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Gain persuasive examples to demonstrate my proficiency in customer and personal service before 1st December 2021.  

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Gain persuasive examples to demonstrate my proficiency in customer and personal service before 1st December 2021.  

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Customer and personal service is one of the top 4 most important for Human Resource Manager (Job Outlook 2021). My current proficiency is indifferent. I can meaningfully enhance this competency by completing online Customer Service Skills course offered by company Alison (Alison, 2021).

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Certification

All Alison courses are free to enrol, study and complete. To successfully complete this Certificate course and become an Alison Graduate, you need to achieve 80% or higher in each course assessment. Once you have completed this Certificate course, you have the option to acquire an official Certificate, which is a great way to share your achievement with the world. Your Alison Certificate is:

Ideal for sharing with potential employers - include it in your CV, professional social media profiles and job applications
An indication of your commitment to continuously learn, upskill and achieve high results
An incentive for you to continue empowering yourself through lifelong learning

Alison offers 3 types of Certificates for completed Certificate courses:

Digital Certificate - a downloadable Certificate in PDF format, immediately available to you when you complete your purchase
Certificate - a physical version of your officially branded and security-marked Certificate, posted to you with FREE shipping
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All Certificates are available to purchase through the Alison Shop. For more information on purchasing Alison Certificates, please visit our FAQs. If you decide not to purchase your Alison Certificate, you can still demonstrate your achievement by sharing your Learner Record or Learner Achievement Verification, both of which are accessible from your Dashboard. For more details on our Certificate pricing, please visit our Pricing Page.

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Customer Service Skills | Free online course | Alison

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All Alison courses are free to enrol, study and complete. To successfully complete this Certificate course and become an Alison Graduate, you need to achieve 80% or higher in each course assessment. Once you have completed this Certificate course, you have the option to acquire an official Certificate, which is a great way to share your achievement with the world.

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Gain persuasive examples to demonstrate my proficiency in active listening by 20th December 2021.

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Gain persuasive examples to demonstrate my proficiency in active listening by 20th December 2021.

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Active listening is one of the top 4 most important for Human Resource Manager (Job Outlook, 2021). My current proficiency is like to use. I can meaningfully enhance this competency by participating in scenarios where I am able to give the speaker regular feedback. (Forbes, 2012).

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by Dianne Schilling

You might also enjoy this article: 9 Small Steps That Will Make You Happier, Starting Now

In today's high-tech, high-speed, high-stress world, communication is more important then ever, yet we seem to devote less and less time to really listening to one another. Genuine listening has become a rare gift-the gift of time. It helps build relationships, solve problems, ensure understanding, resolve conflicts, and improve accuracy. At work, effective listening means fewer errors and less wasted time. At home, it helps develop resourceful, self-reliant kids who can solve their own problems. Listening builds friendships and careers. It saves money and marriages.

Here are 10 tips to help you develop effective listening skills.

Step 1: Face the speaker and maintain eye contact.

Talking to someone while they scan the room, study a computer screen, or gaze out the window is like trying to hit a moving target. How much of the person's divided attention you are actually getting? Fifty percent? Five percent? If the person were your child you might demand, "Look at me when I'm talking to you," but that's not the sort of thing we say to a lover, friend or colleague.

In most Western cultures, eye contact is considered a basic ingredient of effective communication. When we talk, we look each other in the eye. That doesn't mean that you can't carry on a conversation from across the room, or from another room, but if the conversation continues for any length of time, you (or the other person) will get up and move. The desire for better communication pulls you together.

Do your conversational partners the courtesy of turning to face them. Put aside papers, books, the phone and other distractions. Look at them, even if they don't look at you. Shyness, uncertainty, shame, guilt, or other emotions, along with cultural taboos, can inhibit eye contact in some people under some circumstances. Excuse the other guy, but stay focused yourself.

Step 2: Be attentive, but relaxed.

Now that you've made eye contact, relax. You don't have to stare fixedly at the other person. You can look away now and then and carry on like a normal person. The important thing is to be attentive. The dictionary says that to "attend" another person means to:

be present

give attention

apply or direct yourself

pay attention

remain ready to serve

Mentally screen out distractions, like background activity and noise. In addition, try not to focus on the speaker's accent or speech mannerisms to the point where they become distractions. Finally, don't be distracted by your own thoughts, feelings, or biases.

Step 3: Keep an open mind.

Listen without judging the other person or mentally criticizing the things she tells you. If what she says alarms you, go ahead and feel alarmed, but don't say to yourself, "Well, that was a stupid move." As soon as you indulge in judgmental bemusements, you've compromised your effectiveness as a listener.

Listen without jumping to conclusions. Remember that the speaker is using language to represent the thoughts and feelings inside her brain. You don't know what those thoughts and feelings are and the only way you'll find out is by listening.

