ENTREPRENEURSHIP RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
KADUNA STATE UNIVERSITY, KADUNA
ENT 301: ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION
This course is a compulsory introductory course for studying Entrepreneurship for the first time
for all 300 Level across all faculties irrespective of chosen disciplines. As a result, the design and
flow of the course aimed at creating awareness, providing the knowledge and skills that are
important to achieving success in all human endeavors. The learning outcome and content of
the course has been modified in accordance with the newly released edition dated December,
2022 by the National Universities Commissions as the approved content for the compulsory-
General Entrepreneurship Courses.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, students should be able to:
• explain the concepts entrepreneurship, intrapreneur and businessman;
• state the characteristics of an entrepreneur;
• analyze the benefits of entrepreneurship in wealth creation, employment, and financial
independence;
• engage in entrepreneurial thinking;
• identify key elements in innovation as well as dimensions and scope of innovation
enterprise formation, forms of business ownership including business planning;
• State the basic principles of e-commerce.
• describe contemporary entrepreneurial issues in Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world.
Course Contents
Concept of entrepreneurship (Understanding Basic Concepts of Entrepreneurship; Developing
Entrepreneur; Soft Skills and Development of an Entrepreneur (Benefits of Entrepreneurship;
Barriers to Entrepreneurship Development; How Entrepreneurial Mindset is developed,
Entrepreneurial Skills). Characteristics of entrepreneurs (opportunity seeker, risk taker, natural
and nurtured, problem solver and change agent, innovator and creative thinker).
Entrepreneurial thinking (creative thinking, critical thinking, and reflective thinking). Innovation
(concept of innovation, dimensions of innovation, change and innovation, theories of
innovation). Enterprise Formation (basics of business plan, forms of business ownership and
business registration). Contemporary entrepreneurship issues (intellectual property Right,
Entrepreneurial Knowledge and Business Record keeping). Basic principles of e-commerce
((Technology and E-Business; Basic Definition of E-Commerce; Types of E-Commerce; Benefits
and Key Ideas in E-Commerce) Entrepreneurial Thinkers and Giants (biography of inspiring
Indigenous Entrepreneurs; World class entrepreneurs I and World class entrepreneur’s ii)
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MODULE ONE: UNDERSTANDING AND DEVELOPING ENTREPRENEURSHIP
This module is subdivided into the following units:
Unit 1: Understanding Basic Concepts of Entrepreneurship
Unit: 2 Developing Entrepreneur
Unit 3: Soft Skills and Development of an Entrepreneur
Unit 1: Understanding Basic Concepts of Entrepreneurship
OBJECTIVES
This unit is designed to achieve the following objectives:
a. To elicit understanding of the concepts in entrepreneurship
b. To provide good knowledge of entrepreneurship
c. To explain the difference between entrepreneur and business man
d. To explain the benefits and barriers to entrepreneurs
LEARNING OUTCOMES
a. The students should have an insight into entrepreneurship and its development
b. The students should be able reap the benefits of entrepreneurial activities
c. The students should identify the barriers to entrepreneurship development
Introduction
Entrepreneurship involves the development and teaching of entrepreneurial characteristics,
attitudes, mindsets and qualities into a person (entrepreneur) different from a business owner.
In entrepreneurship, the focus is about specialized characteristics which an entrepreneur
demonstrates in setting up and sustaining a new business venture.
Definition of Concepts
Entrepreneurship
▪ Entrepreneurship is the process of identifying, creating, financing and sustaining a new
business idea with the aim of providing solutions to those who benefit from it at the
same time providing benefits to the initiator of the new venture.
▪ Entrepreneurship has also been defined as the ability to take calculated risk through
innovatively starting or developing a new or existing product of services with the aim of
solving or providing value-added services to the people.
▪ In other words, entrepreneurship is the ability of a person to take the risk of identifying,
starting, nurturing of a problem-solving venture (business) and then benefiting (making
profit) from it.
Entrepreneur
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▪ Schumpeter (1934) conceives the entrepreneur as the innovator who implements
change within markets through carrying out new combinations such as introduction of
new techniques of production, reorganization of an industry and innovation.
