Factors Affecting Personality

Development
A Bulgarian proverb says, “God promises a safe landing but not a calm
passage.” Realizing your dreams is not easy. In this modern time, you get to
face a lot of distractions and you may sometimes take away your eyes off your
goals. When you are not focused, you see a lot of difficulties and get
overwhelmed by the challenges. But when you set your mind on our goals, you
become so passionate with your work and smoothly finish the tasks on hand.
Nevertheless, you need tom master four areas personality development to
ensure your personal and career success.
 Communication skills
- is which include both verbal and nonverbal, have ben repeatedly cited by the People Management
Association of the Philippines (PMAP) as one of the best assets that an employee should posses. You
need good communication skills to be able to productively work in a team as well as to effectively lead
others. Enhancing your communication skills will greatly prepare you for the world of work, as you will
be judged by the impression you give when you communicate. In the Philippines, English is still the
language of the industry. So you have to develop such skills by reading English books regularly and
making it a point to know the meaning of unfamiliar words so that you build your vocabulary. Also,
writing in English, watching movies, and talking with native English native speakers allow you to master
the correct grammar, diction and pronunciation. Showing that you are polished, professional, and
knowledgeable with how you communicate establishes how credible you
are (Yena,2011). On the other hand, if someone talks to you in English, you should reply also in
English. This shows that you are cordiral and respectful.
Verbal skills include your speaking skills in having one on one conversations and public speaking,
presenting, and talking over the phone.
Speaking skills
- is a powerful mechanism to influence others. It is a tool to let your audience know your
thought and feelings. The words you choose and how you speak influence how your
message if received, shaping the impression that you project to others. Putting across your
message is important in defining your belongingness in a group or a workplace. Hence,
thinks first before you speak. The factors that you need to consider in choosing the right
words and the right manner of speaking these words include the following: the rate, or how
fast you speak; the pitch, or how high and low your voice is; the tone or how positive or nice
you sound; and the articulation, or how clear your words are. Also, you must know your
audience, as you need to suit your speech with the level of formality or maturity of the one
you are speaking with.
Effective communication is characterized by sincerity, which is only manifested through good
eye contact and consistent explanations. Pronounce words clearly and keep a positive and
friendly tone most of the time. Avoid bias or judgemental statements
Conversation skills
- to maintain a collaborative atmosphere in your group, you need to establish a
rapport. One way of doing this is through your conversations with them, when you
demonstrate your sincere openness to know them more. When you show interest in
knowing others, you become an interesting person for others as well. Having god
conversation skills can contribute to your career growth. For example, an X-ray
technician who is good in initiating conversations may make the patient comfortable
while being examined. To be a good conversationalist, you need to give your total
attention to the person you are dealing with so that you can remember his or her
interests. This does not mean that a good conversationalist does most of the talking;
rather, to be a good and effective conversationalist, you must oftentimes do most of
the listening. Do not interrupt or argue with the person. Ask questions in a courteous
manner. Be tactful and respect the other person’s opinions.
Telephone skills
- Although you are not seen, you are heard and judged when speaking on the telephone. In making telephone calls follow these
guidelines (Yena 2011):
1. Know the correct name of the person you are calling, as well as the right pronunciation of his or her name. Further, get his or
her title/designation and department to properly address him or her.
2. When you reach the person you are calling, properly identify your name and the address him or her.
3.If you cannot reach your party, leave a message that you called and indicate that you will call again. Ask when is the best time to
call.
4. Be pleasant and professional all the time. Even if the conversation becomes frustrating, stay calm

On the other hand, when receiving calls, here are some rules to keep in mind
1.The first caller is your priority. So put him or her on hold no more than one minute when there is a second caller.
2. Remain professional in answering calls.
3. Remember that your manner of handling yourself on the telephone speaks a lot about you and reflects an image of your family
and company.
4. If you need to take a message for another person, politely tell that the desired party is unavailable and make sure that the
message will be received by him or her.
 Listening skills
- The importance of listening cannot be overvalued and should not be overlooked.
Listening is giving your full attention to the person you are talking to and your willingness
to understand what is being said. Hearing what someone is saying without understanding
the meaning is called passive listening. Active listening is always beneficial because it
makes you communicate effectively. It allows you to react appropriately and learn new
things. With active listening, you are able to distinguish important from unimportant
information, determine inconsistent points, and understand the message that the speaker
really conveying. According to Yena(2011), when having difficulty understanding lectures
or presentations, take notes, jot down questions, and wait for the speaker to finish before
asking questions. There are factors why it is sometimes difficult to listen and understand or
why we get distracted. We get distracted when there are things around us that bother us.
Also, we cannot understand what is being said because we have a bias toward the
speaker or the presentation, Hence, interacting with speaker may sometimes be
inappropriate or even rude. However, the more we become good speakers and listeners,
we gain more confidence in interacting with people.
Body Language
- includes facial expression, poise, posture, and mannerisms, which are a form
of nonverbal communication. People around us get clues as to how we feel or
think through our body language. You know that your mother is angry when she
looks at you sharply and her lips are pursued together. Your poise and posture
allow you to act with ease and grace, which show confidence
Time and stress management skills
- are important aspects in personal development. When you are capable of
managing your time, you are able to reduce stress and stay focused and think
clearly. You maintain work-life balance and demonstrate a high sense of
responsibility, which results increased productivity. Career success involves
determining when to say “no” and focusing on the things that are really
essential in realizing your goals. Learn how to be kind to yourself and set
realistic goals, but keep in mind to have a high standards. Go the extra mile but
accept the things that you cannot do. Be wise to plan carefully and prepare
yourself for possible challenges along the way.
Personal Care and Personal Appearance

- Your appearance play a big role for a applying a job. Good grooming and corporate attire are winning
elements in job interviews. A professional is an image depicting confidence and reliability. Some areas
even require standards pertaining to grooming, such as the health care and food service industries,
which require employees to have high standards of cleanliness.
- Personal hygiene is part and parcel of career success. In smiling you give the impression of a warm
friendly personality. Good daily dental care including brushed teeth and fresh breath, should be included
in your hygiene . For interviews, good grooming includes neatly cut and styled hair, with subtle hair
color or highlights . You can wear light fragrances. Make sure that your nails are kept short and refrain
from using nail art. Cosmetics should only applied lightly.
- Proper exercise and diet will make you look and feel fit. This allows you to have a longer stamina in
completing your tasks. Staying healthy plays a big role realizing your goals. You have to be mindful of
what you eat. Fats and excessive salt intake does our body harm. Do not abuse your body by taking in
alcoholic beverages, drugs, or tobacco. Instead drink a lot of water. Drink at least 8 glasses of water per
day to keep your body in shape.
 Personal Finances
- Are you the kind of person who takes part of you allowance to save it for the
future? If you are, your self-discipline will help you attain personal and
professional stability in the future. Knowing how to manage your personal
finances determines your priorities, values, and motivation to realize your goals.
The effect of saving small amounts may not be felt immediately, bit it pays off in
the long term. Budgeting is important to manage your personal finances. Many
people have debts because they make unplanned purchases only to later
realize that they could not afford what they have just bought. In doing so, they
often throw their money in paying the interest of their debts. Hence, you should
start learning how to manage your finances as early as now.