Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Comprehensive Plan to Improve Human Resources Essay

Entire Foods Market-an organization that doesn’t consider itself an organization, however as a network of individuals attempting to have any kind of effect on the planet. At Whole Foods, the mission matters as much as the primary concern. Yet, who is Whole Foods Market, and how does their Human Resource Management (HRM) assume a job in the improvement of their way of life or workplace? This thorough arrangement will depict Whole Foods Market’s history and the difficulties or potentially chances of the organization. It will investigate the viability of the associations current human asset rehearses with respect to the workers and portray systems to improve the nature of those practices. Also, the effect of executing the vital enhancements and how the association would quantify accomplishment upon usage will be talked about. Entire Foods Market: The Organization Whole Foods Market is the world’s pioneer in common and natural nourishments. With in excess of 270 stores in North America and the United Kingdom, the association searches out the best common and natural nourishments realistic; while saving better-quality principles in the business. As indicated by Porter and Kramer (2009), the goal of the association is to sell natural, normal, and solid food items to its purchasers who are enthusiastic about food and the earth. Entire Foods Market centers around foul nourishments, wellbeing and sustenance. They are dislike some other market. Their definitive objective is to turn into a universal brand indistinguishable with regular and natural products, yet in addition with being the best food retailer in each network in which they are found. Along these lines, Whole Foods Market should intentionally design and evaluate the promoting of its products as per the interest of the clients (Whole Foods Market, n. d). Throughout the previous thirteen years, colleagues at Whole Foods Market, named their organization as one of Fortune magazine’s â€Å"100 Best Companies to work for. † In 2010, they were positioned number eighteen. Entire Foods is recognized for its group based activities and worker situated work culture, which are viewed as the establishments of its turn of events and accomplishment inside the business (Whole Foods Market, n. d. ). Entire Foods Market invests heavily in separating themselves from their rivals inside the business. Regardless of how much the organization exceeds expectations in size or makes changes to the association, the association bolsters change by building up and keeping up seven basic beliefs. As indicated by Whole Foods Market (n. ), the guiding principle are â€Å"selling the highest caliber of regular and natural items accessible, fulfilling and enchanting clients, supporting colleague satisfaction and greatness, making riches through benefit and development, thinking about the network and condition, making a continuous success win association with providers, and advancing the wellbeing of partners through good dieting instruction. † Included in these basic beliefs are open correspondence and straightforwardness, instruction and preparing, and staff strengthening. Regardless of how enormous an organization Whole Foods Market becomes, they protect what makes them one of a kind through these fundamental beliefs. Entire Foods Market: Challenges and Opportunities As with numerous associations, the past financial down turn has made numerous associations face a great deal of difficulties and to settle on troublesome business choices. Entire Foods Market made a perpetual adjustment by they way they work numerous imperative zones of the business. This year, 2010, the company’s plan of action remembers proceeded with center for essential territories of the organization by concentrating in on buying concerning the business while making progressively worth for the shopper in regards to estimating (Whole Foods Market, n. d). In the letter to the partners (2009), Mackey, CEO wants to remain concentrated on dropping working expense without hurting the client experience. Furthermore, he expresses that as an association they are focused on being better caretakers of capital and creating free income on a yearly premise. Later on, Mackey anticipates new littler stores that are more affordable, and an expansion return on contributed capital. An ongoing 2009 SWOT Analysis of the association from Datamonitor (2009) recorded some extra open doors, for example, the ongoing key acquisitions that helped in fortifying their market position. These acquisitions additionally help the association to extend its tasks in the regular and natural nourishments showcases just as increment its customer base and the quantity of item classes. One obtaining specifically is the converge with Wild Oats Market in 2007. Different open doors recorded by Datamonitor (2009) incorporate the developing interest for private name items. Ongoing monetary conditions have justified organizations to offer more affordable private name items as an option to the customers’ needs. Entire Foods Market: Human Resource Management Strategies What makes Whole Foods stand apart from others in the business is definitely not a solitary administration process yet a particular overseeing structure which incorporates Human Resource Management support. As per Rose and Kumar (2006) it is significant that associations use HRM rehearses that utilize its workers, and that is exactly what Whole Foods Market has done. For instance, at Whole Foods, the essential hierarchical unit isn’t the store yet little groups that oversee offices, for example, new produce, arranged nourishments, and fish. Groups are counseled on all store-level choices and they have been given a level of autonomy that is exceptionally extraordinary in the business (Whole Foods Market, n. d). As indicated by Hamel (2006), each