Skills and qualities

1. What job is the woman on the left doing?

2. What technical skills does she need to do her work well?

3. What knowledge does she need?

4. What kind of attitudes does she need?

5. What kind of personal qualities might be helpful or unhelpful in this kind of work?

1. Interpersonal skills

What do we mean by interpersonal skills?

Do you use interpersonal skills much? Can you give an example?

Imagine you're the coach of a basketball team. What would such a job be like?

What parts of this job would require interpersonal skills?

Here are some phrases we might use to talk about interpersonal communication in this job:

Match them up:

Quizlet version here

find
work

build
negotiate
see things
offer 
respect
show
speak
find a constructive

get people to


on some else's behalf
a compromise
respect for others
towards a solution
with others
outcome

a team

cooperate
another's opinion
from another's perspective

advice

2. Getting results

1. What are results when it comes to working life? 

2. Are people who get results always good workmates?

3. What would "results" mean in your future working life? 

Write down three results you'd like to produce in you working future.

Here's some language we might use to talk about getting results at work. match:

Quizlet version here

produce
resolve
achieve
obtain
turn around
restructure
complete
make
deliver

a profit
a new product line
an ongoing issue
useful data
a project
a target
on a promise
a department
a poorly performing department




3. Initiative

We have discussed two aspects of skills in the workplace

1. Interpersonal skills

2. Getting results

The third aspect is "initiative". What do you think this means?

Think about these words: how do they relate to "initiative"?

refresh

renovate

rebrand

reposition

rethink

redesign

reorganise

rediscover

redefine

reconsider

Can you think of any other words like this?

Have you ever had to change or adapt the way you ran a business or approached your job?

Match these phrases which relate to "initiative":


introduce
implement
engage
create
establish
dismantle
redesign
rethink
recruit

new staff
a fresh image
a new system
an old system
the office
the process
new ideas
a different model

Imagine you bought a rundown old restaurant. The last managers failed to make it work. What will you do to make it a success? It's time to show a bit of initiative.

Use these words to say what you will do to get you business back up to speed.

Think about these things:

The menu

The customers

The prices

The decor

Colour scheme

The music

The staff

The signage

The building

Think about these words: relocate, change, attract, redesign, redecorate. re-train, readjust, reconsider, repaint, rebrand, 

Skills and qualities continued...

Think of any skills you have (either life skills or career skills) - write a few down


Think also about some good qualities you have - write a few down

Think of some interests you have - write a few down

Now look at these pictures...
What jobs are shown? What do they all have in common?

Look through the pictures again. Spend a little time talking about each role. What skills and qualities does each person need to successfully carry out their role?

Practice speaking using some set structures:

This job involves...

Doing this every day would be...

The most rewarding thing about this job would be...

You would need to be 100%....

Think about these adjectives

adaptable

brave

consistent

fastidious

human, open

pragmatic

charming

creative

attentive

serious

spontaneous

level-headed

lively, energetic, fun

Match them with these jobs:

Camera operator

Make-up specialist

Radio show host

Foreign corespondent

Cooking show host

Sports presenter

News presenter

Weather presenter

Street reporter

Task

Write one paragraph on the challenges a person in this role would face on a daily basis. Mention what key qualities and skills a person in this role would need to possess.