▪ Cantillon (1730) conceptualized the entrepreneur as: a risk taker and as the "agent who
buys means of production at certain prices in order to combine them" into a new
product to be sold in the future in an unknown price.
▪ Entrepreneur is any person who take the risk of identifying, starting, financing and
nurturing a new business or product for the purpose of meeting the needs of the
community of where he belongs.
▪ An entrepreneur is anybody who invents, originates a new product, services or a
venture that provides value to meet the needs of the people.
▪ An entrepreneur is a person who sees an opportunity and but take the risk to invest in a
difficult or less attractive environment where others have not explored.
Intrapreneur
• There are given situations where an entrepreneur is not able to establish his or her own
business and as such has to work in an organization. In this case they are referred to as
‘Intrapreneurs’ i.e. entrepreneurs within an organization. These individuals are
entrepreneurs in their own right because they pursue the exploitation of business
opportunities as they emerge and are also visionaries within a given organization. Thus,
once identified, these individuals should be encouraged to manifest their
entrepreneurial abilities to the benefit of the organization otherwise they will be
frustrated and may leave the organization or start their own businesses
Business Man/Woman
Business man/woman: This is a person who undertakes a business activity or engages in
transactions with the aim of satisfying its customers and making profit out of it. Such activity
must be legal to qualify it as a business.
While in the case of business man/ woman, the motivation is profit and customer satisfaction,
in the case of entrepreneur, the motivation is innovation, problem-solving and value-addition.
Benefits of Entrepreneurship
▪ Entrepreneurship allows the person to take ownership and benefit from a business
venture.
▪ Entrepreneurship helps to create a positive impact.
▪ Entrepreneurship allows a person to undertake different forms of self-employment.
▪ It allows for the possibility of achieving great accomplishments.
▪ Entrepreneurship encourage the use of modern technology in small scale businesses in
order to enhance productivity.
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▪ Entrepreneurship allow innovative ideas to mature into life-changing products or
services
Barriers to Entrepreneurship Development
Over the years, certain factors have been identified as barriers or impediments to the
development of entrepreneurship activities, some of which are listed below:
▪ Lack of adequate knowledge
▪ Lack of finance (money)
▪ Fear of failure
▪ Low confidence
▪ Lack of experience in the chosen business
▪ Misuse of funds
▪ Poor planning
▪ Lack of financial literacy
▪ Inadequate business infrastructure
▪ Poor record keeping
▪ Hostile environment
▪ Lack of business contact and networks
▪ Multiplicity of taxes
▪ Poor delegation strategy
Activities:
1. The Resource person is to provide an example of any entrepreneur and
entrepreneurship venture which the students can easily identify with.
2. The Resource person is expected to identify community-based benefits and barriers
which certain entrepreneur has experienced and discuss with the students.
Assessment:
1. Invite students to explain their understanding of the concepts discussed above.
2. Use group session(s) for the students to demonstrate understanding of the benefits and barriers
to entrepreneurship
Discussion:
1. Having analyze the answers given by the students from the assessment questions (1 and 2), the
Resource person should then discuss the results with the students.
Unit: 2 DEVELOPING ENTREPRENEUR
OBJECTIVES
This unit is designed to achieve the following objectives:
a. To enable the student understand how to develop entrepreneurial mindset
b. To provide knowledge on the qualities of entrepreneurs
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c. To explain the skill of an entrepreneur
LEARNING OUTCOMES
a. The students should able to develop entrepreneurial
b. The students should able to learn about the skill and qualities of entrepreneur
How Entrepreneurial Mindset is developed
Entrepreneurs are made and not born, which means the entrepreneurial mindset and skills can
be developed over time through series of time-tested strategies. The strategies are infused into
the person through a variety of training methods such as workshops, video shows, role playing
gaming etc., thus:
▪ Networking with entrepreneurs
▪ Planning of entrepreneurial vision and building a strategy to achieve it
▪ Learn from setbacks to develop effective entrepreneurial mindset
▪ Understanding social problems and devising methods to address them
▪ Commit to one’s passion
▪ Understand the need of the market
▪ Develop risk taking mindset
▪ Learn quick
▪ Develop positive attitude to mistakes and failures
▪ Accept changes and respond to them
Activities:
1. The trainer is to provide an example of any entrepreneur and entrepreneurship
venture which the trainees can easily identify with.