Don't be a sentence-grabber. Occasionally my partner can't slow his mental pace enough to listen effectively, so he tries to speed up mine by interrupting and finishing my sentences. This usually lands him way off base, because he is following his own train of thought and doesn't learn where my thoughts are headed. After a couple of rounds of this, I usually ask, "Do you want to have this conversation by yourself, or do you want to hear what I have to say?" I wouldn't do that with everyone, but it works with him.

Step 4: Listen to the words and try to picture what the speaker is saying.

Allow your mind to create a mental model of the information being communicated. Whether a literal picture, or an arrangement of abstract concepts, your brain will do the necessary work if you stay focused, with senses fully alert. When listening for long stretches, concentrate on, and remember, key words and phrases.

When it's your turn to listen, don't spend the time planning what to say next. You can't rehearse and listen at the same time. Think only about what the other person is saying.

Finally, concentrate on what is being said, even if it bores you. If your thoughts start to wander, immediately force yourself to refocus.

Step 5: Don't interrupt and don't impose your "solutions."

Children used to be taught that it's rude to interrupt. I'm not sure that message is getting across anymore. Certainly the opposite is being modeled on the majority of talk shows and reality programs, where loud, aggressive, in-your-face behavior is condoned, if not encouraged.

Interrupting sends a variety of messages. It says:

"I'm more important than you are."

"What I have to say is more interesting, accurate or relevant."

"I don't really care what you think."

"I don't have time for your opinion."

"This isn't a conversation, it's a contest, and I'm going to win."

We all think and speak at different rates. If you are a quick thinker and an agile talker, the burden is on you to relax your pace for the slower, more thoughtful communicator-or for the guy who has trouble expressing himself.

When listening to someone talk about a problem, refrain from suggesting solutions. Most of us don't want your advice anyway. If we do, we'll ask for it. Most of us prefer to figure out our own solutions. We need you to listen and help us do that. Somewhere way down the line, if you are absolutely bursting with a brilliant solution, at least get the speaker's permission. Ask, "Would you like to hear my ideas?"

Step 6: Wait for the speaker to pause to ask clarifying questions.

When you don't understand something, of course you should ask the speaker to explain it to you. But rather than interrupt, wait until the speaker pauses. Then say something like, "Back up a second. I didn't understand what you just said about..."

Step 7: Ask questions only to ensure understanding.

At lunch, a colleague is excitedly telling you about her trip to Vermont and all the wonderful things she did and saw. In the course of this chronicle, she mentions that she spent some time with a mutual friend. You jump in with, "Oh, I haven't heard from Alice in ages. How is she?" and, just like that, discussion shifts to Alice and her divorce, and the poor kids, which leads to a comparison of custody laws, and before you know it an hour is gone and Vermont is a distant memory.

This particular conversational affront happens all the time. Our questions lead people in directions that have nothing to do with where they thought they were going. Sometimes we work our way back to the original topic, but very often we don't.

When you notice that your question has led the speaker astray, take responsibility for getting the conversation back on track by saying something like, "It was great to hear about Alice, but tell me more about your adventure in Vermont."

Step 8: Try to feel what the speaker is feeling.

If you feel sad when the person with whom you are talking expresses sadness, joyful when she expresses joy, fearful when she describes her fears-and convey those feelings through your facial expressions and words-then your effectiveness as a listener is assured. Empathy is the heart and soul of good listening.

To experience empathy, you have to put yourself in the other person's place and allow yourself to feel what it is like to be her at that moment. This is not an easy thing to do. It takes energy and concentration. But it is a generous and helpful thing to do, and it facilitates communication like nothing else does.

Step 9: Give the speaker regular feedback.

Show that you understand where the speaker is coming from by reflecting the speaker's feelings. "You must be thrilled!" "What a terrible ordeal for you." "I can see that you are confused." If the speaker's feelings are hidden or unclear, then occasionally paraphrase the content of the message. Or just nod and show your understanding through appropriate facial expressions and an occasional well-timed "hmmm" or "uh huh."

The idea is to give the speaker some proof that you are listening, and that you are following her train of thought-not off indulging in your own fantasies while she talks to the ether.

In task situations, regardless of whether at work or home, always restate instructions and messages to be sure you understand correctly.

Step 10: Pay attention to what isn't said-to nonverbal cues.

If you exclude email, the majority of direct communication is probably nonverbal. We glean a great deal of information about each other without saying a word. Even over the telephone, you can learn almost as much about a person from the tone and cadence of her voice than from anything she says. When I talk to my best friend, it doesn't matter what we chat about, if I hear a lilt and laughter in her voice, I feel reassured that she's doing well.

Face to face with a person, you can detect enthusiasm, boredom, or irritation very quickly in the expression around the eyes, the set of the mouth, the slope of the shoulders. These are clues you can't ignore. When listening, remember that words convey only a fraction of the message.