group settles on choices concerning stock, and fresh recruits. Rewards are paid to the groups, not to people. Individuals approach exhaustive monetary data, including the subtleties of each coworker’s wage. Entire Foods Market has been effective with their capacity to enlist and hold great workers. The enlisting procedure is particularly special. As indicated by Whole Foods Market (n. d), candidates are by and large screened by store the executives or by a HR individual through a fundamental meeting. When the individual is screened for in general employment aptitudes and capabilities, the application is alluded to the proper office chiefs for a last meeting. The last meeting procedure might be led by a group or board contingent upon the position. Group member’s participating in bunch interviews is one way the organization places its way of life of strengthening energetically. Hamel and Breen (2007), express this selecting procedure is utilized for every new representative; including those wanting to join groups at Whole Foods’ focus of tasks, for example, the national IT or account gatherings. Extra HRM rehearses incorporate the associations center around remuneration and motivating force based prizes. As indicated by Erickson and Gratton (2007), this is one of the fundamental parts of their prizes framework inside the association. Each team’s pay is legitimately connected to how well that group capacities. Group execution is considered as far as generally speaking efficiency; benefit sharing dependent on those numbers are added legitimately to each group member’s remuneration. Groups are liable for an alternate item class or part of store tasks, for example, client assistance, arranged nourishments, or staple, among others. Entire Foods has confidence in a far reaching familiarity with sharing the destiny of the business by joining the prosperity of colleagues as legitimately as conceivable with the interests of the investors. The association utilizes an increase sharing project to strengthen idea. This program rewards things that individuals from the group can control, for example, work proficiency which gives individuals an immediate stake in the triumphs of the organization (Whole Foods Market, n. d). Entire Foods likewise supports stock possession alternatives in plans, for example, the Team Member Stock Option Plan. Inside this arrangement, all individuals are qualified for get an award of investment opportunities every year. As indicated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2007), the award has two segments: the Annual Leadership Grants distinguish and persuade colleague execution; and the Service Hour Grants recognize colleague administration inside the Company. Another arrangement is the Team Member Stock Purchase Plan. Through finance derivations, all non-occasional colleagues with in any event 400 assistance hours may decide to purchase boundless portions of stock at 95% of market worth on the buy date. Entire Foods Human Resource rehearses are powerful on the grounds that the way of life takes into consideration a climate of straightforwardness, with open books and open individuals. These procedures incorporate the associations group process which takes into consideration self-governance and a significant level of obligation of line staff. Through such a training, individuals utilize their dynamic position to participate in driving the business forward. Furthermore, the group procedure advances solid rivalry, trust between individuals. Entire Foods Market: Recommended Strategies for Improvement Although Whole Foods HRM rehearses appear to be fruitful, there is opportunity to get better. The accompanying methodologies are suggested in the territory of group usage and practices: * If the association keeps up the group idea it is significant that administration guarantees that individuals don't to block the group authority over the person. Individuals ought to just feel dependable to one another, yet at the same time liberated to act naturally. Individuals ought to likewise be perceived as people. People have a should be perceived for difficult work and individual accomplishment. Giving a prize framework to singular achievements and accomplishments may likewise take into account effective organization execution. * The association ought to give chances to self-awareness and advancement through preparing and training. * The association ought to guarantee that there are no inner circles inside the groups.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Opportunities & Problems of Social E-Commerce-Samples for Students

Question: Talk about the Opportunities Problems of Social E-Commerce. Answer: Presentation The quick headway in data and correspondence innovations just as the appropriation of arranged information preparing has prompted broad access to data assets just as globalization with respect to organizations, interchanges just as administrations. The essential idea of web based business is steady conveyance of exchange in a unique situation that is having the contribution of individuals, forms just as a help or business foundation. In basic terms, online business or electronic business is related with exchanging electronically. The headway in data and correspondence advancements just as the surfacing of the web has altered the exercises for business to empower new methods for leading business depicted as online business. Organizations are tolerating web based business as a route for getting to the universal markets, improving the client assistance, decrease of the expenses just as to do the upgrade of profitability just as adequacy. Then again, the plenty of focal points that web based business is offering in regard of value-based organizations has likewise offered ascend to significant concerns, especially in regard of clients protection just as security of data that is shared on the web. The significant impediments