Work Skills. Business - Research Paper Example

? Work Skills By: September 19, Dolores Biggett Assertive people can help other coworkers by inspiring them to improve their performance at work. Contrary to the virtues of being assertive being aggressive at work most of the times lead to bad results. All professions in the 21st century are changing due to a variety of factors, thus professionals have to pursue a higher level of excellence by educating themselves on the latest trends, regulations, and research associated with their careers. People that have bachelor’s degrees can become proactive by seeking a professional degree or a master’s degree. The globalization movement has shifted a lot of jobs from the developed countries to the emerging economies. Workers in many professional fields are facing competition for jobs from foreign candidates as the United States has become more proactive in giving work visas to foreigners with specialized skills. To build a success team in the workplace the first step is to find a good leader. Teammates that are not able to communicate well or connect with each other diminish the chances of synergy ever being achieved by the group. The use of technology in the workplace has allowed employees to become more productive. Technology has helped improve the working conditions of disabled people which increased the job opportunities for this special group of people (Cohn, 2000). Introduction Employers look for employees that are assertive because assertiveness can help workers make better decisions. Aggressiveness is not a desirable trait recruiters seek in their employees. A person that takes a proactive career approach has a better chance of succeeding than people that are inactive and passive. The globalization movement has changed the workplace forever as diversity increased and international labor competition threatens the jobs of many blue collar American workers. Synergy is a characteristic present in many successful teams. Technological advancements increased the efficiency and productivity of employees around the world, but it also increased the pressures of workers due to higher managerial expectations. 1. Being Assertive instead of Being Aggressive at Work Being assertive is a great attribute to have in the workplace. Assertive people are characterized by making bold and confident statements (Merriam-webster, 2011). They can help other coworkers by inspiring them to improve their performance at work. Managers and leaders in the workplace tend to be assertive people. The majority of successful entrepreneurs are for the most part assertive people (Adams, 2001). Employees that are assertive tend to be more motivated and their actions improve the corporate culture of a firm. Companies should target assertiveness as a desirable characteristic in the employee recruitment process. Assertive employees can outperform passive employees because they are more active and motivated. Contrary to the virtues of being assertive aggressiveness at work most of the times lead to bad results. Aggressiveness often leads to miscommunication among the workers. The perception that someone is being aggressive can create tensions in the workplace. Aggressive managers are not able to connect well with their employees. Normally an employee feels threaten by a manager that displays aggressive behavior. Yelling in the workplace is an example of an aggressive undesirable behavior in the workplace. People do not speak back when aggressive co-workers interact with them for fear of retaliation (Lloyd). Sometimes aggressiveness can work in a person’s favor. During a negotiation process is better to take an aggressive stance in order to gain a psychological advantage over the other party. Overall I would rather have an employee that is assertive than an aggressive worker. When aggressiveness is not controlled by a person it can implode and lead to disasters. Physical violence can occur when an aggressive person loses control of his emotions. Managers should incorporate anger management training in order to help employees reduce and control aggressive tendencies that can lead to verbal or physical violence. 2. Being Proactive in Your Career It is important for people to take their careers seriously. A way to achieve that goal is by being proactive. An example of a proactive career approach is going back to school to earn a degree (Aboutcareereducation, 2011). People that take a proactive career approach must make plans for their futures. Patience and hard work are needed to move up the corporate ladder. Having a proactive career path implies setting career goals such as seeking a promotion within three years. Continued education is a part of a proactive career path. All professions in the 21st century are changing due to a variety of factors, thus professionals have to pursue a higher level of excellence by educating themselves on the latest trends, regulations, and research associated with their careers. Seeking help from educational institutions and organizations is a great strategy. This can be achieved by enrolling in seminars and short courses. People that have bachelor’s degrees can become proactive by seeking a professional degree or a master’s degree. A proactive career approach can also mean being willing to change career paths. If a person does not like their current job, quitting and seeking a new job in a new industry or profession is being proactive. Proactive behavior is illustrated when a person can spot out an opportunity others do not visualize (Kauffman, 2011). When a person is unemployed proactive people seek employment everyday since to them looking for a job is their job. Passive non-proactive people do not start looking for work until their unemployment benefits run out. Such a passive strategy can lead to financial distress. “Becoming proactive in your career means that you are not only going to prepare yourself for the next step, but you will work on achieving your magnum opus--the highest level you want to achieve in the lifetime of your career” (Haberman, 2011). People have a better chance to succeed in their careers by being proactive. The proactive career approach taken by Bill Clinton helped him become the president of the United States of America. 3. Globalization in the World of Work Globalization in the workplace has become a reality that corporations and their employees must adapt too. The globalization movement has shifted a lot of jobs from the developed countries to the emerging economies. The costs of labor in places such as China are a fraction compared to the costs of labor in the United States. The cost of factory labor in China is approximately $0.64 cents an hour (Businessweek, 2004). In the United States the minimum wage is over ten times higher and the average manufacturing hourly labor is over 32 times higher than in China. The United States has shifted into a knowledge economy. In this economy workers need to have specialized skills to obtain employment in the job marketplace. The globalization movement has increased the importance of producing quality products. Employees in manufacturing lines cannot make mistakes since US manufactures differentiate themselves from China in terms of quality. This has raised the pressures employees face on a daily basis. Education has become more important than in ever for the American worker. In the United States about 29% of the population has a bachelor’s degree (Yahoo, 2011). Many workplaces have changed due to the globalization movement. Workers today have to interact more with customers from around the world. E-commerce is one of the hottest trends that proliferated largely in part to the impact globalization had on the world. Workers in many professional fields are facing competition for jobs from foreign candidates as the United States has become more proactive in giving work visas to foreigners with specialized skills. “The continuing integration of the rich United States with a far poorer global economy has provoked much anxiety among American workers” (Bivens, 2007). Sometimes American workers forget that the globalization movement is also helping the US economy. Consumers in America are able to purchase cheap clothes and other consumer products due to the lower manufacturing costs in emerging economies. Workers also benefit from outsourcing contracts that help companies’ lower costs and increase their profitability to be able to hire more American workers. 