| On our last trip to Zurich, Switzerland, my
son wanted my husband and me to bring him back an authentic Swiss Army knife. Steve and I
shopped until we found the ultimate knife as pictured above and brought it home to Mark.
It was well made, had solid craftsmanship, and was true to
its core selling point: it was knife! But it was not just a knife – it was anything
from a cork screw to a fingernail file. If you ever owned or examined one of these knives,
you may have marveled at its versatility as I did. When I held the knife in my hand and
personally opened each implement, I realized the knife was scary!
Thomas Friedman, author of the popular book, The World
is Flat, says that 21st Century employees need to be as versatile as a Swiss Army
knife – the worldwide icon for function, durability, and ingenuity. Freidman
recommends that individuals be well founded in their core identity and well rounded in
their ability to respond to many different types of job requirements.
From my experience, individuals tend to be a
jack-of-all-trades and master of none or an absolute powerhouse with tunnel vision. Which
one rings true to your personality?
The mantra for the past several years has been 'do more
with less' so it should come as no surprise that the global marketplace demands us to be
true to our core characteristics as the powerhouse of performance yet destroy tunnel
vision and master more skills – or resemble a Swiss Army knife.
In a Swiss Army knife, the tunnel vision or core tools are
a large blade and a small blade. Then you start with options and can chose paraphernalia
from can openers and tweezers to toothpicks and a Phillips screwdriver. Don't forget the
pliers with a wire cutter and wire crimper.
Think about your core strengths. Are they in sales and
marketing, technology, business management, human resources, research and design, etc.?
Now from the wish list below, put a check by the
characteristics that if developed, would make you more functional and add value to your
resume. Even a jack-of-all-trades should find something on this list he/she could improve.
Start each sentence with "I am":
__Committed to providing total quality work
__Punctual, trustworthy and dependable
__ Competent at managing responsibilities in a high-pressure environment
__ Cooperative with a wide range of personalities
__ Accomplished at gaining trust and winning a customer's confidence
__ A good communicator in both verbal and written communication skills
__ Effective in completing assignments despite changing priorities
__ Good at identifying, analyzing, and solving problems
__ A team player and consistently contribute to team production
__ Resourceful in solving problems and maximizing resources
__ Enthusiastic and optimistic
__ Skilled in handling the public with diplomacy and professionalism
__ Good at adapting to new equipment and technology
__ Capable of organizing workflow, ideas, materials, people
__ Skilled at working with people with diverse backgrounds
__ Excellent as a leader
This list is to get you started thinking about the
different skill sets you could develop that would make you more valuable to your
organization, as valuable as a Swiss Army knife is to the outdoorsman. When you develop
skills in addition to your core strengths, you will find the versatility puts you in a
unique echelon of achievers. |