that are keeping the creating nations from utilizing the internet business arrangements are insufficiency of adequate, secure, powerful correspondence just as banking foundation, specialized aptitude just as handling of data viewing the economy just as condition. Venture Objective The significant target of this exploration is evaluating the current practices, challenges just as extents of internet business. The specific destinations of this exploration are, To recognize the accessibility of significant degrees for the appropriation just as execution of web based business. To recognize the key difficulties that are blocking the development of online business Task Scope The venture extension is related with the part of recognizing the difficulties just as circumstances that will positively affect the hierarchical presentation of organizations that are keen on the selection of online business applications. It will likewise be giving an extension in regard of chiefs just as authoritative administrators for considering just as assessing the difficulties just as circumstances found in the present practices for undertaking appropriate therapeutic measures in regard of advancing the practices for online business. Writing Review The improvement of web offered ascend to an electronic commercial center or as it were e-commercial center that is considered being the most significant piece of electronic business. Various sorts of financial exchanges just as buy and offer of items and administrations, and trade of data happens in e-commercial centers. The open doors with respect to web based business will include e-business, coordination of web based business, open and separation learning, web based business just as e-protection, financial concerns brought by web based business up in regard of the creating countries just as WTO, future media of online business (Bilgihan 2014). Openings in regards to E-Commerce E-business The general business process gets affected by the e-business just as the worth chains where it is working. It does the empowering of a profoundly coordinated joint effort level inside the different components of a worth chain than it was before. Through the selection of e-business it will likewise be permitting the associations in decreasing the costs just as improving the buyer reaction time. Web based business is having a relationship with all the things that is identified with an online exchange that ranges from requesting on the web through online conveyance of offered content in appreciation of monetary activities, for example, moving cash in the financial balances. Inside the monetary administrations territory, there are some positive signs in regard of online business. It has likewise been discovered that the value level in the e-commercial centers will get brought down by the defeating of the spatial obstacles (Chen 2014). As in light of the fact that, e-commercial centers ar e having the capacity for accomplishing economies of scale through the collection of broke down requests, they license the economy in having more decent varieties that were not having any presence preceding their emergence. Internet business joining There will occur the expansion of an internet business segment to the course of business by means of the part of coordinating the themes comparable to online business into the upper-level business educational plan that is having a presence at present. The part of injecting internet business instruction into each course of business expresses that the improvement in innovation will impact, in a critical way every parts of the current business situation (Cunningham 2013). Towards offering support in guaranteeing that each related business educational plan in regard of controls, for example, bookkeeping, advertising, financial matters, data frameworks will be giving appropriate consideration to the basic perspectives in regard of web based business, it tends to be expressed that there is the need to coordinate explicit web based business points that is important to be incorporated into the business educational program that is existing. Open and Distance Learning With the development in the accessibility of the web, there will happen an expansion in the prominence of e-learning since processing gadgets get all the more sensibly valued and the contracting of vitality needs just as structure factors occur. E-learning will be getting gigantically acknowledged since the web exposures just as e-adapting frequently start in the essential evaluations, subsequently making expanded number of understudies in having the commonality just as straightforwardness with respect to web based learning (Fernie 2014). Actually, in regard of different nations, separation training is being viewed as the most practical answer for give instruction to enormous number of understudies. Online business and E-protection Despite the fact that, web based business is concentrating significantly on business to purchaser applications, the unmistakable quality has as of now moved towards the business to business applications. The protection business is giving a relevant model that is joining the B2B just as B2C applications. Additionally the buying of online approaches is considered being quicker, more easy to understand and absolutely more made sure about than the customary techniques (Cavusgil 2014). Accordingly, online arrangement buy is considered being progressively alluring for the back up plan. Correspondingly, it will cause constrained cost just as requiring less number of assets in contrast with the conventional protection and thus, is considered being increasingly gainful in regard of the protection associations. E-protection will likewise be making the protection procedure more made sure about, as on the grounds that there happens the putting away of the strategy subtleties carefully and each e xchange happens through made sure about channels (Savrul 