Happy New Year 2024! As we usher in the new year, it’s time to acquire new skills, making yourself the most sought-after candidate everyone wants to recruit!
Sauce Skills, the corporate training house in collaboration with Bluebik and THE STANDARD, identifies 5 essential skill categories based on the World Economic Forum framework. These skills will help you level up and achieve your goals in 2024. Trust us; with these skills under your belt, you’ll never be out of the job market.
Waste no time, let’s explore these skill categories!
1. Cognitive Skills
No matter how many new years come around, cognitive skills remain at the top of the list because they are essential for everyone, regardless of their positions or industries. The ability to think and analyze reasonably is the foundation upon which you can build anything.
Sub-skills in this category include:
- Problem Solving – Analyzing problems to identify root causes, solutions, and future prevention strategies will contribute to your success, even in the face of challenges and obstacles.
- Critical Thinking – This skill assists you in evaluating complex situations and making rational, sharp decisions.
- Creativity – Creative thinking opens your mind to new perspectives, develops innovations, and finds new solutions that may lead to taking products and services to a new level.
- Data Analysis – Analyzing data helps you to make informed decisions based on the data.
- Decision Making – Fast and sharp decision making reduces lead time, improves effectiveness, and solves problems efficiently.
- Learning Agility – Unlock your potential and upskill yourself to keep up with the changes in the working world by learning new things fast.
- Mental Flexibility – Because anything can happen, being mentally flexible widens your perception and helps you adapt to the changing circumstances.
- Mental Stamina – The ability of the mind to embrace and tackle problems, challenges, and stress is another decisive factor to career success.
2. Self-Efficacy Skills
Socrates once said, ‘Know thyself,’ while Aristotle commented, ‘Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.’ To this day, these two philosophies still ring true, as self-efficacy skills will help you reach your goals and achieve success.
Sub-skills in this category include:
- Self-Awareness – Understanding your own strengths and weaknesses helps you make better decisions, work efficiently, and be a successful leader.
- Self-Regulation – Set your goal and reach it, and stand still in the middle of the storm by understanding and regulating your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
- Self-Motivation – Wait not for external motivation. The ability to motivate yourself to stay energized and get things done is an indispensable skill no matter what line of work you’re in.
- Resilience – Get up every time you get knocked down by learning how to tackle stress, failures, challenges, and obstacles coming your way.
3. Technology Skills
In today’s world, every organization uses technology. The only difference lies in how much they incorporate it into their work processes. Let’s strive to become high-tech individuals in 2024.
Sub-skills in this category include:
- Basic Digital Literacy – Whether it’s digital tools, software, or the internet, mastering these is essential as they form the basics for working in every industry.
- Data Literacy – As the world evolves, data accumulates. The ability to harness and derive insights from data for decision-making becomes increasingly essential with each passing day.
- Computational Thinking – The ability to think about using technology to solve problems or automate work accelerates processes and prevents the recurrence of the same issues.
- Software Programming – Even if you’re not working as a developer, the ability to code will set you apart from other candidates and provide you with systemic thinking skills.
- Hardware & Software Skills – Skillfully using both hardware and software will expedite work processes.
- Cybersecurity – Cyber threats are major concerns, so everyone should understand the basics of cybersecurity to prevent the unexpected from happening.
- Data Analytics – Analyzing data and utilizing technological tools to process data result in conclusions and precise decision making.
- Artificial Intelligence – Even if you’re not tech-savvy, it’s good to know how to use AI tools to help you work faster and achieve better work results and efficiency.
- Robotics – Having knowledge about robotics, or even knowing how to use robots, can assist you in solving complex issues and fostering innovation.
- Virtual & Augmented Reality – Utilizing VR and AR enhances understanding and facilitates effective communication when collaborating with others.
4. Management Skills
Even though now you’re not working as a manager or project manager, it’s still essential to hone your management skills because this skill category will allow you to progress faster and further up the career ladder.
Sub-skills in this category include:
- Project Management – This skill is crucial in various aspects; for instance, it enhances the team’s workflow and ensures that any project is completed within the set timeframe and budget.
- Skill Evaluation – Evaluating the skills of talents will help you in putting the right man to the right job and minimizing the chance of making mistakes.
- Risk Management – Speculating about future risks and planning how to manage them will reduce problems and enhance workplace safety.
- Talent Planning & Development – Encouraging talents to develop themselves and learn new things will help them stay with the organization longer, leading to consistent growth.
- Coordination & Time Management – This skill prevents gaps in work processes, reduces confusion, and increases organizational productivity.
- Supply Chain Management – Seize opportunities to increase production or expand services while fostering good relationships with suppliers through supply chain management.
- Finance – Even though you’re not in finance, being able to read and utilize financial data helps you forecast numbers, manage cash flows, and control budgets.
5. Engagement Skills
It doesn’t matter how talented you are, you cannot work alone. Engagement skills are not just how you interact with people, but also how you build rapport in the long term, leading to success both professionally and personally.
Sub-skills in this category include:
- Collaboration – Today’s world is a world of collaboration. Working well with others will help you operate efficiently and achieve success.
- Communication – At the heart of engaging with others is communication. Clear, concise, and effective communication will make everyone want to work with you.
- Empathy – Being able to feel emotions and understand the perspectives of others will help you build long-lasting relationships.
- Active Listening – When engaging with others, it’s crucial not just to hear the words or jump to conclusions. Active listening, which involves listening to understand, will sharpen your communication skills.
For organizations looking to develop these 5 skill categories for management or employees, Sauce Skills offers numerous courses taught by CEOs from national corporations and experienced professionals in various industries. The courses are designed to help participants acquire both knowledge and practical experience, providing opportunities to ask questions and consult with instructors.
Examples of courses from Sauce Skills include:
1. Leading with Engagement, Empathy, Empower, Energy
Instructor: Nakarin Wanakijpaibul, CEO, THE STANDARD
Skills Categories Involved: Management Skills, Engagement Skills
2. Inspiring Town Hall Workshop
Instructor: Dr.Wit Sittivaekin, Host, THE STANDARD WEALTH
Skills Categories Involved: Engagement Skills
3. Thinking Like a Strategist: Framework, Intuition, Simulation, Pitfalls
Instructor: Pochara Arayakarnkul, CEO Bluebik
Skills Categories Involved: Cognitive Skills, Self-Efficacy Skills, Technology Skills
Moreover, Sauce Skills incorporates world-class tools in its classes, including simulations from Harvard Business Publishing. Course content can be tailored to align with the specific needs and challenges of organizations, ensuring the most effective talent development.
