Millenial World — Extending the Digital Media Lounge to Create Impact
It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill. -Wilbur Wright
By +SocialGood Connector Emmanuel Nyame
Have you wondered why the lion is the king of the forest? Have you wondered why some soccer players are preferred to others? Have you wondered why some companies continue to stay strong in spite of economic turmoil? This is simply because of the skills they possess. In recent times, there has been a very furious debate on whether young people should be included in decision making processes across different corporations. Whereas people tag them as inefficient, too young to create sustainable impact, unproductive, among other excuses, there are other organisations that hold them with very high esteem.
I had my first experience at the Social Good Summit yesterday in New York and I was totally blown away by the energy, passion and dedication towards finding solutions to the problems that we face in society. As a +SocialGood Connector , I joined the Digital Media Lounge together with fellow Connectors and we provided back bone support to the online community to expand reach of the summit. Upon realising how impactful the whole process was, I took some notes, made numerous observations, and was quite convinced that, if we are able to extend the process as individuals, by supporting the narrative in our various communities, not only would we cause significant changes, but we would be investing in a future perspective for unborn generations to benefit from. And here is how:
The Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations have extensive support for youth initiatives and also go a step further to have UN Youth Observers from countries in order to create awareness of these goals. There have been other organisations, movements, and campaigns that harness the effective support of youth initiatives for global development.
The youth of today must be responsible! We cannot sit back amidst all these opportunities while they pass us by. We need to be proactive and take advantage of these and many other opportunities to improve upon the capabilities and strengths of our businesses. In a nutshell, we need to enhance our skills training through such programmes. Following are my two cents:
The benefits of acquiring skills cannot be underestimated. The policeman, petty trader, nurse, engineer, teacher, lawyer, student, house help, husband, wife etc. all need skills in order to perform creditably in their various disciplines. The microfinance practitioner is no exception. It is not surprising that one of the factors that led to the collapse of some microfinance companies was the inadequate skills of most personnel of these companies.
According to the Macmillan Dictionary, a skill is the ability to do something well.
Being skillful injects confidence in you. You are not deterred by any difficulty that may come your way because you understand what it takes to overcome them. It makes you stand out among the lot. Ultimately, you often perform well in whatever you do. If you’re a young person, here’s what to do:
Acquire knowledge. Knowledge and skills are interconnected. Without knowledge, you cannot acquire skills. It is therefore very important to acquire knowledge in whatever you do or intend to do. Attend courses in areas you wish to gain knowledge. Participate in seminars. Read books on your areas of interest. Listen to tapes and CDs that teach or provide some information on the areas you wish to be skillful at.
Do not stop practising. The late Bruce Lee once said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” Constant practising of what you learn is one sure way of acquiring skills.
Stick to ICT. Making good use of technology can go a long way of helping you acquire the needed skills in what you do. Today, there are a lot of resources on the internet that teach you how to do what.
Attend skills-oriented training programs. Take advantage of the numerous training programs held in colleges, training centres and institutions. These programs provide learners with a hands-on practical knowledge and experience in their chosen disciplines.
Do not stop asking questions on your area of discipline. The more you ask , the more you know and the more you know , the greater your chances of developing skills in that discipline. Never hesitate to ask questions from people who are skilled in the areas of your discipline.
