2.1 Discussion: Skills Development

PROJ-640: Talent Management

Getting Started

Training is an important aspect of developing people, whether you are on a project or otherwise. Technical skills like programming can be acquired in a short-term course. Mentoring is another approach for more long-term development of skills. Practice in a non-critical project can provide useful opportunities to build confidence.

Successful management of project timelines depends on access to resources that can perform the work assigned. If a person needs skill development, that is not a bad thing. For the company, it is an investment in the capability of that person. More skills mean a more valuable employee. If your company does not wish to develop or maintain a particular skill, then outsourcing may be an option.

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

• Apply a biblical perspective to skills development.

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Resources

• Website: Bible Gateway
• Website: Academic Writer
• Website: OCLS Evaluating Sources Page

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Background Information

Skills (both technical skills and people skills) are found in almost all human resources in varying measures. Some people have a gift for accounting, some for human resources, and some for producing documentation. No one person can have all the skills needed for a major project. In many cases, internal resources must manage external resources or outsourced resources. Having flexibility and the ability to learn helps meet any situation.

In 1 Peter 4:10, we learn that we each have gifts and should use them to help each other and be good stewards of God’s grace. The lesson in 1 Corinthians 12 states that members of the church have different roles to play. It is true that a project team suffers together and rejoices together.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.

1 Peter 4:10

One Body with Many Members –

¹²For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
¹⁴For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? ¹⁸But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²²On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, ²⁴ which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, ²⁵ that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

1 Corinthians 12:12–26

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Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
2. Review the Getting Started and the Background Information sections.
3. Navigate to the discussion thread and respond to the following prompts:
   1. Do you respond better to hands-on training? Why or why not?
   2. Give an example of when Jesus practiced hands-on training for his disciples. How can that example correlate to your job today?
4. In contrast to some of your prior courses, your initial post is due Day Three of the workshop, not Day Four.
5. Your initial post should be a minimum of 200 words and one reference.
6. Properly cite and reference one or more of the workshop’s sources in your original post.
7. All references and citations should be in APA format.
   1. For information on how to cite sources and format a paper properly, review the Academic Writer website or the OCLS APA Style Page.
   2. You may also review the OCLS Evaluating Sources Page to see the criteria for credible Internet research websites.
8. Read and respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings, as well as follow-up instructor questions directed to you, by the end of the workshop. Responses should be at least 100 words.
9. Your postings also should:
   1. Be well developed by providing clear answers with evidence of critical thinking.
   2. Add greater depth to the discussion by introducing new ideas.
   3. Provide clarification to classmates’ questions and provide insight into the discussion.