Vicki OfflandThroughout a Pagoda Projects programme, we hope that you develop your understanding of the following eight Pagoda Competencies.
Communication
Leadership
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Digital Fluency
Intercultural Fluency
Teamwork & Collaboration
Career Development
Professionalism
Week to week, we encourage you to think about how you may be demonstrating these skills and building on your foundations in these areas, reflecting with the Pagoda team in your check-ins.
– Did you complete a Pagoda skills course that focuses on one of these areas?
– Have you spoken with your cultural mentor or international colleagues?
– Has a chat with a colleague made your path clearer?
If you submit for a competency achievement on your check-in, with sufficient rationale, not only will the Pagoda team award you the badge to climb the Pagoda Leaderboard, but you can also confidently head into future job applications knowing how to clearly outline that you have these key attributes to your potential employer.
Have a read through the linked articles below where you can read more about each competency, why they are important for your career, how you can improve your skills in these areas, and find even more related resources.
Being a good communicator means having the ability to articulate thoughts and ideas clearly- in verbal, non-verbal, and written forms. This includes having public speaking or digital presentation skills, recognizing body language, and being able to express ideas to others.
Communicating even a single, clear message can be affected by a huge range of things. The complexity is why good communication skills are considered so desirable by employers: accurate, effective and unambiguous communication is not always easy. Effective communication defines organizational goals and helps coworkers and team members collaborate. Read more…
Leadership skills are skills you use when organizing other people to reach a shared goal. Effective leaders use their empathetic and interpersonal skills to guide and motivate, organize, prioritize, and delegate work.
Good leaders practice active listening, empathy, strategic thinking, and effective communication with their teams. Students demonstrate leadership skills when they care about and listen to the thoughts and concerns of others in their group.
Leadership is an important professional skill because it empowers others, and encourages teams to reach their highest potential. Read more…
Critical thinking and problem-solving is a core skill that teaches students to question or reflect on their own knowledge and information presented to them. This is an essential skill for students working on assignments or conducting research. It is the ability to actively use reason to analyze issues, make decisions, and ultimately overcome problems.
Critical thinking skills in the workplace is important because it helps students, interns, and employees more effectively diagnose problems and identify possible solutions that arenāt entirely obvious at first. It encourages curiosity and is one of the most valuable skills when it comes to working on a team. Read more…
Digitally fluent students are able to use the technologies and platforms available to them to achieve their goal, whether that is networking, marketing, or communicating.
Students building digital literacy skills understand the basics of cyber and internet safety, such as creating strong passwords and navigating personal as well as business-related privacy settings.
Why is it important? In the 21st century, having digital fluency is becoming a skill as essential as traditional print literacy has been. Modern jobs across various industries require the use of digital tools. Achieving digital fluency is not only about the technology- it has to do with the ability to effectively and ethically interpret information, create content, and communicate in an increasingly digitally connected world. Read more…
Cultural fluency is the set of skills that allow people to live, work and interact effectively in a multicultural environment. Students and employees that work on building their CQ (Cultural Intelligence) demonstrate openness, inclusiveness, and the ability to interact respectfully with all people from different areas of the world.
When it comes to the professional world, there are many reasons why intercultural fluency is important. For employers, these include higher levels of collaboration, innovation, and ultimately greater profits. For employees, these include increasing opportunities for personal or professional growth.
Cultural fluency allows organization leaders to fully leverage the talent of team members from different geographies, driving creativity and overall performance. Read more…
Life is a team sport, and the professional world is no different. Teamwork is all about effective collaboration with others, usually to come up with new ideas or make decisions together to complete a goal.
Good team players have achieved a mix of interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills. They are able to work, negotiate, and manage conflict within a team structure.
Teamwork and collaboration skills are important in the workplace because teamwork solves problems- by working together, teams build morale and help organizations operate more efficiently. Read more…
Career development refers to the ability to identify and articulate oneās skills, strengths, and experiences relevant to personal career goals.
Students and employees with career development skills should be able to independently navigate and explore job options, as well as self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace.
Individuals that have these skills are more likely to move into roles where their skills are most suited and their aspirations are best met. Employers also invest in career development because it prevents employee turnover within organizations, and lead to higher engagement and productivity.Ā Read more…
Professionalism is the conduct, behaviour, and attitude of someone in a work or business environment.
Having high professionalism in your workplace means demonstrating personal accountability, time management skills, and acting responsibly with the interest of the larger community in mind. Other aspects of demonstrating high professionalism include interacting with others appropriately and respectfully, communicating clearly and directly and having good interpersonal skills.
Professionalism leads to workplace success, a strong professional reputation and a high level of work ethic and excellence. Everyone has a role to fill in any organization, and professional behaviour helps separate business from the personal. Read more…
