When Capital Magazine editors asked for a feature article for their November issue, I decided to explore how companies today compete for those hard to land places at the top. Not surprisingly, I discovered that winners tend to champion brain based problem solvers.
Know people in your area who problem solve with the brain in mind? They get remarkable results, from most of their workers, against the backdrop of shifting horizons. Wegmans is the best example of this in my city, so I spotlighted their store for that strength.
Here are highlights from my feature article, titled … "Keeping the Brain in Mind – Boosting Your Problem Solving Power."
“Could Your Workplace Benefit from More Talent? New spurts of human brainpower follow whenever you move worker’s multiple intelligences into increased productivity.
Diversity works here as your greatest asset. For the concert pianist, things will come together at work differently than for the top hockey player. Look around your organization and you’ll find both these experts - and many more.
If one worker is weak in a skill, organizational performance need not suffer. Not when you draw from multiple intelligences to bring the complex pieces of each project together. The key is to negotiate roles and reward quality results. To use multiple intelligences is to help workers put forward their unique strengths as tools for productivity, and to help companies increase their productivity as a result of hidden or unused talents that emerge.”
I challenged business leaders in Capital Magazine to drop the notion of training –for a brain based business that relies more on skill development, since it is important to reframe hard and soft skills to what I call smart skills that get more creative juices flowing:
Here are 10 Smart Skills of the 66 smart skill sets that replace traditional hard and soft skills, for brain based problem solvers.
1. Outcome Based – Do you take solid steps toward doing your ideas?
2. Make Abstracts Concrete – Do you see and work for specific results?
3. Approachability – Do others come to you for advice and for fun?
4. Boss Relationships – Does what you say to the boss show support?
5. Business Acumen – Would others describe you as skilled at work?
6. Career Ambition – Have you upgraded your position lately?
7. Caring About Direct Reports – Do you develop and grow from direct reports?
8. Comfort Around Management - Do you share ideas and learn from management?
9. Command Skills – Do you take and give productive commands?
10. Compassion – Would others at work describe you as compassionate when in need?
Could you see how integration of skills could transcend traditional hard and soft skills, for better problem solving tools where you work?
Congratulations on your article Ellen! I'm going to check it out.
Posted by: Barbra Sundquist | November 21, 2006 11:52 PM | Permalink to Comment