Listening Skills Exercise: Summarize, Summarize, Summarize!

For at least one week, at the end of every conversation in which information is exchanged, conclude with a summary statement. In conversations that result in agreements about future obligations or activities, summarizing will not only ensure accurate follow-through, it will feel perfectly natural. In conversations that do not include agreements, if summarizing feels awkward just explain that you are doing it as an exercise.

Dianne Schilling is a writer, editor, graphic artist and instructional designer who specializes in the development of educational materials and customized training programs for business and industry. She holds a masters degree in counseling and is a founding partner of WomensMedia.

You might also enjoy this article: 9 Small Steps That Will Make You Happier, Starting Now.

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Today communication is more important then ever, yet we seem to devote less time to really listening to one another. It helps build relationships, solve problems, ensure understanding, resolve conflicts, and improve accuracy. At work, effective listening means fewer errors and less wasted time.

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Gain persuasive examples to demonstrate my proficiency in teamwork by 10th January 2022.

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Gain persuasive examples to demonstrate my proficiency in teamwork by 10th January 2022.

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Teamwork is a transferable skill (UniSA, 2021). My current proficiency is 3. I can meaningfully enhance this competency by actively undertaking suggestions to improve my teamwork skills. (UO People, 2021).

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You've probably heard the saying, "It's not what you know. It's who you know." In a similar way, employee satisfaction in a workplace tends to rely less on the actual job and more on the company culture. This is why, as a leader, it pays to know how to improve teamwork skills.

Teamwork skills are important for more than just work. The essence of teamwork exists when you're in school. It also is a part of all your meaningful relationships in life.

Importance Of Teamwork And Collaboration

Teamwork brings people together to work towards a common goal. The importance of teamwork and collaboration does not go unnoticed.

When people work together, they can feel more satisfied and part of something bigger.

Working together entails all of the following, plus more:

Leaders: Leaders emerge in teams. They help to motivate team members and keep everyone aligned on the path to success.

Communicate: When working together, you open up lines of communication. In this way, you can share your ideas and express your concerns.

Benefit Of Different Skill Sets: People can definitely work alone. But when you bring people from diverse backgrounds together, you get the added value of mixed skill sets. This can create better outcomes.

New And Creative Skills: Through communication, team members can come up with new and creative ideas.

Problem-Solving Is Maximized: Since everyone approaches a problem with a different perspective, working together makes problem-solving easier. Your teammate may see a solution that you otherwise wouldn't think of!

How To Improve Teamwork Skills

Teamwork takes work. People have different points of views, skills, and histories. So, when bringing groups together, there is bound to be some tension at times.

However, there are ways to improve teamwork skills. Here are 9 ideas for how to improve teamwork:

1. Know Your Goal

People in teams are working towards a common goal. At the same time, every individual may have their own smaller goals to reach. Everyone should know their goals and what they are responsible for. This way, nothing falls through the cracks. Also, everyone understands how their contribution adds to the bigger picture and value.

2. Clarify Your Roles

Within a team, everyone should also understand their responsibilities. By understanding, you can help to avoid anyone overstepping boundaries.

3. Positive Mindset

Everything you do comes down to your mindset. If you can help to foster a caring and supportive environment, you can help promote positive mindsets. When problems arise, people should feel empowered to solve them. A positive mindset also means that people feel able to address anything that comes their way.

4. Manage Time Efficiently

In teams, one person's work may rely on another's. So, it's important to practice proper time management and communicate deadlines.

5. Share Enthusiasm

Everyone feels better when they receive positive feedback. It's really important to celebrate one another and share enthusiasm.

6. Exercise Together

Another way to build teamwork outside of the boardroom or classroom is outside activities. Exercising is just one idea to help strengthen teamwork. Exercising helps train a positive mindset and also requires motivation, just like work.

7. Establish Team Rules And Purpose

People should feel free to share their opinions and speak candidly with one another in a team. Yet, there still needs to be some guiding rules. As a manager or leader, it's up to you to build these and share them with the team.

8. Do Not Complain

Complaining is wasted energy. More often than not, a complaint is just a problem that has a solution. Rather than complaining about it, you can work together to solve the issue.

9. Do Not Fight Over Credit

Give credit where credit is due and celebrate all wins, even if they feel small.

Workplace Tips

There are many different ideas and tips to support teamwork skills in the workplace.

1. Resource Management

To know how to keep things moving forward and properly allocated both employees and technological tools, resource management is crucial to optimizing teamwork.

2. Collaboration Tools

You can utilize collaborative tools to support teams working together, even when they operate remotely. For example, Google Docs is a good word-processing tool that allows for easy collaboration through comments and suggested editing.

