Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writer
LAST WEEK Monday, the Department of Management Studies (DOMS) in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the West Indies Mona, launched their 'soft skills' development programme - the DOMS Business Advantage.
The programme aims to develop a more rounded graduate who is academically, socially and emotionally ready for the job market and provide the participants with skills which lend themselves to the development of personal growth and self-confidence.
ACADEMIC TALENTS
Dr. Anne Crick, head of the Department of Management Studies, said "the DOMS Business Advantage was born out of our desire to respond to the needs of employers. Based on feedback, we have learnt that employers are generally satisfied with the academic talents of the graduates but find that they fall short in the 'softer skills." She noted that the skills in which graduates are lacking, as detailed by employers, are self-presentation, networking and career management.
"In order to address these deficiencies, the DOMS Business Advantage is designed to develop the skills that future managers will need", she added. She then gave way for Mr. Joseph Pereira, the deputy principal of the UWI, Mona campus, who duly noted that the University has a tendency to focus on the academic side of a student's growth.
TOUGHEST TO MASTER
Guest speaker, businessman Aubyn Hill, pointed out that the 'softer skills' are often the toughest to master. "Success is not achieved by being smart," he says. "There are a lot of smart people who do not make it." Mr. Hill outlined that for one to achieve success, one must develop emotional intelligence, take control of one's impulses, show zeal, be self-motivated, have empathy, social deftness, self-discipline, altruism and humility.
In a presentation punctuated with bouts of humour, he gave some key work success factors that participants should put into practice if they intend to excel in the workplace.
