Category: Self-Management & Professionalism

• Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  [VIDEO] What are Your Weaknesses?

  What are Your Weaknesses? That question or some version of it will come up during most interviews. Your answer will shed light on your willingness to be transparent and authentic. I would even say, to a certain extent, it provides a glimpse of your ethics. Years ago, when I was… Read more
• Communication Self-Management & Professionalism Teamwork & Collaboration

  

  [VIDEO] A Quick Lesson on Email Terms for Students & Young Professionals

  Conducting training sessions on fundamental business writing skills for young professionals has helped me realize one thing: half of y’all don’t even know what the basic email terms and functions are. Do you? Let’s do a quick review. What does Cc stand for and what is its function? Cc stands for carbon copy. When… Read more
• Communication Decision-Making & Problem Solving Leadership, Influence, & Persuasion Self-Management & Professionalism Teamwork & Collaboration

  

  [VIDEO] Is Getting a Driver’s License a Soft Skill?

  A few years ago, during Skill Talk Ep. 1, Dr. Michelle B. Lee told me about an article she was reading. “I found it interesting that they listed a driver’s license as a soft skill,” she said. At one point in time, before I developed the Five Soft Skills Clusters… Read more
• Communication Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  5 Quick Tips for Update Your Resume Month

  In observance of International Update Your Resume Month, here are five quick tips that will help your resume do what is supposed to do: market your personal brand and get you the interview. 1. Tailor your resume according to the industry and position. Tailoring your resume makes it more relevant… Read more
• Communication Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  [VIDEO] The Impact of Business Writing Skills on the Perception of Who You are as a Professional

  Is perception reality? Well, not literally, but perception does play a big role in your reality as a professional. That’s why it’s not unusual to hear someone say, “Perception is reality.” Duncan Nugget® #359: When you communicate, you shape a person’s perception of who you are. The first cluster in… Read more
• Decision-Making & Problem Solving Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  A Few Questions to Ask Yourself at the Beginning of the Semester

  Are you starting a new semester with the same old bad habits? I hope not. If you are going to start, make it a good start. I know… “Duh!” Who doesn’t know that, right? But yet and still many people fail to set themselves up properly for success. Here are… Read more
• Communication Decision-Making & Problem Solving Leadership, Influence, & Persuasion Self-Management & Professionalism Teamwork & Collaboration

  

  [VIDEO] Soft Skills are the Foundation of Success

  Million-Dollar Question: What do successful people do on a daily basis that helps them to achieve their goals?   During training sessions, I frequently ask people some version of that question. The vast majority of the time they respond with something related to soft skills and a routine. In fact, you… Read more
• Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  Does Enthusiasm Strengthen or Weaken Your Personal Brand?

  It’s International Enthusiasm Week so, let’s talk about the pros and cons of enthusiasm. The word “enthusiasm’ was borrowed from the Greek enthousiasmos, meaning “inspiration or possession by a god.” Ok, the “inspiration” part sounds like a good thing, right? It makes people think words like energetic, initiative, and motivated.… Read more
• Communication Decision-Making & Problem Solving Leadership, Influence, & Persuasion Self-Management & Professionalism Teamwork & Collaboration

  

  [VIDEO] Soft Skills Have Been Around Since the Dawn of the Human Race

  During a virtual training for a group of young professionals, I asked, “What are technical skills or hard skills?” Donna, who was unmuted, responded first, “You know how to use a certain software or a lab machine. Something like that.” Michael, Tara, and Ashley put their answers in the chat:… Read more
• Communication Self-Management & Professionalism Tools & Downloads

  

  Million-Dollar Networking Questions for Business Events, Conferences, College & Career Fairs

  Strong professional relationships are resources that can give you a competitive advantage in the 21st Century and one of the best ways to start building professional relationships is with great networking questions. We have created a list of 10 powerful networking questions and variations to keep awkward silence and fruitless… Read more
• Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  Identifying In-Demand Soft Skills in Your Profession

  [Excerpt from the Soft Skills Success Plan] Whether it is building a particular skill set or searching for keywords to put on a resume, when people are trying to figure out what soft skills they need to achieve their goals and objectives they often seek advice from their peers, parents,… Read more
• Self-Management & Professionalism Tools & Downloads

  

  Your Personal Brand Statement Template

  PERSONAL BRAND STATEMENT TEMPLATE: HOW TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF THE EASY WAY Now you can download one of our most popular training tools for free. 1. This is a great response to “Tell me a little bit about yourself.” You can also use it in professional networking situations or whenever someone asks, “Who… Read more
• Communication Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  Skill Talk Ep. 29: Weak or Not?

