Developing Business Skills

3. Introduction to the seven Key Skills

5. Key Skill 1 - Improve my own learning and performance

As the popular phrase suggests, we ‘learn something new everyday’. This can be considered to be true as there is an infinite amount of information in the world for us to learn. One person could never know everything there is to know. From this analysis, you can conclude that there must be many different methods of learning and skills that accompany each different method.

There are simple things that a person learns, such as, how to ride a bike and how to use cutlery. Then there are the more complex things to learn such as becoming a doctor. The first, simple example, illustrates learning that would be carried out by a small child, more than likely taught by his or her parents. The second example, however illustrates learning that can only be achieved by studying at school and then University.

To improve on your own learning and performance, a person must first understand what preferred learning style they have. (See Learning Styles Inventory in section 8.1.1)  Then they must adapt to the other learning styles, if required, and alter the ways in which they currently learn, in order to achieve they’re set objective (Source – Key Skills: Making a difference).

6. Key Skill 2 – Improve my communication

There are two main elements to communication, written and oral. Both elements are equally important and are used in everyday life, by all (Source – Key Skills: making a difference).

Written communication can be in the form of letters, emails, memos, essays and reports. These all seem to be formal means of communication, but you can also adapt these forms to be informal, and example being that of emails.  

Oral communication again, can be formal or informal. You could have a general chat with a friend in person, or on the telephone. This would be seen as being informal. However, if you were to attend a job interview of have a meeting with your manager at work, this would be seen as being formal communication.

7. Key Skill 3 – Improve my Information Technology

Information Technology, or IT, is a modern skill, which adapts and improves constantly. IT is usually connected with computers and is strongly linked with communication.

If a study was made on the number of computers in homes around the world today, compared with those numbers ten years ago, you would see a dramatic rise in figures. As people become more affluent they can afford to have computers, this did not happen in the past. Computers have almost become an essential part of living. I would be surprised if there was a company who did not use some form of information technology. Children are taught in schools today, using computers as a focal point. I believe this trend will continue to adapt and increase, with one day, eventually, every home in the country owning at least one computer.

8. Key Skill 4 – Improve my Information Literacy

Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognise when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information."

Information literacy also is increasingly important in the contemporary environment of rapid technological change and proliferating information resources.

Information is available through libraries, community resources, special interest organisations, media, and the Internet-and increasingly, information comes to individuals in unfiltered formats, raising questions about its authenticity, validity, and reliability.

An information literate individual is able to:

• Determine the extent of information needed
• Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
• Evaluate information and its sources critically
• Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base
• Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
• Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

Source for bulleted data - .

9. Key Skill 5 – Improve working with others

Few people work completely alone. The need to work with others is fairly clear and important. At work, people rarely work alone. People will almost certainly always be part of a team or department, and they will work with these people every day. Teamwork is essential. To spend 40 hours per week with the same people every week, you need to be able to get on with them. You need to be able to work well together, enabling you to get the required results.

Using the example of a group presentation, it is essential that all members of the group work equally. One person cannot do the majority of the work; all members must have an equal part to play, providing their knowledge and experiences to the cause.

Talking and listening are of great importance when discussing working with others. Although it is important to voice your view on the subject chosen, it is equally important to listen to hear what others have to say (Source – Key Skills: making a difference).

10. Key Skill 6 – Improve my problem solving

Every day, in thousands of different environments from schools to the workplace, people provide new information for others. People nod their heads in appreciation and the feeling is that everyone understands.  However, that is often not the case. “When people start to apply the new ideas they have not yet absorbed the day's new concepts. They cannot yet use the material in any cognitive fashion. They find they must assimilate this new material a little bit at a time: reflect on the new concept, work a problem, study the result, and repeat that process until the new material is truly understood”.

A reliable, consistent approach to solving problems makes it possible for people to

• Use the new concepts presented
• Study the solutions of the problems
• Think about the new concepts
• Come to a true understanding of the subject

Source - .

11. Key Skill 7 – Improve my application of number

This skill is about applying number skills to a variety of straightforward or complex tasks.

We all use numbers in everyday life – when shopping, budgeting expenses, choosing a bank account, buying a lottery ticket or planning a holiday. Each of these situations requires us to carry out calculations and base decisions on the results.

