Self-Management Skills

Why Are Self-Management Skills Important?

One of my biggest learnings from my very profound father was to be proficient in what I did, whatever I chose that to be. The more reliance on self, the faster I could achieve what I wanted. The more I depended on others, the less control I would have on my outcomes.

So from a young age I learnt self-management skills – to do as many things myself as possible, that I had an interest in. This ranged from cooking and baking which I learnt from my mother, to driving skills when I cruised into the eligible age.

Further on, as I moved into corporate life, my boss reinforced this point of self-management at work. I still recall his words to do whatever was given to me whether it was my job or not, with the ultimate aim of learning as much as I could.

This did not allow for laziness or blame. Self-management at work pushed me forward in my career, as answers that were sought by senior management often rested with me. I became a “reliable person” in the eyes of the bosses and someone to turn to, as they felt my deep sense of accountability and knew the job would be done.

Today it is easy to register and sign up for an NLP for self-management course as components of what I learnt intuitively along the way, are condensed into a course. How convenient has life become?

Self-management skills have increased in importance now that the workplace landscape has changed so tremendously. We have to manage our time effectively, make quick and good decisions, drive teams to high performance and heighten our leadership capabilities.

If I were to encapsulate self-management at work I would categorise the four pillars as follows:

1. Confidence, initiative and enthusiasm

• A person who is able to strive from these states of mind, is someone who will easily and naturally access self-management skills.
• It isn’t forced upon someone. It is something that the person wants to do of his own accord, whether it be out of pride for the job or a desire to progress in the company.

2. Accountability and responsibility

• How is it some people have this and others have a laissez faire attitude to this? If you attend an NLP for self-management course you would gain a better understanding of values that drive you. Accountability and responsibility may not be a priority in your life.
  
• There is no right or wrong. We are all different. It is for you to assess, as values prioritised lead to motivation which then produce outcomes.
  

3. Time efficient

• Time efficiency is one of the strongest pillars of success in self-management skills. I have observed over the years that the people who manage time well, have far greater appreciation for how to do self-management at work.
• If time management is an issue, sign up for an NLP for self-management course where you will be taught how to manage time efficiently by simply acquainting yourself with your timeline.

4. Understanding balance

• The art of balancing self-management skills and still be part of the team and organisation at large, is also important. Being totally adept at self management at work and not aware of how you are relating to your environment could also set you back.
• There needs to be a balance between delegating work and doing some yourself. It is a perennial problem that managers who do self management at work prefer to avoid delegating, especially in urgent situations where time is of essence.

If you are managing a team, one of the greatest skills you could mentor your people in is self-management at work. I know I was eternally grateful to my boss for teaching me these skills at the start of my career, for they are still with me to this day.

These self-management skills augured well too when I migrated from employment to entrepreneurship. Today I know my success has come from having a myriad of fundamental skills, most of which surround self-management.

In conclusion it is the same with anyone. Whether you have children or a team, teach them self-management skills. Over-protecting and doing things for them does not allow their muscle for self-management to develop.

Throwing them into the deep end has so much more value especially because people have all the resources they need. They just have to dig deep and access them.

So the next time you think of helping your child or your team member, bite your tongue, sit back and allow them to fumble. The project may take longer but over time they will pick up efficiencies and do the job better and faster than when they first started.

Sylvia Fernandes is the Founder & CEO of VIA Frontiers. She is a Master Trainer of NLP who is specialised in corporate applications. She started her business in Sydney in 2002 and has been operating in the Asia Pacific Region ever since. She is currently based in Singapore. She is also the author of Bye Bye Black Cat -- Turn Your Luck Around and Realise Opportunities. Visit VIA Frontiers for more information.