23 March 2016 12:00 am Views - 1531
When it comes to career development, many people focus primarily on acquiring technical proficiency or hard skills. Increasingly however, and especially for those who aspire to move into management, it takes demonstrable soft skills to stand out in a crowd.
In a situation in which everyone has comparable qualifications, it will be the individual who can work easily with others, motivate colleagues and respond calmly to crises, who is seen as someone with the potential to add the greatest value to the organisation over time.
Dr. Sonali Abeyratne has developed a programme that will help junior professionals and school leavers to do all this and more. An Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales, Dr. Abeyratne also holds a Doctorate in Law awarded by the London School of Economics, University of London as well as a Master’s in Law, from Queen Mary College, University of London in Corporate and Commercial Law.
With over 25 years of experience working in Sri Lanka and overseas, Dr. Abeyratne’s decision to venture into a soft skills development programme is driven by her desire to empower young professionals who have the intelligence and qualifications necessary to become business leaders but who struggle to make an impact and reach their potential because they lack the confidence and soft skills required.
When addressing the question of how her experience contributes to the development of skills in young professionals, Dr. Abeyratne had this to say, “As a person who worked abroad for a long period and who continues to travel regularly, I meet hundreds of young highly skilled professionals from across the world who are admired ambassadors of the businesses they represent. I am aware of the skills and refinements that young professionals should seek to acquire and develop, which could make a difference to that individual and their employer.”
The training is structured as a series of case studies, discussing issues arising from film clips that are specially designed for the programme. The film clips reflect commonplace challenges that crop up in a workplace that are often overlooked. However, the clips are designed in such a way that appeals to young professionals and the entire learning experience is effective and fun.
Schools or training centres interested in taking part in Dr. Abeyratne’s training programme can find out more via info.softskillsdevelopment@gmail.com.