2014). These diverts help with giving extra infiltration of the market, which is absent in conventional channels and helps to procure extra income in contrast with the customary protection techniques. Future media of online business At present, larger part of online business happens using either work areas or workstations. In regard of B2B internet business, this is less similar to change yet in regard of B2C, then again, there will happen increasingly complex angles. For instance, there will happen colossal scope of important media that includes intuitive advanced TV and a collection of versatile just as remote administrations. There will be significant distinction among different clients possession with respect to the availability of advancements. While some will have availability of broadband, others will be missing totally in computerized correspondence (Awa 2015). In addition, computerized media is having the capacity for supporting online business that is identified with clients that can be assembled under certain significant fragments, for example, home PCs, IDTV, utility meters, etc. To put it plainly, it tends to be expressed that in spite of the fact that the online PC is having a superior foundation, there is as yet happening the moderate however consistent rise of the other B2C computerized media (Akter 2016). Raising of the financial worries by web based business in regards to the creating nations and the WTO As to the WTO, the openness to web based business is regularly connected with e-sends out that is involving two components requiring sharp differentiation, for example, availability to internet providers just as openness to administrations which can be exchanged electronically. While the previous is managing the part of getting to the framework of web, the last is connected with specific confirmations in regards to administrations that are electronically tradable (Rahimi 2014). Online business is offering remarkable extension for the nations that are viewed as creating just as those that are as of now created. In the short-run, the benefits should get gathered in the created nations having more to profit (Chaffey 2015). The purpose behind this is in the short-run, the creating nations are deficient in the foundation that is basic for exploiting the web. With respect to nations, especially the ones that are creating, larger part of the clients are not having PCs or availability to web. Thusly, a potential situation in such manner would be where a couple of free business people will get the item by means of web and afterward will change over it into the physical structure like CDs and will offer it to the clients (Ngai 2015). Be that as it may, this technique may be considered being costly, which utilizes assets that are genuine. Be that as it may, in the more drawn out stage, there is the likelihood to skirt certain stages identifying with the development of the data innovation through which there is the requirement for the created nations to p

Friday, August 21, 2020

How to Figure Out What Youre Good At (Not Just What Youre Passionate About)

How to Figure Out What Youre Good At (Not Just What Youre Passionate About) Have you ever noticed that some people seem to be succeeding without struggles?Someone starts a business and in six months, they are making profit. Someone else changes career and they seem to have made the best decision ever. Everything is working for them.But what about you?You may have tried you hand in a couple of things. Marketing, nursing, architecture, entrepreneurship or teaching.Still, you didn’t manage much success.You know you put in the hard work. Made the sacrifices. It just didn’t work out.Is it a case of you not being the successful type?Before you hit the road again on a new venture, take some time and learn an important lesson.This lesson will save you from despair. You definitely have what it takes and can succeed just like those you envy. The only thing you have to do is know the right thing to do.Everyone has the ability to succeed in life.How you succeed is however different from how someone else succeeds.This difference is what many people do not understand. They end up assuming that we are all the same and that we should succeed the same way.This is why whenever there is a popular investment idea, everyone goes for it. The idea is generally assumed to be good for everyoneWhen you see someone succeed, it is their way of doing things that gives them an edge. That’s what guarantees them success.Before copying them, realize that their way of doing things is very personal.What does this mean?People are different. They are actually unique. You can see this clearly when you consider your school days. There is a particular subject you always succeeded in. Others were very challenging. There is a sport you always played well. Maybe the team could not play without you.There are things you can do very well naturally. There are others which you struggle doing.In most cases, many people are engaging in what they struggle doing. Such struggles limit their productivity and often results in mediocrity. Yet the pursuit is for success.Are you among t hese?This article will help you get to the other side. If you are doing what you do well, then you will get better.  