2. The trainer is expected to identify community-based benefits and barriers
which certain entrepreneur has experienced and discuss with the trainees.
Assessment:
1. Invite students to explain their understanding of the concepts discussed above.
2. Use group session(s) for the students to demonstrate understanding of the benefits and barriers
to entrepreneurship
Discussion:
1. Having analyze the answers given by the students from the assessment questions (1 and 2), the
Resource person should then discuss the results with the students.
Qualities (characteristics) of an Entrepreneur
Successful entrepreneurs have been known to display some certain positive qualities that
distinguished them from ordinary business men or women, which makes achievement of set
goals attainable even in the face of challenges, obstacles and disruptions. Some of the qualities
are listed below:
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• Opportunity-seeker: Entrepreneur does not wait for opportunity to appear, but
creates one and sees others as they come. If there is a high demand for a product or
service, and suppliers are inadequate- that is an opportunity for business and job
creation. Generally, entrepreneurs are innovative opportunity seekers. They have
endless curiosity to discover new or different ideas and see whether these ideas will
work in the marketplace. Entrepreneurs create value by introducing new products or
services or finding better ways of making them. These may include innovation in terms
of product design or addition of new product features to existing ones. identify an
important business or technical problem, devise a winning solution to the problem, and
plot a course to bring that solution to market in the form of a commercial product. As an
Opportunity entrepreneurs tend to have a business background rather than a technical
one, so they may focus too much on short-term goals and lose sight of the larger picture
• Change Agent: entrepreneurs play the importance role in a market as they are seen
as agents of change. Which the change is economically based, the implications are far
reaching, affecting other aspects of society such as social, cultural and political. That is
why the entrepreneur is willing to take the responsibility and taking business risk to
create and expand their business in order to explore more opportunities. Which the
goods and services are to fulfills customer’s demand and preferences. Ability to accept
change: Change occurs frequently when you own your own business, the entrepreneur
thrives on changes and their business grow. An entrepreneur may need to change
his/her plans in order to help the business grow. Entrepreneurs look at many solutions
to their problems. They realize that other people may know how to do something
better. Entrepreneurs can choose the best way to do something, even if it is different
from how they want to do it.
• Problem-solver: One of the most common personality traits found in entrepreneurs
is their ability to think fast on their feet and solve problems. As an entrepreneur, he/she
is most likely eager to solve existing problems with a new product/service and have the
ability to tackle obstacles that stand in the way with problem solving abilities. An
entrepreneurial mindset includes being open to change, having an open mind and being
able to solve problems even if it’s in an unconventional way to be able to become a
successful entrepreneur and keep the business running. it won’t always be smooth
sailing for any profitable venture. Every person encounter bumps in the road and
hiccups along the way, and that is why it is so important to have an entrepreneurial trait
of a problem-solving mindset. This means evaluating what went wrong and being able to
brainstorm effective solutions, often in stressful or time-sensitive situations. Having a
level head and being able to think logically and rationally about a problem before taking
focused action will make all the difference in the success of the venture. Reacting blindly
or too quickly can sometimes exacerbate a problem and make it worse instead of taking
that extra time and energy to find a better solution
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• Innovators: Every entrepreneur is curious and ready to challenge the status quo to
detect resources. They endeavor to identify new and innovative things that can be
undertaken. And for this, they are accommodating to taking off for structured
experimentation. There are lots of visionary ideas but they need to discern which one is
worth pursuing and can go for comprehensive research. And they do so by executing a
thorough market analysis and carrying out various tests, campaigns, surveys among
others to substantiate and verify ideas and gauge their potential. Joseph A,
Schumpeter, for the first time in 1934, assigned a crucial role of ‘innovation’ to
the entrepreneur in his magnum opus ‘Theory of Economic Development’. The
introduction of a new combination of factors of production, according to him,
may occur in any one of the following five forms: (a) The introduction of a new
product to the market. (b) The instituting of a new production technology
which is not yet tested by experience in the branch of manufacturing. (c)The
opening of a new market into which the specific product has not previously
entered. (d) The discovery of a new source of supply of raw material. (e)The
carrying out of the new form of organization of any industry by creating a
monopoly position or the breaking up of it. Schumpeter also made a
distinction between an inventor and an innovator. An inventor is one who
discovers new methods and new materials. And, an innovator utilizes
inventions and discoveries to make new combinations.
