Important Skills to Guarantee A Successful 2016

photo courtesy of theinfiniteconnection.com.au

IN the next few posts I will share on ‘Important Skills To Guarantee A Successful 2016’. I encourage you to follow me and note the points.

Recently, I was guest at one of Abuja’s most popular radio programmes. The presenter asked what the outlook for 2016 was. He almost jumped out of his seat when I told him that 2016 will not be great...



...for anyone who does not prepare for the year. That seemed simple and obvious enough, isn’t it?

I then asked my presenter friend his thoughts on the question he asked me earlier. He said that with all the prayers, fasting, confessions and other spiritual activities, he would expect that 2016 would be the bomb for anyone who participated in them. I said, NO! Emphatically. Please don’t misunderstand me. Spiritual things have their place. I believe that there is a direct correlation between the spiritual and the physical. However, we must work while it is day, and sleep when it is time. In order words, we mustn’t muddle up things. Let the old saying goes, ‘work like you never prayed, and pray like you never worked’.

And on this premise, please permit me to share, for this post, 3 skills you need to make 2016 great. These skills are surely not in order of importance.

You need to have the ability to make friends. The ability to make and keep valuable friendships is an important life skill. To achieve this skills, you need to have genuine interest in people. This cannot be overemphasised. Also learn to smile, for smiling opens closed doors. You also need to remember people’s name. Develop your own strategy that will help you in this regard. It has been proven that the sweetest and most important sound to majority of people irrespective of class, nationality or age is their name. And don’t slay yourself for lacking in this skills. Even I, yes, yours truly, am still struggling with this. I am not very good with names and faces, but have made it a duty to improve. So when I meet you for the first time and we exchange business cards, I write short notes on your card given to me.  That way it helps me remember you better, it works.

photo courtesy of berlinlcalling.wordpress.com

We now live in a world of international partnerships and collaborations. The world is no longer about ‘me, I and myself’. So develop the skill to work in a team; team work. In almost every human endeavour, your ability to work effectively in a team will determine how far or not you will go. Even in professions where the ‘individual is king’, like in writing and the arts, the ability to work collaboratively is increasing like no other time in human history. And this brings us back to the first point of having the skills to make friends. While you don’t necessarily have to be best of friends with all your team members, the skill to make friends with them will surely help your cause in team building. A critical point in team building is to learn how to watch out for other team members and also have good public speaking skills.

And that is another critical skill you need for 2016, public speaking. You cannot afford to be afraid of the microphone in 2016. Effective public speaking skills can help you advance your career, boost your reputation, create opportunities and open important doors. And to help your public speaking, it is important to know your audience, understand your subject and do a mental preparation of your speech, and practice. Will you be nervous at your first public speaking outings? Yes you will be. I have been speaking for a while, and sometimes I am still nervous, with my voice shaking. As hard as it may seem, don’t shy away from opportunities to give a vote of thanks, a eulogy, or a toast. Even in public speaking, practice still makes perfect.

Whether you succeed or not, is really in your hands. Remember that when you set the sails, God sends the wind.

In your success journey, what insights or tips have you acquired that you would like to share? I would like to hear from you. Your feedback is valued.

chukwuemeka okereafor

Some people have asked how we can work together. Among others, I am available to creatively:

-  anchor, facilitate or compere your corporate events

-  speak to and train your team for greater productivity

-  produce content and visibility for you or your organization, including branding

- provide cultural entertainment packages at your social events including receptions, social and cultural nights

- write your speeches, citations, press releases, advertorials and advert copies

-  provide mass media and public relations consultancy

- produce radio and TV jingles, documentaries and other media outputs

-  create community engagement media for your community outreach

- capture and document your meetings, sessions, workshops, public outings and other important events using photographic, audio and video equipment.

You can reach me directly on +234 (0)805 334 0599, email: emeka_okereafor@yahoo.com. You may also write to P O Box 11758, Garki, Abuja, Nigeria. My twitter handle is @iamchukwuemeka. Please like our Facebook page at The Next Level with Chukwuemeka and invite your friends to do same. 

At The Next Level with Chukwuemeka, we motivate, inspire and empower...to the next level".

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