One of sad facts about a dysfunctional workplace is that like attracts like. What you have in place now, you’ll likely get more of, as people rise to hiring positions and choose people like themselves, and as word gets out what it’s like to work for your organization.

Recruiters who go to MBA schools say that soft skills are what they are most eager to find, and least likely to find. This sort of training is slowly making its way into schools. Here you can see top ten business schools as rated for soft skills: http:/ opten.org/public/AC/AC317.html .

[This data is take from The Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive Business School Year 2 Survey, based on opinions of 2,221 M.B.A. recruiters.]

Interpersonal communication and other so-called soft skills are what corporate recruiters crave most but find least in MBA graduates.

"The major business schools produce graduates with analytical horsepower and solid command of basics -- finance, marketing and strategy. But soft skills such as communication, leadership and a team mentality sometimes receive cursory treatment." (WSJ) Recruiters' comments included "cutthroat," "soften edges of students," "humility should be a core curriculum course," "arrogant," "tone down egos," but also "creme de la creme," "salt-of-the-earth, but a little out of touch," "marketing gurus" and "quant wizards."

Have an emotionally intelligent workplace. It’s smart thing to do. It means establishing a culture in your business respecting such EQ competencies as resilience (the stress buster for decade), change-proficiency, flexibility, creativity, and Intentionality.

Assessments are available to determine current EQ (emotional quotient) of your staff ( http:/ inyurl.com/z94t ), and then workshops, seminars, distance learning courses, EQ Learning Lab™, weekly ezines, and other materials, as well as individual coaching, can bring your office up-to-speed.

Research has shown that raising overall level of EQ works better than just raising one person’s EQ.

RESOURCES

For research data on emotional intelligence, go here: www.eiconsortium.org . For The EQ-Map, an emotional intelligence assessment, go here: http:/ inyurl.com/z94t

I'm not suggesting you spend every minute of next year giving away your talents! Just pick a few, your favorites perhaps, ones that would be fun and start with those. This is a true win-win. You will feel great about yourself as your talents are expressed (and appreciated) as well as obvious benefits to recipient. There are a myriad of subtle wins in this type of self-expression, not least of which is potential for new or closer relationships with others.

Too often our passions and talents are kept locked away in our houses or apartments and are confined to Saturday morning hobby time. If even that. Let's let them out into world! Share wealth of your talent.

Let this be year you share yourself. Don't be stingy. You were given your natural talents for a reason - you were given them so you could contribute them to world.

So, what do you have to give?

C2003 by Deirdre McEachern. All rights reserved