• Creative thinker: Its fundamental meaning though, is a person who uses their
creative abilities to make money. It's one thing to be a painter but a Creative
Entrepreneur takes their paintings and creates a business model around selling them to
sustain a living for themselves. Therefore, Entrepreneur as a creative
thinkers brainstorm not only a large number of ideas but also a variety and range of
them. Once they have brainstormed their ideas, he/she will experiment and then look at
ideas from multiple perspectives and examine how their solutions fit into the scope of
what they're working on
• Risk taker: Taking calculated risks is an essential part of the whole entrepreneur
business. Without the will to explore the unknown, one cannot discover something
unique. And this uniqueness might make all the difference. Risk-taking involves a lot of
things. Using unorthodox methods is also a risk. Investing in ideas, nobody else believes
in but is a risk too. Entrepreneurs have a differentiated approach towards risks. Good
entrepreneurs are always ready to invest their time and money. But, they always have a
backup for every risk they take. For exploring in the unknown, one must be bestowed
with a trump card; a good entrepreneur has one, always. Also, evaluation of the risk to
be undertaken is also essential. Without knowing the consequences, a good
entrepreneur wouldn’t risk it all
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Activities:
1. Use practical examples to explain the qualities of entrepreneur
using as many entrepreneurs as possible
Assessment:
1. Invite students to dramatize some of the qualities
2. Ask the students to identify some entrepreneurs with some of the qualities listed
Discussion:
1. Analyze the presentation by the students and inform them of their performance
Entrepreneurial Skills
Entrepreneurs are identified and known by the unique set of skills, which assist them achieve
their goals and life-long aspirations. Some of the skills are discussed below:
▪ Problem Solving Ability: An entrepreneur is not discouraged by challenges but
strategically place himself to solving problems through optimism.
▪ Taking Calculated Risk: Entrepreneurs take risk of starting passive difficult venture in a
calculated manner, which could later result into big gains.
▪ Innovation and Creativity: Both innovation and creativity can be learned, developed
and practiced. Entrepreneurs are creative innovators that brings new ideas and products
into life.
▪ Perseverance and Determination: Entrepreneurs are not discouraged by setbacks,
bottlenecks or challenges but demonstrate strong zeal to push forward and succeed.
▪ Independent Mindset: The desire to succeed against all odds make the entrepreneurs
to either move alone with ideas independent of others or bring around them strong
team and drive through their ideas.
▪ Tenacity: This is the ability of the entrepreneurs to hold on to their views and ideas
strongly. It is one of the strongest traits of the entrepreneur.
▪ Optimism through Self-Confidence: The entrepreneurs are known to display high
degree of optimism about their ideas and confidently guide their judgment.
▪ Tolerating Failures: Failures has been part of everyday experience and entrepreneurs
are tolerance to failures and challenges.
▪ Visionary: Entrepreneurs are aware of where they are going and to get to their
destination. Therefore, having the vision about an idea allow them to achieve their
mission.
Activities: Mustapha Gobiyo (A case of Innovation and Problem-Solving Skills)
Despite dropped out of the University of Maiduguri at 300 level, Mustapha Gajibo, a Borno Citizen is making
waves and realising his world by embarking on the journey8 of manufacturing electric vehicles. The feat achieved
by Gajibo has been a clear message that Borno aside from decades of insurgency that ravaged the State can
boast of producing vibrant youth that can shape the future. He specialises in converting buses with petrol
engines into solar-powered electric vehicles. He is owner of Phoenix Renewable Energy Group owned by
Mustapha Gajibo.