4. How to Build Successful Work Teams Working in groups or teams has become a critical success factor in the 21st century. Teamwork can be defined as the process of working collaborative with a group of people in order to get a goal accomplished (Businessdictionary, 2011). To build a successful team in the workplace the first step is to find a good leader. The project manager or team leader is supposed to guide the efforts of the rest of the team members. Keeping the lines of communication open is necessary for work teams to be successful. Teammates that are not able to communicate well or connect with each other diminish the chances of synergy ever being achieved by the group. Synergy occurs when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts (Schermerhorn, Osborn, Hunt, 2003). It is important for the team to have a good action plan to accomplish the tasks the group is assigned. Diversity can enhance the efficiency of the team. A diverse group is more creative since its members have different perspectives on life. Avoiding conflict can help a team become more efficient since conflict leads to undesirable tensions that negatively impact the work output of the team. Cohesiveness is a desirable attribute for the team to achieve. The team leader should set norms for the members to follow in order to establish disciplinary and work expectations. Successful teams rely on the efforts of all team members. When selecting team members skills such as multitasking and analytical abilities are attributes the members should have. Prior to starting a team exercise the chances of success increase if the company provides training for the team members. Time management is necessary for teams to deliver a project on time. Keeping track of the expenses is essential to keep the project within budget. Having the commitment of all team members greatly increases the chances of a team succeeding (Heathfield, 2011). Each team member should have a clearly defined role. 5. New Technology in the Workplace The use of technology in the workplace has allowed employees to become more productive. It has also made the jobs of many employees simpler. For instance in the past office workers had to use to the post office to send correspondence and messages to their customers. Today the internet has simplified the process by allowing workers to send emails to customers. This technology has made communication between companies and customers faster, cheaper, and more efficient. Technology has helped improve the working conditions of disabled people which increased the job opportunities for this special group of people (Cohn, 2000). Technology has had an adverse effect for workers in some industry. In the manufacturing sector technology has allowed companies to automated manufacturing lines. The effect of technology is this sector is that many workers have been replaced by robots. When a manager introduces a new technology in the workplace they must provide training for the workers on how to utilize the technological advancement. Technology has enabled companies to create jobs without the need of the employees being physically present in the corporate location. Telecommuting has become one of the hottest trends in the workplace in the 21st century (Stanford). Developed countries such as the United States depend on technology to achieve high productivity levels. The United States can no longer compete in labor intensive industries due to the fact that labor costs are much lower in emerging economies such as China. Technology has put more pressure on workers since the productivity expectations of managers are higher now. “A number of factors influence an individual’s attitude toward new technology, including gender, age, and peers’ perceptions and attitudes” (Usabilityviews, 2005). Older employees have a harder time adapting to new technologies. Generation Y workers can adapt easier to new technologies because they were raised in an era in which technology was a part of their everyday lives. As we move forward in the 21 century technology is going to be more influential in the workplace. Employees must embrace technology and adapt to the technological changes. Conclusion Aggressive workers are not in high demand in the workplace, but assertiveness is a desirable trait. Due to the higher competition in the labor force taking a proactive career approach is a strategy most employees should embrace. The globalization movement has changed the workplace forever. Employees must accept and adapt to the changes. Three qualities of successful work teams are good communication, cohesiveness, and leadership. Technology has changed the workplace forever, but for the most part the changes have been positive for the workforce. References Aboutcareereducation.com (2011). A Proactive Approach to Your Career. Retrieved September 18, 2011 from http://www.aboutcareereducation.com/pages/career-approach.php Adams, P. (2001). Successful entrepreneurs depend on being assertive. The Business Journals. Retrieved September 18, 2011 fromhttp://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2001/10/29/smallb3.html Bivens, J. (2007). Globalization and American Wages: Today and Tomorrow. Retrieved September 18, 2011 from http://www.epi.org/publication/bp196/ Businessdictionary.com (2011). Teamwork. Retrieved September 19, 2011 from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/teamwork.html Businessweek.com (2004). Just How Cheap is Chinese Labor? Retrieved September 18, 2011 from http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/dec2004/nf2004122_6762_db039.htm Cohn, M. (2000). How Does Technology Affect the Workplace Today? Retrieved September 19, 2011 from http://www.ieeeusa.org/careers/careercon/proceeding/mcohn.pdf Haberman, T. (2011). Becoming Proactive in Your Career. 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Retrieved September 19, 2011 from http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~eroberts/cs201/projects/effect-on-interpersonal-skills/Work1.htm Usabilityviews.com (2005). Introducing New Technology in the Workplace. Retrieved September 19, 2011 from http://www.usabilityviews.com/uv010633.html Yahoo.com (2011). What percentage of people in the US has a bachelor’s degree. Retrieved September 18, 2011 from http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080701175820AAyYttC Read More