What would you do if you were in their Shoes?

Change is inevitable. Everything is susceptible to change.  There are massive changes that are taking place around the globe. The Middle East is witnessing unprecedented changes in power.  Each country is dealing with the political turmoil in its own way. The situation in Oman was settled in an exemplary way. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos was prompt, decisive and wise in handling the situation.

His farsighted vision and political acumen illustrated that modern Oman with its amazing achievements in the last four decades was meant to last and prosper to greater heights. Among the changes that His Majesty decisively introduced was a wide spectrum of amendment in the council of Ministers.  Several New ministers were assigned to take charges of vital portfolios that are crucial to the Omani economy.  

The new ministers are not tested mortals in their new positions at the helm of the public agency. Many people are still apprehensive about their performance. Such perception has lead to so many speculations and gossips.

The pressing questions are;

·         If you were in their shoes how you would approach your new assignment?

·         What should be your first priorities within the first year in the new seat?

·         How would you assure the public that you are the leader they have been looking for?

As a reader you can imagine yourself as one of these new ministers.  Think about the above mentioned questions and share your views with us.

Besides let us know what are the tools that are available for you to apply in their new assignment? What are the factors that could make or break their bright career in the political arena? How would you go about your personal development plan so that you can acquire the needed competencies for new assignment?

Respected readers, your contribution will certainly enrich our dialogue and provide a momentum for brainstorming these questions. From a theoretical perspective we can borrow certain tools from strategic management, organizational behavior, leadership as well as management particularly dealing with people irrespective of the wide spectrum of differences. In addition one can also bank on his own experience.

Until then, I will be awaiting your objective and constructive views on the above case study.

Are We Listening Effectively

The accelerated changes and the technological advancement that are taking place around us dictate continuous development of our human capital. In their quest for personal development people often focus on expanding their knowledge in their profession but tend to pay deaf ear to honing their soft skills.

Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which tend to be specific to a certain type of task or activity, soft skills are broadly applicable. They are intrapersonal and interpersonal skills that determine a person's ability to excel or at least fit in a particular social structure, such as a project team  or a company. These skills include competencies in areas such as emotional intelligence, communication, leadership ability, etiquette, conflict resolution, decision making, self-motivation, self-discipline, persuasion, etc.

Since, the Gulf Countries are embracing nationalization policies of their workforce that is giving priorities for employment to their citizens; I think the issue of honing soft skills will give a competitive leverage for young graduates who are exploring the intricacies of the corporate world. This is of course not to say that the benefits of soft skills are limited to lower Jobs categories. Of course soft skills are qualities that recruiters as well as employers pay a paramount importance to.

The list of soft skills includes a wide range of skills that cannot be listed in this context. However, in the days to come we will discuss certain soft skills. Let us share views on effective listening skill.

Listening is a skill that is very essential for all of us particularly when we are communicating with a person. How would we be able to create a good rapport with the person we are talking to if we are not listening? How would a student understand the lesson if he or she is not paying attention to what is being said?  Why were we given two ears but only one mouth?. This is because the process of listening is twice as hard as talking. It is actually difficult and sometimes requires more mental efforts than speaking requires. Such thought provoking questions will certainly lead to brainstorming the issue of listening as a process through which messages are shared and information is exchanged.

Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. Ask questions to clarify certain points.

How many times did you interrupt a speaker before he finishes his talk? Do you think such habit will lead the speaker to think you are interested in his talk will you motivate him to carry on his conversation/? This will not even let you understand the extent of the message and will deprive you a chance to form further questions that can clear your doubts.

So what are the barriers of effective listening? How could we become effective listeners? Why do not we be more conscious about our process of listening so that we can improve our weakness in this area. After all listening takes different shapes and size. It could be between a leader and his subordinates, team members at work, a father and his son , a mother and her daughter or a husband and his wife. Therefore, the quality of your listening will lead to the outcomes.

 Inculcating the skill of being an effective listener is rewarding. Therefore, let us put such a competency as one of our goals.