4. Developing a strategy

12. Key Skill 1 - Improve my own learning and performance

Using a SWOT analysis, (See personal SWOT analysis for this key skill in section 8.1 & Developing Strategy template in section 8.5)  I have illustrated my main weakness as reading and note taking. (See section 8.3.1 for example) Therefore I have devised a SMART objective to improve this aspect of the key skill.  

SMART Objective: ‘Over a period of 1 Week, I will improve my reading and note taking skills in private study sessions’.

Objectives – (See Plan of Action in section 8.1) Below is a diagram showing the main objectives I will aim to achieve when attempting to achieve my target for each key skill.

13. Key Skill 2 – Improve my communication

Using a SWOT analysis, (See personal SWOT analysis for this key skill in section 8.1 & Developing Strategy template in section 8.5) I have illustrated my main weakness as my presentation skills.

SMART Objective: ‘Over the allocated period of 5 weeks, I will prepare and perform a group presentation using detailed research on the chosen topic’.

Objectives –  (See Plan of Action in section 8.1)

14. Key Skill 3 – Improve my Information Technology

Using a SWOT analysis, (See personal SWOT analysis for this key skill in section 8.1 & Developing Strategy template in section 8.5) I have illustrated my main weakness as not having sufficient knowledge of specialist computer programs, such as Microsoft PowerPoint, which would enable me to present information in meetings and presentations to others (See section 8.3.2 for example).

SMART Objective: ‘During a period of 4 weeks, I will learn how to use a computer program or programs to prepare a presentation, which will be suitable to show to others’.

Objectives –  (See Plan of Action in section 8.1)

15. Key Skill 4 – Improve my Information Literacy

Using a SWOT analysis, (See personal SWOT analysis for this key skill in section 8.1 & Developing Strategy template in section 8.5) I have illustrated my main weakness as the ability to research materials using a number of different sources i.e. Internet, library, intranet etc (See section 8.3.3 for example).

SMART Objective: ‘For a chosen coursework project/piece of work and over a period of 3 weeks, I will improve the aspect of the key skill by researching materials from 3 or more sources’.

Objectives –  (See Plan of Action in section 8.1)

16. Key Skill 5 – Improve working with others

Using a SWOT analysis, (See personal SWOT analysis for this key skill in section 8.1 & Developing Strategy template in section 8.5) I have illustrated my main weakness as working equally as a team.

SMART Objective: ‘As part of a team, I will prepare and perform a group presentation. We will prepare the presentation over a period of 6 weeks and work equally as part of the team’

Objectives –  (See Plan of Action in section 8.1)

17. Key Skill 6 – Improve my problem solving

Using a SWOT analysis, (See personal SWOT analysis for this key skill in section 8.1 & Developing Strategy template in section 8.5) you can see that the aspect of problem solving in general is something I can improve on.

SMART Objective: ‘In a period of 1 week, I will identify and solve a problem in one of the six units of study for this course’

Objectives –  (See Plan of Action in section 8.1)

18. Key Skill 7 – Improve my application of number

Using a SWOT analysis, (See personal SWOT analysis for this key skill in section 8.1 & Developing Strategy template in section 8.5) you can see that improving my knowledge and use of profit & loss accounts and balance sheets is something that I hope to improve on (See section 8.3.4).

SMART Objective: ‘During a period of 2 weeks, I will practise and try to perfect my knowledge, understanding and creation of profit & loss accounts and balance sheets’

Objectives –  (See Plan of Action in section 8.1)

19. Planning Chart

With reference to the Plan of Action template in section 8.5, I have devised a planning chart, which includes the objectives for all seven key skills. This will give me a broad overview of when I will need to be working on each aspect of each key skill, and allow me to track my progress.

5. Monitoring my progress

20. Ways in which my progress can be monitored  

Following the planning chart will be the main way I will monitor my progress. It illustrates a timetable of my activities, which is relatively easy to follow.

Each individual Key Skill will also have other ways of monitoring the progress. These are illustrated on the Monitoring Progress template in section 8.5 and below.

5.1.1 Key Skill 1

I will be able to monitor my progress by comparing my original notes with the new improved ones. I can look back over them about one week after writing them, to see if I can understand them, they are concise enough and the main points stand out well.

5.1.2 Key Skill 2

I will be able to monitor my progress by getting feedback (See section 8.4.1) from the class and person marking my performance on the presentation. I can also get feedback from the other members of my team as to how I performed.

5.1.3 Key Skill 3

I will be able to monitor my progress by getting feedback from my visual aided presentation. I will need to see if the audience could understand my use of Microsoft PowerPoint and if they could not, develop ways, which can make it easier to understand.