Mediocrity will never do. You are capable of something better. Gordon B. HinckleyIn all the things you do, whether voluntarily or out of obligation, there is some effort involved.The amount of effort plays a big role in determining how far you go. Since there are rarely any straight paths in life, the crookedness of the paths has an impact on your success. This impact shows in two ways.How far you goObstacles present challenges. Depending on how you look at them, challenges can be good or bad. If you often find yourself making excuses, then you see challenges as a bad thing.If you enjoy adventure and tackling problems, then you see challenges as a good thing.Why?Because they enable you utilize and develop your creativity and resilience.If you are doing what you are good at, you are more likely to see challenges as a good thing. They will be an adventure you are ready and willing to go on. This is primarily because you know you can handle them.Deep inside you, you are sure that the challenge cannot take you down. This way, you boldly take it on anticipating your victory. You thus get the drive to proceed even when it seems difficult.Though you can develop the right mindset to tackle challenges, nothing beats a natural solution.For example, two people may be required to draw an airplane out of imagination. One person may have artistic talent while the other is good at making detailed comparisons.If this is a contest, the one with an artistic talent will obviously win.How fast you goAnytime you start a new project, you will most likely be full of excitement and vigor. As time goes by, these start disappearing yet you need them to progress.As the project continues, challenges show up. You are suddenly required to deal with an aspect of it that is too big for you. Maybe you lack the ability to hire a needed specialist for a specific task.Being the p roject manager, you need to complete the project successfully. Maybe your team is becoming demoralized. Probably the project is taking too long to complete.What do you do?Can you rally your team to proceed? Can you come up with some ingenious ways of tackling the skills deficit? If you are struggling on the inside, then were you the right person for the position?Remember those school days? The subjects you were good at? The sports you excelled in? That is where the answer lies.There are specific things you can do very well while others, you will simply struggle. And as you struggle, there are those who are excelling in them. Yet you are competing against them. What are the chances that you will win?For the sake of success in life, you need to focus on what you can do well. If there is something you are struggling with, just drop it. If you are employed and can’t just drop your duties, you can still do something. Do your job in such a way that you use your natural skills.For exampl e, are you good in math but working as a warehouse supervisor instead of accountant? You can get your juniors to arrange products in a way that makes it easy for you to count. Whenever a report is thus required, you spend less time counting.Are you analytical but confined to doing sales because finding a data analyst’s job is hard?You can use your analytical skills to assess the profitability of the clients you visit. Analyze your conversations with them. Which ones are likely to buy soonest?Focus on those.This will help you use your time better. Instead of visiting as many as ten clients a day, you can visit three and close the deal with two.These are ways of using your inborn skills to make your work better. Do you have the opportunity to start afresh? Do you want to start a new business but are not sure what business to run? Your best bet is to do what you are good at.Whether you know what you’re good at or not, you definitely have an idea about it. The problem is that you ma y not have taken the time to acknowledge and appreciate your natural abilities. When this is the case, you end up focusing on the strengths you can see in others. This promptly leads to comparisons.Watch the below video to understand why comparing yourself to others is not a good idea. In this article, you will learn how to figure out what you are good at. When you know this, then you are well on your way to success. First, some differences between what you’re good at and what you’re passionate about.DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WHAT YOU’RE GOOD AT AND WHAT YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUTFor a better understanding of these differences, let’s look at what you’re good at and what you’re passionate about separately.What you are good atThe things you are good at are those which either require little extra effort or little training to do. These are those you easily excel in. These are things which when called upon to do, you will finish them quickly.For example, since you’re good at math, you may be asked to assist the accountants. Your natural skills will enable you spot inconsistencies quickly. If some records do not match, it may not take you long to find out the reason.For the analytical person, you may form part of the team doing a market research. When everyone is trying to piece the data together, you may quickly spot some trends. These will give you some market insights and enable you make projections.Whatever you are good at, you rarely struggle doing it. You will also do it better than everyone else. Or at least be among the best.Below are the ways in which what you’re good at stands out from what you’re passionate about.Driven by natural abilityWhat you’re good at is completely dependent on your natural ability.This may be anything from your genesto what you learned while you were young.Whichever the case, you have developed a capacity to easily and quickly get the job done. While working at it, there will be very few obstacles which can stop you.Yo u may get stuck at some point but you will get a way through.For example, you may be good at repairing car engines. Your dad may or may not have been a mechanic.But since you have the skills and knowledge of an engine’s working, challenges won’t last long. An engine problem you have never encountered may take some time to figure out but will eventually get sorted.Tied to knowledgeWhat you’re good at has a strong relationship with knowledge.Even if your skill comes from your lineage, there is knowledge attached to it. For example, traditional medicine men normally picked one of their children to continue the work. It was not by chance however.Among their children, one would show not only interest, but