Ivan Blanco wrote,
"What will high school graduates need to enter the workplace of the 21st
Century? In conversations with educators, South Florida business
executives developed a list of essential skills and personal qualities.
Among them:
[ Phrases in `...' are in bold in the article.]
- `Can independently read' a variety of material.
- `Writes clearly,' using appropriate grammar and structure.
- `Can solve and explain' math problems.
- `Consistently processes' information and current events.
- `Regularly' sets goals.
- `Considers risks' and recognizes censequences.
- `Takes responsibility' for own actions.
- `Knows how' to learn new skills.
- `Works well' in groups.
- `Handles feelings' appropriately.
- `Reasons' and make decisions to solve problems.
- `Understands' and uses scientific ideas and facts.
- `Shows' creativity.
- `Listens' regularly, and answers in appropriate language.
- `Works' and plays safely."
*** end of quote ***
It's intriguing that South Florida business executives developed this
list. How many of them do you think have these skills and regularly apply
them at work or in their lives? If they had employees who possessed these
skills what would they do with them? Most of them would have difficulty
managing them because these people would only accede to leading and
working with other leaders. In most of the organizations that I have
worked, people with these skills would quickly learn to hide them until
they could find employment elsewhere. When I worked in one large Fortune
500 company a young engineer manifested these skills and my boss told me
that we would quickly beat that arrogance out of him! Yep, it's the same
boss that was able to create a performance appraisal environment that
allowed me to choose to cry. Not one of the skills I had well developed
at that point in my career.
Later.
-- Willard Jule 75272.3452@compuserve.com