BE ABREAST OF TIMES (PAGE 14)

THE Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ms Joyce Aryee, has called on corporate managers to be abreast of developments in the ever changing corporate world by updating their knowledge.
She explained that today’s workplace was becoming increasingly competitive and only personal skills and competence could make corporate managers progress.
Ms Aryee made the observation when she delivered a paper on the topic: “Speak with confidence for Professional Success’’ at the monthly lecture organised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIMG) in Accra.
She explained that developing confidence was a good investment in the marketing of goods and services.
She further explained that speaking with confidence was not only essential for marketing goods and services but was of great importance in private life as well.
Ms Aryee said while the art and skills of good speech came naturally to some people, many others had to learn and practice it.
She said the process of learning to speak with confidence could involve big investment by corporate bodies for their staff in the front-line of the marketing and distribution sectors.
She said it was not frivolous for managers and public speakers and board members to rehearse for days on what to tell their audience in order to win their confidence.
She, therefore, called on corporate managers never to take for granted that speaking effectively and with confidence could come so easily to staff of the marketing and distribution chain of their corporations.
Ms Aryee pointed out that the greatest barrier to success in public speaking was how to overcome fear and the only way to overcome it was through preparation and having a positive attitude towards the audience.
The National Vice- President of CIMG, Mrs Shola Sarfo-Duodu, said the monthly lectures instituted were to help members not only to develop themselves in technical skills but also to promote the development of their career .
She noted that because of the competitive nature of a modern workplace, important skills such as speech training have been relegated to the background.
Mrs Safo-Doudu said the CIMG, as a marketing organisation, had taken it upon itself to impress on the corporate world that speaking with confidence was still relevant to the growth of business.