Understand the personal attributes valued by employers: Attitudes Communication and Employability Skill for IT Understand the personal attributes valued by employers: Attitudes Zatil Ridh'wah Hj Darot

Learning objectives Problem Solving Leadership Confidence Self-motivation

Problem-solving In any situation, some people will see only the problems they face and will be _____________ by them. Others may be quick, perhaps too quick, to see a solution. They may not appreciate the full extent of the problem. Having an open mind and an __________ attitude can be helpful when problem solving. If you assume that something is impossible, nine times out of ten you will prove yourself right. Similarly, if you take the attitude that nothing is impossible and are keen to look for a solution that works, you are likely to find one.

Leadership Everyone is a ________________ for leadership occur daily. However, many people lack confidence or leadership experience – they doubt that they can lead and so they do not even try. Learning how to lead includes learning how to follow, so recognizing the roles and responsibilities of leaders and followers is a must for those who work within a team. To lead well, you need to be aware of your own __________________. Before others will respect you as their leader, you must respect yourself. You must understand people, so that you can identify what motivates them, what rewards and values matter to them and how, as a team leader, you can inspire them with your vision of what the team can achieve.

Confidence If you lack confidence, your approach to problem solving may be too cautious – you may not have the courage to try the best strategy. Confidence in your ability to meet the challenges you face can help you to achieve your goals. Other people’s confidence in your ______________ can also make a difference to how your ideas are accepted. However, __________________ may mean that you do not think things through carefully enough while planning your strategy. You may miss a vital clue or skim over an important aspect, resulting in problems at some point. So, confidence is important but it must be based on genuine skill levels.

Self-motivation Some people are described as self-starters – they do not need anyone else to motivate them to do something as they have their own internal drive. People who are not self-motivated either do very little or use up their team mates’ precious energy to keep them going. Such ______________________ in a team.

Slinky character trait Person Have everyone make a Slinky Character Trait Person. Encourage others to suggest positive character traits they see in each other. Hang the finished people where they can be seen each day to encourage positive self-dialogue.

The Problem-Solving Box  Invite students to anonymously write down and submit any problem or issue they might be having at school or at home, ones that they can’t seem to figure out on their own. Have a student draw one of the items from the box and read it aloud. Then have the class as a group figure out the ideal way the student can address the issue and hopefully solve it.

references Pearson, BTEC Level 3 National IT Student Book 1.