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After reading an article on Forbes by Meghan Casserly I decided to write my own list of top skills needed in any job.

1. Communication. If you follow me on twitter you will often see my tweeting “Communication isn’t just about talking, it’s about listening”. And this is very true. To be good at communicating you need to learn to listen to what someone is saying and to actually take the time to be interested in it. By listening, you get to know people/their problems/concerns and motivations. Be interested in them and they will be interested in you.

2. Patience Take time to let people finish their sentences or their points of view, even if you don’t agree with what they are saying.

3. Resilience Sometimes things don’t go your way. It’s not great and sometimes it’s certainly not fair. We’ve all been there. How you react to a situation at work can determine how you work for the rest of the day or even the rest of the week. It’s how you deal with it that counts. As Dale Carnegie says, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. Just when a child falls over and cuts their knee, they don’t sit on the ground for the rest of their life saying, “Well, if I get up again I’m only going to fall over. So, I’m quite comfy right here thank you very much”. They get back up and keep on running.

4. Resourcefulness If the light bulb has blown, change it. If the batteries have run out, put new ones in from the draw in the kitchen, don’t go out and buy more! Think in terms of practicality and what you already have that change your situation. Keeping it simple is the best option.

5. Initiative Learn to be able to pre-empt problems. There always needs to be a Plan ‘B’. We all come across stumbling blocks, but it’s how you deal with them that counts.

6. To-Do List Yes, I know it sounds obvious, and possibly even a bit boring. But writing a to-do list at the end of every day in preparation for the next will ensure that you don’t get distracted, forget anything and will manage your time more effectively.

7. Beat Procrastination We all do it at some point. We go into the office to check the emails, make 50 calls and get back to Joe Bloggs on a presentation. Instead, after making the morning cup of tea, we chat to Sue in marketing, check our personal emails, catch up on the news and by 11am you’ve only done one thing on your list. Before the temptation arises make a firm decision to do work through each thing on your ‘to-do list’ bit by bit. After finishing each task give yourself a ‘well done’ and move onto the next thing.

8. Take a Break Make sure you take some time out for yourself everyday. It’s easy to have lunch later on, or to get way laid in your work, but more often than not you’ll end up burning out.

9. Say Thank You It’s two little words that can mean a whole lot to someone. People can often feel that their work is overlooked or even taken for granted. Take a moment when you can to say thank you and to show appreciation and it will come back to you.

10. Be Green Do one thing to be green, turn your computer off at the end of the day or recycle, even better.