and self-discipline must be practiced without fail for our well-being. In a nutshell, the essence of life skills is to share well, care well and fare well.

Life skills are inevitable to become successful in professional life as well as personal life.

-Challa S.S.J.Ram Phani

The author is a HR, Career Management Consultant, Corporate Trainer based in Hyderabad, India. He is the Founder CEO of aimkom consultrainers offering services in training and placement. You may reach him at aimkom@gmail.com You may visit his URL : [http://www.aimkom.com]

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Nine Career Building Skills for Success

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You've got your basic education behind you and in your first position you ask yourself what additional qualities do I need to help my career? You've started a business and you ask yourself the same question? What learnable skills are essential for career and business success?

In study after study, and surveys taken with many executives and successful business owners the following nine learnable skills and abilities are the most valued. Even without specific education or experience these learnable skills will contribute greatly to your ongoing performance and career advancement.

The critical nine career building skills and abilities are: (In no particular order, as each job or business has its own set of priorities.)

1. Selling Skills: To get people to buy your ideas, services or products is a quick definition of the selling skill. If you have a job, you've managed to make at least one sale -- that of your services to an employer. Business does not happen without sales. Selling skills are part of the skill category of Negotiation, which is listed among the nine top skills. It's so important, before you do anything, you should read and study one or more of the best books on sales.

2. Writing Skills: Others want to know what you know. So, you to write it down for them. You have to write it succinctly, precisely and in a way that is easily understood. You need to provide them instructive, believable, and motivational and convincing written material. It should communicate what you know and what you can do. You no doubt, definitely, without a question, must be able to write effectively to get to the peak of your career or business.

3. Speaking Skills: You must be able to speak up for yourself and your department at meetings. Getting a pet project or a budget approved means speaking well and persuasively. Running effective meetings, interviewing and even arguing for a raise require good speaking skills.
You certainly must speak well at least one-to-one in order to sell anything. All of the foregoing requires the same skills as public speaking. You can learn the skills from a book or class and through practice. Joining a local Toastmasters club is probably the easiest way to become comfortable speaking to an audience of any size, whether it's to one or one thousand.

4. Leadership Skills: Leadership is the ability to get people to do what you want them to do. If you are a good leader, people will do what you've asked them to do, whether or not you are there to supervise. If you are a great leader, they will do what you've asked, strive to do it well, enjoy working for you and try to do more than you've asked, just to please you. If you are inspired leader, they will do what you ask, try to contribute as much more as you will allow, make sure that whatever they do is the highest quality they can give you, and consider their work not merely enjoyable, but rather a shared vision partnership with you. Leadership includes the skills of motivation, change facilitation, behavior modification and conflict management.

5. Judgment Skills: Good judgment is one of the most valued abilities. Making accurate evaluations, outlining possible options and then making a sensible choice is a valuable commodity. Choices, regarding people, are especially prized. It is the ability to develop informed opinions. The development of critical thinking skills, and the careful laying out of options all go toward building this skill. Carefully examining all the options, even with less than 100% of the desired information, will more often than not allow you to make a "good judgment."

6. Organizational Skills: The management of time. The management of people. The management of the processes. All organized so that everything is efficiently accomplished with the least amount of time and overall cost. A skilled organizer starts with their own time management and branches out to include subordinates and other things within their control.

7. Negotiation Skills: Negotiation is the basic ability to persuade others to do what you want or give you what you want. These talents are closely related to selling skills and to motivation. Further, they are an essential component to leadership. You can study and learn from any number of books the essential skills that will help you get others to cooperate with you in achieving your mutual goals. Those who apply this skill successfully on behalf of their employers and themselves almost always get ahead of their peers-usually way ahead.

8. Financial Skills: When you get into a management position you must know about financial planning and budgeting. To move higher, you must be knowledgeable about all aspects of corporate finance, cash flow, taxes, return on investment, asset valuation and valuing mergers and acquisitions are just some of financial skills you must acquire. However, there's plenty of easy to understand information in books and seminars as well as relevant trade journals that will give you a hand.

9. Information Gathering and Technology Skills: This essential skill includes finding the best news, articles, books, tapes, videos, training and other written and multiple media sources that keep you current and "in the know" in your field of expertise.

You should also develop and cultivate access to experts who can assist or direct you to the right information. A wide network of experts will speedup your ability to gather information. Storing the information you acquire, making it easy to access and add to it easily is another skill you need to acquire. At a minimum you should be able to make and use databases, to learn and use basic research skills and to be able to do quick, effective internet searches.

You will not get ahead without knowing how to use all the current technology relevant to business in general and to your field in particular. You will not get ahead without it. At a minimum, you must acquire basic computer user skills. Also if you make any sorts of presentations, for example, you need to know how to use projectors, projected video, audio amplification systems, computer-assisted training programs and computer projected multimedia.

The nine career building skills all require an analysis as to where you are now. For example, need to improve your writing ability? Start with a plan and do something every day to advance the skill. Do the same with all of the nine. Build and work a reading and studying list and in no time you'll find your career skills improving.

John Groth is a former HR executive and career coach. Go to http://careernetworkplus.com and find great resources and valuable articles about career planning and recruitment. Discover up to date http://careernetworkplus.com/career/ career and recruitment strategies and all the desired information to assist you in planning and managing your career.

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