The skills that have most come into play in my career are those that aren’t technical in nature. These can be done by anyone, anytime regardless of education or training. In no particular order, these include:
- Smiling — A powerful way to say so much.
- Efficiency — I truly believe that the amount of time something takes is how much time is allotted.
- Communication — You can increase trust and confidence by communicating with frequency.
- Positive attitude — If you are a manager, you appreciate those who have a positive attitude toward what needs to be done.
- Open-mindedness — When change happens, as it always does, having an open mind toward change makes the difference.
- Interest in others — Learning about people and remembering the details of their lives will make them want to help you. It’s also just part of being a good human being.
- Being eclectic — The world is big. Having a broad frame of interests will make you more interesting and able to converse.
- Courage — Courage is usually a matter of being afraid but doing what needs to be done anyway.
- Nothing too big or too small — There are times when you are requested to do something enormous and other times when tasks seem beneath you. You need to be able to do both with enthusiasm.
- Always learning — I had a co-worker who once came to a meeting and said, “Whatever we are having today, I want a big bowl!” It helps to always be looking forward.
I hope to continue what I’m doing for a long time, but I know that any job I might ever have, I will approach it the same way.
Meandering 