Being "wordly wise" in the corporate world

[Shabnam Shaikh CB]

Thanks for sharing the link! Its quite informative!

[Swati]

Dews : One of the reasons its such an enriching experience brainstorming at the CB forums is because of such a wide cross section of people who share their ideas.On this thread till now,we had some really eye-opening points of view being bounced to and fro,but most from the applicant/interviewee/candidate perspective.Wonderful to get the perspective of a recruiter,who is equally concerned about this.At the end of the day,whichever side of the table one is on,there will be things to talk about at all ends.It is still communication that helps achieve a solution!

[Shabnam Shaikh CB]

You are right Swati, CB has created a wonderful platform for a wide variety of people to participate and share their views/opinions in the form of these topics. Brainstorming gives different perspectives and gives a distinct shape to any discussion.

[Sunitha]

Dews: you are absolutely right! CB forum is a great way to brainstorm and get the views and perspectives of people from various walks of life. Getting a recruiter's point of view in this discussion was really good. By any chance did you have a look at CB's pre-hire assessment tests? They are designed specially to cater to needs of the HR and training departments.

[Shabnam Shaikh CB]

Thanks Sunitha Yes, I did read some of the contents related to Pre-hire tests & I believe they would be very helpful.

[SamKam]

Folks…this is one of my pet peeves. Something I ponder over quite often. In the corporate world, good communication skill is as important as one’s technical expertise. There is always a glass ceiling beyond which one cannot progress armed just with a sound knowledge on the subject matter.

Sunitha: I agree with your original point about technically strong folks facing a glass ceiling due to bad communication skills. Another related observation.

Before becoming a full-time author / blogger, I spent a whole lot of time in the corporate world. During that time, I came across another breed of people that turned me off more than the category that you've talked about. These are guys who are doing brilliantly in their professions purely based on their communication and networking skills. Technically, they have nothing to offer. Somebody else does the critical work while they bask in the glory.

And they know the right people to stick to. Folks who can save them when the going gets rough. I'd put this category a notch lower lower than the silent or inarticulate ones who can atleast get the job done. What say?

[Sunitha]

@Samkam: Oh yes! they are what one would call "street smart". They often move up the ladder by stepping on the less vocal but technically strong ones. It takes immense skills on the part of a manager to not get carried away by the high and lofty talks of this class. Here is where the leadership qualities of a superior at work comes to the fore. Do not get carried away by one subordinate's verbosity and also do not permit the timid ones to be pushed under the carpet. Give the latter a push to perform and express his\her thoughts better and pull the former down to face the reality. Right?

[SamKam]

Brilliantly summarised, Sunitha.