also a natural knowledge.In some cases, it was considered superstitious.A child would pick knowledge from his parents without being taught. It is such children that showed the greatest promise. When taught, they would always learn quickly.Motivated by recognition or appreciationDo ing what you’re good at has a reward: recognition.This is not a bad thing and you should not shun it. It is not necessarily seeking a selfish end.When utilizing your natural skills, you automatically stand out. This is because when others would struggle to succeed, you are getting it easy.There is simply no match for you. Deep inside, you will always have a sense of pride when you are the first to accomplish a task.Not only do you feel proud of yourself, but you intrinsically want everyone to notice it. It is not a surprise if you come out shouting after beating others in an area you’re good at.Note that seeking recognition or appreciation for what you do well is not a bad thing. It may be argued that you may become arrogant. The arrogance however is not automatic and can be prevented.The natural sense of pride that comes with doing what you’re good at is good for you.This is what builds your self-confidence. The more you do what you’re good at and celebrate yourself, the mo re confident you become in your abilities.Self-confidence is a key ingredient for success. Self-confident people know what to go for and what to avoid. If they have to tackle something they are not good at, they will seek help.Some people find it difficult to seek help.According to them, it paints them in bad lightâ€"as weak.However, these same people will rarely get the job done. If it’s done, it may not be done well or on time. This is also a sign of low self-confidence.What you are passionate aboutIf you are passionate about something, then the need to do it consumes you. You burn with a desire to do it and do it well.‘Well’ in this case it is not about meeting a high standard set by someone or a standards body. It is about helping bring about a needed change.This is what passion is all about. It burns inside you and the result is a product or service which makes life easier for people.At the heart of you doing what you’re passionate about, is other people. It is not abou t you. Of course you will benefit. But your greatest benefit is the joy of doing the work.Whenever you are passionate about something, you connect with it beyond your mind. You don’t need to be very skilled to do it.Whenever challenges come, passion helps you exercise creative thinking. You look at the situation as something that is limiting your ability to better people’s lives. For their sake, you will seek a solution and try out different things until you get a solution.Some ways in which what you’re passionate about stands out from what you’re good at.Driven by passionObviously, your passion is at the center of it.Compared to what drives what you’re good at, passion goes deeper. Passion seeks to bring out the things which matter to you.When you’re passionate about something, you may put in whatever sacrifice is necessary. Passion is very strong and once you set yourself on its path, the ‘small’ achievements are what keep you going.Passion, when strictly pursued, can really eat into your personal life.For example, if you are passionate about something that your friends are not, you may lose them. You may spend too much time in it that you no longer have time for social events.The loss of friends should however not raise much alarm. You are likely to get new ones along the way.Tied to the environmentWhat you’re passionate about will always have an emotional connection to it. It is this emotional connection that generates and sustains the passion for doing it.This is the fuel that enables you to go the extra mile and make serious sacrifices.Emotions are usually temporary.However, passion does not end as quickly as emotions change. What you’re passionate about is tied to the environment.It is the environment that inspires the emotion and passion. Environment here could be anything that surrounds you. You may be seeing a situation every morning from where you live.If this situation inspires you to do something, then you will.It may not be a physical situation but a thought that is always in your mind every morning. Thinking about it gives you joy and the prospect of its fulfillment gets you moving in the work.When you consider the things you are passionate about, you will discover a connection to an environment.On the contrary, what you’re good at doesn’t need an environmental connection tied to it. It is the achievement through what you’re good at that may bring about an emotion such as joy.The emotion comes afterwards whereas for your passion, the main emotion comes before.Motivated by need for changeDoing what you’re passionate about is about making a change.Someone’s life will be positively impacted whenever you do what you’re passionate about. Apart from having an emotional connection, passion also has a deeper need it seeks to satisfy.The environment provides the situation which stirs an emotional connection. The emotion then moves you to want to see a change.For example, your neighborhood may be full of street families. Every morning when you look outside your bedroom window, you see one.When driving to the store, you see another one. On your way to work, you see some three families out in the cold.When your internal systems recognize that this is not an ideal situation, you see the need for change.You however do not shrug it off.Unlike many others, you don’t say that it’s the government’s job.This situation gets your full attention and you decide to act. You do not have the capacity to house them or even give them food. But you start with a small gesture anyway.Gradually, you include them in your monthly budget and soon decide to use your garage to house one family. When you see this family out of the street, you