Journey of Growth

Wasique, who had recently graduated from a leading business school in the flourishing city of Melbourne, got his appointment confirmed as a full-time employee at Acme Corporation. Entering the corporate world as a newbie, he was excited yet nervous.

Wasique figured out that in this intensely competitive world, technical skills alone would not be enough. He therefore decided to improve his non-technical skills as well since he was determined to become a versatile professional. In his first few days at Acme Corporation, Wasique recognized that although his technical abilities were valued, there was a gap in his non-technical skills. The sense of realization led him to the decision of improving his non-technical skills since he was determined to become a versatile professional.

As he figured out some of the most essential and sought-after non-technical competencies by the employer, he embarked on the journey to enhance them so as to escalate his career growth and learning to the next level.

Let’s observe the major learnings of Wasique in growing his non-technical skill set.

Stress management

As a novice, Wasique discovered that he reacted hastily to stressful events and put off dealing with them, which made him feel overwhelmed.

When Wasique became aware of his perplexed behaviour, he made the proactive decision to acquire stress management strategies in order to improve his ability to manage stress.

• Wasique built a personal organization system to prioritize work and successfully manage time in order to prevent feeling overwhelmed giving himself a feeling of command and better management.
• He discussed workload and deadlines with his coworkers and managers in order to prevent stressful circumstances.

Supervision and Delegation

Wasique was first reluctant to assign responsibilities to others, sometimes taking on too much work himself, which led to burnout and overlooked chances for the team’s skill development.

• Wasique improved his communication skills and learned active listening to better understand the needs and concerns of his team members and to give them clear direction, instructions and expectations to prevent confusion.
• He also followed seasoned supervisors at Acme Corporation to gain insight from their approaches to supervision and delegation. He offered to manage a group project to get experience of delegating tasks and responsibilities.
• In order to promote an encouraging and inclusive work environment where everyone feels appreciated, he gave his team members constructive feedback and acknowledged their accomplishments.

Emotional Intelligence

Wasique initially had trouble expressing his feelings in an effective way. He also found it difficult to handle disputes in a constructive manner.

Wasique practiced the following techniques to improve his non-technical emotional intelligence skill:

• Wasique tried to fully concentrate on the speaker, focusing on the subtle signals and reflecting back to show empathy.
• He participated in group activities, role-playing exercises and public speaking forums to enhance communication and collaboration.
• He engaged in perspective-taking activities and candid talks with a variety of people to understand their experiences.

Leadership

It was difficult for Wasique to give his team a clear direction. He frequently felt the need to strictly monitor and regulate every action, which made him realize that he should actively develop this skill.

• He fostered an environment of accountability by taking responsibility for mistakes and learning from them.
• He developed good decision-making abilities by taking into account different viewpoints and evaluating the benefits and drawbacks. Through clear vision and efficient communication, he inspired and encouraged his team members.
• He sought out leadership development programs and courses offered by Acme Corporation as well as other organizations.
• He studied, attended workshops and asked for feedback to continually improve his leadership skills. He also undertook difficult undertakings and efforts that needed him to undertake a leadership position.

Humility

Wasique noticed that he had a tendency to continuously showcase his own accomplishments and skills and would become defensive anytime he received critique.

But over time, he attempted to develop humility in himself in the following ways:

• He graciously took feedback and constructive criticism, considering it as an avenue for improvement. He refrained from superfluous self-promotion and highlighted the team’s achievement.
• He respected and valued the skills and contributions of his team members. He participated in workshops on inclusion and diversity to foster a mindset of inclusion.
• Wasique also participated in voluntary work and service to the community to develop humility in him.

Critical thinking

Being a newbie, Wasique encountered difficulties when trying to evaluate complicated issues to divide them into manageable units and explore possible solutions.

He cultivated his critical thinking skill in below mentioned manner:

• Wasique made a habit to review his preconceptions, biases and prejudices regularly. He also posed witty questions to confront ideas.
• He began to solve puzzles and study from a variety of sources more often. He also worked on case studies and took on difficult tasks that required brainstorming.
• He interacted with people from diverse backgrounds, took part in group discussions and promoted candid communication.
• He spent time analyzing sources, learning efficient research methods and organizing data.

Over the period, Wasique realized that developing his non-technical skills would not only make him more valuable as an asset but also strengthen his ability to lead, communicate and collaborate. Developing non-technical skills is an ongoing process where perseverance and commitment are the keys to success. By working on them actively, one can give more to the team and organization and create more prospects for growth and progress.

In this tale of growth and self-improvement, Wasique’s commitment to developing his non-technical abilities helped him transform from a fresh graduate to a competent professional. As he continued to excel in his career and alter the perception of success within Acme Corporation and beyond, he also inspired others to begin their own journey of personal and professional development.

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(Name of the character and company in this story are fictional)