5.1.4 Key Skill 4

I will be able to monitor my progress by examining my research. By using different sources of information, has it aided my studies? Or has it had a negative effect on them? I can compare previous research with the new research, and see which of the two I find most successful.

5.1.5 Key Skill 5

I will be able to monitor my progress by getting feedback from a number of sources. I will get the members of my team to assess my contribution and whether I met their expectations. Also, I can ask the person marking me for feedback and tips for future improvements.

5.1.6 Key Skill 6

I will be able to monitor my progress by analysing the results from the exercise. If I am successful at solving the problem, I can assume that I am progressing well. I could then try to solve a more complicated problem, to test my new, improved knowledge of the skill.

5.1.7 Key Skill 7

I will be able to monitor my progress by comparing my old work with the new work. If I use examples from the book, I can check that the work is correct. I can learn from mistakes that I make and progress until I am competent at completing the work to a satisfactory level.

6. Conclusions

After having written the majority of this report, I can now conclude my outcomes.

I have realised that the 7 main Key Skills are in fact, are a lot more complex than first thought. There is an enormous amount of work that I could do to improve on the Key Skills and It was difficult to choose what I would so for each skill. Having now chosen this work, I can now concentrate on following the plans and strategies I have implemented, in order to achieve my main objectives.

The plans I have implemented should carry me all the way to success by meeting my objectives. The strategy will aid this process although both may need to be adapted at some stage.

7. Recommendations

Having now illustrated my aims for completing the work for the seven Key Skills, I can recommend what I believe I will have to do next, in order to achieve my objectives.

1. I must now follow the plans and strategies I have implemented accurately, and note down any changes I make, in order to alter these plans and strategies accordingly.

2. After completing the work over the next few months, I will be able to bring all of the work together, and submit another report, similar to this one, in which I will be evaluating my strategies and progress, in order to see if I was successful in what I have done.

3. The work I have chosen to do in order to improve my key skills, can, if needed, be adapted. I may need to do this if, for some reason, my ideas or resources for some of the work alter or become unavailable.

8. Appendices

21. SWOT analysis

‘This is the assessment of a product, division or organisation in terms of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It has a simple format of 4 boxes, which act as a visual aid to its users. The strengths and weaknesses act as the actual position of the product, or company, while opportunities and threats represent future potential’ (David Lines, Ian Marcouse & Barry Martin, 1996: 273)

KS1 Learning & Performance

KS2 Communication

KS3 Information Technology

KS4 Information Literacy

KS5 Working with others

KS6 Problem Solving

KS7 Application of number

8.1.1 Completed Learning styles inventory        

22. Objective setting

According to Cameron (2002), when setting yourself goals, it is often difficult to keep track on what you actually have to do in order to achieve that specific goal. Using objectives are an essential way of keeping track of this progress. You can ‘break down’ the goal into sub-sections. This results in a full understanding of the goal. When the objectives have been satisfied, the goal has also been met.

8.2.1 SMART Objectives

According to Cameron (2002), SMART objectives are used in the same way as standard objectives, yet they have certain characteristics, which usually make them more understandable. SMART objectives stand for Specific, Measurable, Realistic, Achievable and Timed. Using this method of objective setting allows the person setting the objective to be more accurate when identifying how they will meet their goal. If the objective is SMART, it is often a lot more achievable as it contains all the characteristics required to be successful.

23. Example work for the key skills

8.3.1 Key Skill 1

8.3.2 Key Skill 3

8.3.3 Key Skill 4

8.3.4 Key Skill 7

24. Examples of monitoring methods

1. Feedback

According to Cameron (2002), giving and receiving feedback are among the most crucial of all interpersonal skills. In the work context you will often need to be guided by feedback from a superior and to help your own subordinates improve by use of constructive comment. There are both formal and informal types of feedback. Formal feedback may come in the form of an Appraisal from a manager at work, and informal can come from a discussion with friends, or members of the department you work in/with.

Guidelines for giving feedback:

• Avoid appearing superior
• Emphasise good points
• Focus on behaviour
• Be specific

Guidelines for receiving feedback:

• Listen carefully
• Appreciate the help
• Clarify what is meant
• Use several sources
• Accept implications
• Identify steps forward
• Monitor progress

25. Developing Strategy, Plan of Action & Monitoring Progress templates

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