Certain skills are called
"power skills" in the business community.
Those skills are Leadership,
Communications
Skills, and Resource Development.
A recent
study done for WOMENS
WAY found that these critical skills
plus others such as problem solving, coaching/mentoring, and public
speaking
are developed and improved through volunteerism.
The study found that:
- 83% of
participants reported that they acquired, improved or developed
their
leadership skills due to volunteer participation, and 78% reported
improvement in their communications skills.
- 62% of survey
respondents said that they enhanced problem-solving skills; 57%
improved
organization/multitasking; and 53% enhanced their marketing skills.
- Some 50% of
participants have been involved as volunteers for more than 5
years, and
22% for more than 10 years.
- Nearly 40% of
participants started volunteering before they were 16 years old,
and over
55% were volunteering by the time they were 30 years old.
The study emphasized the
benefits of volunteerism for women and provides these recommendations to
the
corporate community:
- Promote
volunteerism--it is a cost-effective tool for career development
and
training.
- Recognize the
"power skill" set gained from volunteer activities when hiring
women and evaluating them.
- Make it easy for
employees to volunteer--the payoff is an energized, educated, and
well-rounded group of employees.
- Participate as a
corporation in volunteerism because it builds healthy communities
which in
turn enhance business opportunities.
Volunteerism is a rich
education and career development tool for professional women.
Corporations and
nonprofits can work together to enhance the skills of women both in
their
volunteer capacities and their professional lives.
To learn more about the
study, contact Francine Carb, President & CEO, Markitects, Inc. at fcarb@markitects.com