Acquiring Vital Competencies and Soft Skills for the Labour Market – Series one – Planning and Organising
Every year, schools are releasing fresh graduates into the labour market. The competition for fresh graduates is tough. It takes competent individuals to stand out. With what we have currently in the labour market, it takes an individual with employability skills to stand out.
If a graduate lacks the relevant competencies or is not able to portray the competencies that are needed in the labour market, he/she may never be able to get employed in any organisation.
One of such competencies is Planning and Organising.
The ability to plan and organise is not just for the manager of an organisation but for every individual. It is necessary at all levels in the workplace.
What is Planning and Organising?
Planning is the process of deciding in advance what needs to be done, and how to do it before you actually start to do it.
Organising involves managing the plan and arranging what is to be done systematically.
Although Planning and Organising are individual competencies, it’s imperative to know that both need to come together in order to achieve a successful outcome. You need to make a plan before you start organising that plan and acting on the plan.
Why is Planning and Organising important?
Just as this popular saying goes, “failure to plan is planning to fail”.
Having the ability to plan and organise is a competence that most employers and recruiters consider essential before hiring an employee. You can showcase these competencies by giving practical examples of scenarios where you have been involved in planning and organising things. It could be events such as seminars, workshops or even group activities.
As an effective planner and organiser, you will need to know your tasks (what is it to be done), plan your own tasks(how it is to be done) and plan the time frame it will take to get things done (time schedule).
Planning and organising skills help you manage time, tools and resources to reach a goal and also reduce stress.
They help you work out what you need to do efficiently to achieve your aims.
How to Develop Planning and Organising Competence
It’s likely you’ve developed some planning and organising skills during your studies. This can be seen by how you studied for your examinations. This competence helped you to set priorities.
There are various channels for developing this competence. A few examples include;
– Managing assignments in school such as group assignments.
– Volunteering at events as an organiser. You can join the protocol team or event planning committee.
– Volunteering at an office to understand the daily dynamics of office routine.
– Joining a project team in your local community.
– Planning and organising daily; This means incorporating planning and organising into your daily activities. Take notes regularly and plan ahead of any activity or event.
These are great ways to develop and strengthen your planning and organizing competence.
Written By. Mr Akinboade Tosin Gabriel
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Christian Youth Mentoring Initiative provides opportunities for mentorship, leadership training, growth, and development of youths. Our vision is to raise well-balanced youths, high flyers, focused, and capable of standing out in the global world. Email us: info@cymi.org.ng
