All About Skills!

This is the introductory episode of "All About Skills" where Charlie Jett describes the eight critical skills, where they came from, how they were derived, and why they are important. Subsequent episodes will discuss each of the eight critical skills and, following that, he will discuss the skills from the different perspectives of such individuals as teachers, career-minded individuals, students, business managers, executive recruiters, career coaches, politicians, and many more. This content is based on the book, WANTED: Eight Critical Skills You Need To Succeed by Charlie Jett. Click HERE if you want to go to the Amazon page for the book (among others).

The communications skill is the most important skill you can learn. Basically it is the ability to get ideas out of your head and into the heads of others through reading, writing, listening and speaking. It is a LEARNED SKILL and should be practiced early during any educational experience including K-6.

The production skill is quite simple. It's the skill of taking something from the "Idea stage" to the "Final Product" stage. It can be as simple as a group of high school kids having an idea for a float in a homecoming parade to solving the global warming crisis. The skill is the same no matter the complexity of the idea to final product, although the complexity can vary widely.

The information skill has changed over the past three decades. What once was a skill to seek out and find relevant information to apply to analysis now has become the need for sorting out from literally tons of information to separate the relevant from the irrelevant and the truth from false. Good analysis depends on accurate and true information. Charlie Jett describes the information gathering process.

The Analysis skill is the process of taking information that has been VERIFIED as being true, developing FINDINGS from that information (what the information means or tells us), drawing CONCLUSIONS based on the findings which, in turn, are based on accurate information, and developing RECOMMENDATIONS about what course(s) of action to take. Note that FALSE INFORMATION can lead to conclusions that are either true or untrue - you can't tell. The same is for information that is based on FAITH - or unverified information. With such unverified information, you can draw whatever conclusion you want to draw. That is the danger these days in politics . . . . and, for some, poses a problem for religion. The primary method used is "P implies Q" or P → Q. It can also be stated, "If P then Q."  P is often called the "premise" and Q is called the "conclusion." Q can be assumed to be true if P is true. But if P is NOT TRUE, then you might as well dream up any conclusion you want. Improper use of the Analysis skill, such as deliberately using false information or untrue premises (i.e., LIES) and then drawing conclusions from those - and then recommending action based on the false conclusions IS THE GREATEST DANGER TO OUR CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC!

The Technology skill is the skill one uses to SELECT the appropriate technology solution to address a problem. It is NOT the skill which one uses to create technology - such as to design an electronic circuit board - but the skill to USE APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY. Charlie Jett discusses the Technology skill and gives examples of its use.

The Interpersonal skill is not the skill you use to make friends. It's the skill that, by using it, results in other people such as your teammates consider you as a valuable asset to the team. It's your way of contributing value to the whole and, in a sense, is an important justification for your compensation. In this short program, Charlie Jett discusses the Interpersonal skill and gives examples of its use.

The time management skill is simple in concept but it is often a struggle for us all. The skill enables an individual to determine which tasks are most important -- to set priorities -- and to devote the appropriate amount of time to accomplish these tasks at a high level of quality. Another way to look at the skill is as Charlie Jett describes: You go to work in the morning and you know you have ten things to do. Four of these are critical . . . but YOU have to determine which four of the ten are in that category. You do your best work on those tasks and, for the others, you do the very best you can do . . . given the time you have left.

We now live in an ever-changing world where significant and fast-paced developments in technology, worldwide competition and demands for workplace know-how require us to adapt to these challenges simply in order to survive. Charlie Jett discusses the Continuous Education skill - the ability to constantly learn new techniques, master changing technologies, keep up with the changes in an industry, and the like.

This program discusses the Critical Skills from the perspective of the Teacher. It is no easy task to teach skills - particularly the critical skills. Simple lecturing from the front of the classroom without engaging the students in active participation simply doesn't do it. Charlie Jett discusses the ways that teachers can actually teach the critical skills through engaging the students in ways other than sitting and listening endlessly to the teacher talking. It takes work - and, in itself, teaching the critical skills is a LEARNED skill for the teacher. But it can - and SHOULD - be done.

In this episode, Charlie Jett focuses on the Critical Skills from the perspective of the STUDENT. Questions addressed include, Why are the skills important? How are the skills learned in high school and college? What is a good way for a student to choose a college to attend? What considerations should be in the student's mind when taking a new job? Critical skills ARE important for students at an early age - the earlier the focus . . . the BETTER!

In this episode, Charlie Jett discusses the Critical Skills from the perspective of the business. He discusses how a company can identify their own unique set of critical skills and core competencies. Additionally, he discusses the well-known and usable "Lominger Competencies."

This is the text of a high school graduation address given by Charlie Jett in California. It stresses the importance of the Critical Skills, advice about choosing a college, advice about choosing a major, and advice about taking that "first job."

The world around us is changing at a pace that the word "dizzy" doesn't describe. It poses challenges for young people to find for themselves a productive role in society and to engage in and lead a happy life. To do this, one must understand what has happened over the past half century and where our world seems to be heading. In this episode, Charlie Jett discusses these challenges and the growing importance of the Critical Skills in the lives of those facing the future.

In this episode, Charlie Jett discusses how parents can help their children learn and practice the Critical Skills.

In this episode, Charlie Jett focuses on Authentic Assessment - what it is and how it is accomplished. Of particular interest is Professor Jon Mueller's (North Central College) contribution of his outstanding descriptions of authentic assessment vs traditional assessment (used with permission). He has an excellent website that can be reached at the following address:  http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/

In this episode, Charlie Jett discusses the importance of work-based learning for disadvantaged youth as well for the health and well-being of the US economy. He discusses different kinds of work-based learning programs such as tours, job shadowing, mentorships, internships, registered apprenticeships, cooperative education, service learning and field studies. He stresses the importance of work-based learning forcollege-bound students as well as those students who are bypassing college andgoing directly into the work force.

In this episode, Charlie Jett discusses Field Studies in depth. Field Studies were highlighted by the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) report, “Teaching the SCANS Competencies” as an effective means of teaching the Critical skills. Field Studies are conducted by a team of students and focus on issues identified by local area businesses or community service organizations. The students write a confirmation letter, develop a work plan, develop an interview guide, collect data (primarily through interviews), verify the information for truth and accuracy, and conduct their analysis to develop findings, conclusions and recommendations. Assessment is authentic. Students down to the middle school level are capable of conducting Field Studies.

Today, we are very fortunate to host the founder of a highly successful networking group that specializes in connecting you to your next career opportunity - Mr. Marty Gilbert! Specifically, Marty is an EXPERT in the job search process! In 2010, Marty founded the NorthShore Executive Networking Group, and today over 8,000 single contributors, managers, directors, Vice Presidents and C-Level executives are members, and Marty has helped over 2,000 of them obtain their next career opportunities. Marty knows his stuff – the ins and out of the job search process, what works, what doesn’t work, and how you can be successful when you face this challenge. You can visit his website – nsenginc.com – to find out more, to join, and to network.

Coach Pat Sullivan has dedicated his career to inspiring people, helping them to discover and capitalize on their personal strengths. In more than four decades of collegiate and high school coaching, he touched thousands of lives and impacted a new generation of leaders who today succeed in a wide range of business and civic capacities. Coach Sullivan retired after 34 years as a teacher and men’s basketball coach at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill. With more than 500 victories at USF, Pat led his team to first- or second-place finishes in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) 15 times in an 18-year period and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament in 1994 and 1996.