get a sense of fulfillment. You feel satisfied that you have made a difference in the world.It may not be a big one but it’s something. Remember, passion brings a sense of fulfillment while skills bring a sense of pride.With these differences, it is clear that these two, passion and skills are distinct. They can also work together.For example, you may be naturally skilled in the technical aspects of electricity. This may cause you to study electronics in college and specialize in micro-chips.Looking at the current technology, you may notice a weakness in today’s microchips. Despite their advancement, they may not be handling security properly.Since you have witnessed hackers defrauding innocent people, you may decide to do something about it. You can use your knowledge to invent a chip which has a unique way of preventing identity theft.This way, you will have combined what you’re good at with what you’re passionate about.You are good at electronics and passionate about reducing crime. In such combinations, your passion will be utilizing your skills.This is how some not-for-profit organizations begin. Their staff are highly-skilled and use their prowess to give services to the general community.FIGURING OUT WHAT YOU’RE GOOD ATLet ’s look at how to figure out what you’re good at. Note that this is not something new you’re bringing into yourself.It is inside you only that you probably never paid much attention to it. Start by watching the below video for a brief introduction to what you’re good at. Check your personalityYour personality is probably the best place to get answers from. It is thus a good place to start. As much as there are a number of personalities, your personality is unique to you.There is no personality which is made up of only one trait. There are always several traits. Some will manifest more strongly than others. It is the special combination of these traits that make you unique.Every personality has strengths and weaknesses. Since the interest is in knowing what you’re good at, your focus should be on your strengths.There is a free personality test here which can even tell you which career options would be best for you. This can paint a good picture for you.Your personality is d etermined partly by your genes and partly by your upbringing. In psychological circles, these factors are known as nature and nurture.Nature is your genetic makeup whereas nurture is your learned tendencies. Nature is what you picked from your parents. It can be easily seen as flowing in the family as a strength. Nurture on the other hand, shows what you picked up when growing up.An example of nature may be you coming from a family of great football players or marathon runners. An example of nurture may be your response to bullies. Are you afraid of them? Would you rather negotiate with them or fight back?Your personality is a reflection of you. When you know your personality’s strengths, consider them as the basis of what you’re good at. If one of your strengths is making friends easily, then you might be good in communication.This opens you up to careers or entrepreneurship along the lines of sales and marketing. If one of you strengths is being detailed, then you could be a r esearcher or data analyst.Note that strengths may also come out as weaknesses. For example, the ability to make friends easily could also mean that you talk more about yourself. This could further mean that you are not a good listener. It is therefore important that you see these as strengths which need some pruning for better results.Take an aptitude testAptitude tests are a handy tool for employers during the hiring process. They use them to test the natural abilities of the candidates. This enables them know who is strongest for the position to be filled. Many websites offer free aptitude tests for practicing purposes.They help candidates improve themselves for specific positions. You can use one of these to know what you’re good at. There is one available here and it gives you possible careers to choose from.Since there are more job seekers than available jobs, many people end up practicing for several positions. The intentions are good enoughâ€"increasing their chances at bei ng selected by the panel. Aren’t they searching for a job anyway?If you do this, then you must take care to keep up with what you practiced for. Otherwise, a problem may arise when a challenging situation comes up while at the job. It will no longer be a test but a reality.For example, you may have wanted a managerial position and gotten it. Your natural abilities could have been towards finances i.e. you’re good with numbers.If you only practised with the tests for this job, then you may soon disappoint your boss. You may be unable to deal with situations requiring you to make tough decisions.Therefore, as you take the aptitude test, ensure you don’t get tempted into pursuing what you want. Remember that you’re seeking to know what you’re naturally good at. So answer the questions honestly.A good way doing it is buy not thinking too much about the choices given. Just pick what comes natural to you. You will have the opportunity to improve yourself.Ask aroundThis method re lies on what other people think about you. Ensure you ask the people who you know genuinely love you.Explain to them what you intend to achieve and let them be sincere with you.You can pick some friends to participate in this as well as family members. Some questions to ask may include:What strengths have you seen in me?Since these people have lived with you and know you they have seen you exhibit some traits. Whether good or bad, they have seen more about you than you may realize.In this case, you are only interested in the good. When answering this question, they should be as precise as possible. Ways of improving can come later.What have I helped you achieve in the past?The answer to this question will be a clear indication of what