Topic
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Course Title
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Study
Material
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1
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Who is a Contributor
Student develops an appreciation of who the Contributors
are and how they fundamentally differ from Non-contributors in their overall
approach to work, to other human beings, to society as a whole.
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2
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The Contributor’s identity
Student develops his/ her own
answer to the question ‘who am I?’ The student becomes aware of the fact that
Non-contributors usually define themselves in terms of what they have
acquired in life (e.g. qualifications, position, years of experience, etc.)
while Contributors define themselves in terms of what they will become or
accomplish (e.g. capacity to deliver, commitment and ownership of the
organization’s purpose, etc.).
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3
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The Contributor’s vision of success
The student explores the meaning
of success in his life. Through this exploration, the student is expected to
recognize that Contributors have a wider definition of success than
Non-contributors. While Non-contributors define success in terms of material
success, achievement, external impact, etc., Contributors are able to widen
this definition of success to include personal fulfillment, development of
self-esteem, ongoing development of personal capabilities etc.
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4
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The Contributor’s vision of career
The student learns to distinguish
between an ‘acquisitive career’ and a ‘contributive career’. An acquisitive
career is one in which the career-seeker is focused on acquiring higher
position, higher salary, more benefits etc. This preoccupation with selfish
interests often damages the individual’s career, as well as, damages the
organization and society. A contributive career is one where the
career-seeker is focused on contributing, with rewards being a by-product of
the contributions made.
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5
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The scope of contribution
The student learns to perceive
that in all type of work, every type of role, there is a possibility of
contributing at multiple levels – contributing to self, contributing to
organization, and contributing to society.
The student also appreciates the
difference between ‘acquisition for self’ and ‘contribution to self’ – the
former being material acquisition and the latter being conscious development
of oneself through the medium of one’s career.
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6
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Embarking on the journey to contributor ship
The student recognizes the
fundamental ‘building blocks’ for becoming a Contributor – the first building
block being a shift from a ‘victim’ to being a ‘creator of one’s destiny’;
the second building block being acceptance of the ideal of contributor ship;
the third building block being the willingness to take full responsibility
for one’s own development; the fourth building block being the capacity to
reflect on one’s development and make appropriate modifications.
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7
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Design Solutions
When faced with a challenge, the
Contributor’s first response is: ‘Can we find a solution?’ This is unlike a
Non-contributor who may respond to the challenge by trying a little and
giving up, blaming others, or finding excuses to cover up the issue.
Whereas, the Contributor finds a
solution. In other words, the Contributor develops the capacity to find
solutions through continuous practice and learning from other Contributors.
In this topic, students learn the
importance of willingness and ability to find solutions.
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8
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Focus on value
What does creating value mean? It
means making a positive difference, a tangible impact, a specific
contribution to any situation. This positive difference or impact can be in
the form of achieving a specific goal, creating a product, creating „human
touch’ in a particular interaction, or enhancing one’s own capacity, or the
capacity of one’s colleagues and team- mates.
Contributors are therefore
extremely result-focused, but the result is measured in terms of value
created.
In this topic, students learn to
clarify the meaning of the word ‘value’ and how value is created in various
situations.
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9
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Engage deeply
Contributors are instantly
distinguished by the way they approach work. They get involved. They are
enthusiastic. They go deep into the subject. In short, Contributors love what
they do.
This is in direct contrast to
Non-contributors who want to do only what they love - an approach that seems
reasonable until you realize that life and workplaces have so much variety
that you may very often be called upon to do tasks that seem unpleasant or
boring until you get involved.
In this topic, students learn the
importance of engaging deeply with whatever work they do – at work, in study,
in personal life.
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10
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Think in Enlightened Self-interest
Contributors think in Enlightened
Self-Interest. In every situation they get into, they find a way to create
something good for self and for all at the same time – including team mates,
bosses, customers and their organization.
Contrasting to this is the
mindset of a Non-Contributor. Such a person is only concerned with his/ her
own self-interest in a situation. He/she is not concerned about the impact
(positive or negative) on the other person. This leads to unpleasant
situations, broken relationships, unhappy team-mates,
subordinates, and bosses, and lower trust in any situation.
Students are expected to learn to appreciate the importance
of thinking win-win for all stakeholders and also in various situations.
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11
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Practice Imaginative Sympathy
One of the unique qualities of
Contributors is their ability to appreciate and understand others’ life
situation, others’ mental condition, and others’ point of view. How do they
do this?
They have consciously developed a
„way of thinking’ called „Imaginative Sympathy’. In this way of thinking,
they are able to give due importance to the human aspects of a situation, and
not just the technical or commercial aspects.
But this is not all. Imaginative
Sympathy goes beyond looking at the human aspects of the situation. It also
means that Contributors are able to anticipate possible interactions or
reactions, they are able to take a multi-dimensional view of a situation and
they are able to bring about changes or results while taking everybody along
with them.
Imaginative Sympathy translates
itself into active concern for others. Students will learn the importance and
consequences of Imaginative Sympathy in a workplace situation.
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12
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Demonstrate Trust Behavior
Contributors recognize that they
are able to achieve results and make contributions with the help of other
human beings. They receive this help if and only if they are trusted and, in
turn, trust. Contributors practice trust behavior from very early in their
career, thereby building a huge trust balance (like a bank balance) over
their career and relationships.
The term Trust Behavior may be
described as character-in-action. This includes keeping one’s word and
commitments, staying with a task, acting with integrity in every situation,
making sure that there is complete transparency in one’s actions and
interactions, etc.
Students are expected to learn to
develop a deep appreciation of trust behavior and how it is practiced.
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13
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Resume Building
In this topic, students learn to
develop a resume for the job-market. Students will learn to develop both a
generic resume and resumes specific to some types of jobs. Students learn
about best practices and common errors in developing their resume.
Most important, students learn to analyze the jobs offered
and present themselves in terms of their potential / willingness to
contribute to the job.
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14
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Group Discussions (GDs)
In this topic, students learn (i)
how to participate in a group discussion from the contributor’s view-point
(i.e. how to speak) (ii) how to contribute to the development of the topic
(i.e. what to speak) and (iii) to develop the Contributor’s view-point on
various GD topics (i.e. how to interpret a topic of discussion from the point
of view of a contributor)
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15
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Interview Skills
In this topic, students learn
about (i) common interview questions and how to develop answers (ii) typical
challenges faced in interviews beyond the questions (such as body language,
grooming, presentation) (iii) most important, the student learns the
importance of trust building and creating confidence in the interview.
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