3. Self-Awareness

Reminding everyone to be aware of their attitude and contributions can help propel everyone in the right direction.

4. Encourage Innovation

Going hand in hand with forgiving mistakes is the ability to encourage innovation. You should remain open to trying new things and updating processes for the benefit of the work.

5. Focus On Purpose

It is a useful practice to remind everyone of goals regularly and focus on purpose.

6. Reward And Recognize

Be sure to take notice of good work and wins, no matter the size.

7. Take A Break

To avoid burnout, take breaks together while working in teams. Even if you work alone, but with a team in the bigger picture, it's a good idea to step away from your computer or task to reset.

8. Accept Differences

With teams, people are bound to have different opinions and ideas. Be respectful and accept everyone for what they bring to the table.

9. Mediate Conflict Quickly

In both teams large and small, conflict and disagreement is bound to arrive. You can overcome these by hearing both sides and practicing conflict resolution. In the end, this will just make the team stronger.

10. Allow Contributions

Everyone in the team should feel like their opinions are worthy. It helps when everyone has a say in decision-making, no matter what role they play.

11. Don't Micromanage

When people have a sense of responsibility and agency, it removes the need to micromanage them. Micromanagement is counterproductive for everyone as it is time-consuming and questions one's ability.

12. Start Team Traditions

Teams are like little families. Consider implementing team traditions that everyone can take part in for bonding.

13. Make Hiring A Team Responsibility

Often, managers take on the role of hiring new employees. But the new employee will work alongside the team, so get a feel for how your team feels about those interviewing. After all, company culture is a huge priority.

14. Give Frequent Feedback

Feedback can come in the form of both positive and negative notes. Regardless of what it is, it's a good idea to regularly provide feedback and be constructive. That way, team members can grow.

Useful Personal Skills

Coming together successfully in a team requires individual and personal skills. These are some of the most important traits and mindsets to have when working in a team:

Practice overcommunication always; too much communication is always better than too little

Be open to new ideas

Give support and be open to receiving help

Believe in yourself and trust your teammates

Respect everyone and their opinions

Be humble

Be excited

Celebrate small wins

The Bottom Line

Whether you are working in a team setting in school, online college, or a workplace, there are many skills that can help make the process seamless.

Teamwork doesn't happen overnight. It often takes time to bond with one another and understand how people work differently. No matter your role in a team, when you practice humility, are supportive and open-minded, you can reap success together.

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How To Improve Teamwork Skills For Epic Success!

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You've probably heard the saying, "It's not what you know. It's who you know." In a similar way, employee satisfaction in a workplace tends to rely less on the actual job and more on the company culture. This is why, as a leader, it pays to know how to improve teamwork skills.

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Gain persuasive examples to demonstrate my proficiency in communication skills by 15th February 2022.

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Gain persuasive examples to demonstrate my proficiency in communication skills by 15th February 2022.

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Communication is a transferable skill (UniSA, 2021). My current proficiency is 4. I can meaningfully enhance this competency by completing an online short course offered by the University of Cambridge titled Communicating for Influence and Impact (University of Cambridge, 2021).

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Module 1: The need for impactful communication
Gain insight into how communication can be used to create change in a volatile, uncertain and increasingly complex world.

Module 2: The role of communication in shaping society
Gain insight into how communication can be used to build more inclusive communities.

Module 3: Attributes of an effective communicator
Explore the attributes that contribute to becoming an effective influencer.

Module 4: Communicate effectively using listening and storytelling
Examine different communication approaches and techniques.

Module 5: Purpose-driven communication and influence
Learn how embedding purpose and cultivating organisational culture can affect change within an organisation.

Module 6: Influence change within and beyond your network
Explore how communication can be used to influence change within and beyond your network.

Module 7: Collaborating to achieve impact
Gain insight into how to achieve cooperation with stakeholders through effective communication.

Module 8: Maximising your influence and impact
Reflect on your Personal Impact Plan and create a network of your peers.

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University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership Communicating For Influence And Impact

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Module 1: The need for impactful communication Gain insight into how communication can be used to create change in a volatile, uncertain and increasingly complex world. Module 2: The role of communication in shaping society Gain insight into how communication can be used to build more inclusive communities.

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Gain persuasive examples to demonstrate my proficiency in great attention to detail by 30th March 2022.

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Gain persuasive examples to demonstrate my proficiency in great attention to detail by 30th March 2022.

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Great attention to detail is a selection criterion for the role of Human Resource Graduate, as advertised by The BMD Group (Seek, 2021). My current proficiency is 4. I can meaningfully enhance this competency by undertaking various activities proven to improve attention to detail (Career Addict, 2021).

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How to Develop Your Attention to Detail Skills

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Learn how to improve your attention to detail skills to help you work more efficiently and carry out your tasks more accurately.