  Dr. Lee and Al  discuss  whether or not 6 common words make you sound weak in the wor Read more
• Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  Skill Talk Ep. 27: Self-Management & Professionalism Pt. 2

  Skill Talk™ Ep. 27 – Self-Management & Professionalism Pt. 2 – Dr. Lee and Al discuss the Self-Management & Professionalism soft skills cluster. Main topics discussed are: Many people judge professionalism based on attire How your actions and behaviors relate to your professionalism Personal Branding Skill Talk Season 1 episodes Read more
• Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  Skill Talk Ep. 26: Self-Management & Professionalism Pt. 1

  Skill Talk™ Ep. 26 – Self-Management & Professionalism Pt. 1 – Dr. Lee and Al discuss the Self-Management & Professionalism soft skills cluster. Main Topics discussed are: Self-Discipline Initiative Integrity Time Management Duncan Nugget® #31: Learn from the past, plan for future, take action…NOW. Skill Talk Season 1 episodes Read more
• Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  Skill Talk Ep.25: Adapting to Current Times

  Dr. Lee and Al  discuss the  power of  adaptability and resourcefulness: the ability to find clever ways to overcome difficulties.  Duncan Nugget® 251: A crucial skill to have under pressure is adaptability. The more you can adapt the more you can overcome. Read more
• Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  Skill Talk Ep. 23: What’s Your ROI?

  [Download episode worksheet.] Dr. Lee and Al  discuss the importance of Return on Investment (ROI) and the value of your actions. Return on Investment (ROI) is the value you are getting in exchange for your scarce resources. Scarce resources are TIME, ENERGY, EFFORT and MONEY.  ROI is about understanding the value… Read more
• Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  Skill Talk Ep. 21: An Overlooked Master Ability

  [Download episode worksheet.] Dr. Lee and Al discuss the importance of delayed gratification and how it can help you accomplish your goals. Delayed gratification is a battle between your habits.  It’s a battle between what you want now and in the future. Impulse Control allows logic and reason to win over… Read more
• Communication Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  Skill Talk Ep. 20: Tell me about yourself|Personal Branding

  [Download episode worksheet] Michelle and Al recap the seminar hosted at the University of Virgin Islands, St, Thomas. Three of the main things to focus on during a job interview are your strengths, weaknesses and potential.  Focus more on what you can do and less on what you can’t do. And… Read more
• Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  Skill Talk Ep. 19 – Doing Too Much!

  Dr. Lee and Al discuss goal setting and the problem with doing too much at one time. Read more
• Self-Management & Professionalism Teamwork & Collaboration

  

  Skill Talk Ep. 18: Blame is Lame

  [Download episode worksheet] Dr. Lee and Al discuss discuss a situation when a worker was not accountable for their actions. If you don’t know what’s going on…Be humble enough, smart enough and curious enough to ask questions. Accountability starts before the action, continues during the action and after the action. … Read more
• Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  Skill Talk Ep. 15: The Power of Focus

  [Download episode worksheet] Dr. Lee and Al Duncan discuss the Power of Focus. Focus is part of self-management and professionalism skills cluster. Duncan Nugget® #21: Focus is difficult to achieve because it requires sacrifice.  Read more
• Decision-Making & Problem Solving Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  Skill Talk Ep. 8: Resilience – Comeback Power!

  [Download episode worksheet] Dr. Lee and Al discuss one of Michelle’s best soft skills: resilience. Resilience is the ability to adapt and bounce back when things don’t go as planned. Resilience is a powerful tool for accomplishing your goals. One of the keys to resilience is taking time to identify what… Read more
• S3 News & Events Self-Management & Professionalism

  

  Skill Talk Ep. 5 – Delaware State University {LIVE}

  [Download episode worksheet.] Dr. Lee and Al discuss the great time they had with faculty, staff, and students at Delaware State University as part of the S3 National Tour. One of the main reasons you get hired is because your personal brand separates you from other candidates. So, the three… Read more