you are good at. The reason is because it builds on your strengths. Whatever strength that was not mentioned in the first question will come out here. This is where you look for patterns.If two or more people mention similar things, then you have what you are looking for. For example, there may be a couple of situations you helped resolve.Though different, the context may have been the same. Situations like advising someone when they could not make a car purchase decision. Advising another when choosing a neighborhood to move into. Helping a relative find some information online.These could point to your ability to research and critically analyze data. It is this that enabled you find the correct information online. It also enabled you know the best car given the specifications and needs of your relative.What do you think I can do well in?This question is an indirect way of asking someone what he thinks you are good at.The beauty of using it is that it pushes for the truth without strongly asking for it. It thus denies the person the opportunity to tell you something good which may not be true.In most cases, we tell our friends nice things so as not to hurt them. When this is at the expense of improving them, then it does more ha rm than good. Still this is a common human behavior. This question will help you deal with that.The answer you receive will be based on the strengths you friends have seen in you. As they attempt to match you to a great career, they will seek to convince you of your abilities.And if you find it difficult seeing their point, just politely ask them to explain further. At the end of the day, you will sit and judge for yourself.If you notice that they struggled explaining some things, just ignore those ones. If they mentioned something you never thought about but it makes sense, consider it.What compliments do you receive?All throughout life, you have received many compliments. Check these out more closely. This is about complements of jobs well done. You may have performed well due to your ingenuity or natural prowess. Try to remember what the compliments focused on.What exactly did the individual people talk about? Did they mention the speed at which you delivered? The accuracy of the information you presented? The depth of knowledge you showed? These are the signs of areas you can perform best in.These compliments can help you see that you have most likely been receiving more jobs along specific lines. You may have been your boss’ go-to person for reports. You may be the one called upon to handle difficult customers.You may have been called back from leave to assist manage an urgent project. These are the non-verbal cues for you that you are good at something.What were your childhood successes?Your childhood has more to tell than the games which resulted in the scars you have. It is in your childhood that you tried almost everything.Some of the things you tried, you actually did well without putting much thought to them.Naturally, every human is born with certain skills which easily show. It’s as though those skills long to be recognized and allowed to work.For example, you may have looked at a small boy playing with the lego toys. Checking what he has made or asking him, he says it’s a car. Though it may not resemble anything on the road, you can tell where the boy’s imagination lies.Similarly, there are things you used to do when you were a child. These can also point you into the direction of what you can naturally do well.Since some of these things may not be easy to remember, engage your parents. If they are not available, you can check with your siblings or relatives. Childhood friends can also help you remember some of them. These may pass as mere hobbies for that period in time but they probably weren’t.They showed what your mind was interested in doing. If you for example loved making cars, then designing cars and other equipment may be easy for you.It is such things that hint at careers in graphics design and architecture. In the different engineering fields, you may do well as a designer of the items to be made.You may stand out from others because of your keenness to detail. This will ensure that your designs are wel l thought out.Also, it may be easy for you to come up with improved versions of existing models. This comes in handy when for example designing environment-friendly cars.What are your values?What is it that makes you want to be like the person you admire? What makes you want to partner with someone for a project or business?Your values can also tell you what you might be good at. You will always gravitate towards the things you value. For example, you may value friendships.This will make you have a tendency to move towards groups of people. Valuing friendships means you value people. It also means that you care about their welfare.In the groups therefore, you will be keen to ensure friendships are built and sustained. You may then be having natural mediating skills to help with conflict resolution. You may also have a very natural skill for customer care services.CONCLUSIONFiguring out what you are good at is the first step towards success. Differentiating what you’re good at from what you’re passionate about helps you know what to focus on. Focusing on what your passionate about gives you satisfaction in bringing change to other people’s lives.On the other hand, focusing on what you’re good at leads you to achieve personal goals.The greatest importance in knowing your natural skills is that you stop competing with others on their terms. Once you know your strengths and focus on them, no competition will unsettle you.You will have an easier time maneuvering around obstacles as creativity flows naturally.More than that, if you need to increase your knowledge, you won’t find learning to be difficult.With less struggling and your efforts directed at the job, success becomes easier than you thought.