Mustapha Gobiyo is pictured inside his workshop at the Pheonix, Maiduguri, Nigeria
Assessment:
1. Invite students to identify some characteristics of Mustapha Gobiyo in the box above.
2. Use simulation session with the students to demonstrate some of the characteristics
Discussion:
1. Review the performance from the assessment and explain areas that need improvement based
on the results.
Unit 3: SOFT SKILLS AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENTREPRENEUR
OBJECTIVES
This unit is designed to achieve the following objectives:
e. To elicit understanding of the concept soft skills
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f. To provide the learner good knowledge of some of the important soft skills
g. To explain the difference between soft and hard skills
h. To explain the benefits of soft skills
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. The students should be able to understand soft skills and apply them
2. The students should be able develop capacity to demonstrate soft skills in undertaking
their activities
Understanding Soft Skills
Soft Skills are being recognized as essential to the development of an entrepreneur. They set of
skills that an entrepreneur should possess in order to face life's challenges successfully and to
positively adapt to it. This would build the self confidence in an individual to handle life
challenges in a more effective manner. They behaviors and characteristics that people
demonstrate unconsciously and routinely. The skills are learned through practice and
experience.
Importance of Soft Skills
The Importance of Soft Skills
i. To build and maintain interpersonal relationships.
ii. To make meaningful/appropriate decisions
iii. Efficient Communication
iv. To influence the professional development
v. For effective, efficient and higher performance
Soft Skills for the Today’s Entrepreneur
Soft skills are different from hard skills (also known as technical skills), which are directly
relevant to the job for which you are applying. Hard skills are often more quantifiable, and
easier to learn than soft skills.
A hard skill for a carpenter, for example, might be the ability to operate a power saw or use
framing squares. A soft skill would be the carpenter’s ability to communicate effectively with
co-workers and clients.
Some of the soft skills available for entrepreneurial development are discuss bellow:
Communication Skills
Communication is a process of exchanging information, ideas, thoughts, feelings and emotions
through speech signals, writing or behavior. In communication process, a sender encodes a
message and then using a medium and sends it to appropriate feedback using a medium.
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Poor communication skills challenge the negotiation capabilities and create various problematic
situations. Weak communication skills also reduces the opportunities to develop other soft
skills. Therefore being a communicator and developing these skills is growing increasingly
important. This unit will provide the guidance to develop that skill.
In order to ensure effective communication skills, the entrepreneur should be able to
understand verbal and non-verbal communication, i.e. Body language and platform skills,
Internet & e-mail communication, listening skills and presentation skills.
Teamwork
A team is a group of two or more people who engage in interactions regarding each other’s
membership and members who are aware of the positive interdependence when trying to
reach mutual goals (Johnson and Johnson 1987). It is also described as a collection of people
with a definite and a common convention regarding attitudes, emotions, aspirations and goals
based on important factors that affect each member who has an express or implied assessment
(Hog and Abrahams 2001).
Therefore, for an entrepreneur to effective and success team work learning to build and work
with a team is an important as the business venture because team members contribute to the
achievement of the overall goal of the group.
Teamwork involves building relationships and working with other people using a number of
important skills and habits:
i. Working cooperatively
ii. Contributing to groups with ideas, suggestions, and effort
iii. Communication (both giving and receiving)
iv. Sense of responsibility
v. Healthy respect for different opinions, customs, and individual preferences
vi. Ability to participate in group decision-making
It should be noted that learning the value of teamwork and becoming an effective member of a
team is an important first step to developing leadership skills.
Time management
Time management is the process of deciding on the order in which you will do tasks, and
making sure that they are done on schedule. Time management can also be described as the
coordination of tasks and activities to maximize the effectiveness of an individual's efforts.
Essentially, the purpose of time management is enabling people to get more and better work
done in less time.
Since there are always demands on your time, it may be helpful to think about what you will do
with your time and to consider some strategies for more effective time management. Time
management is not a way to make you work harder and longer, but a means to help you work
smarter to accomplish your work more easily and rapidly. The benefits of time management
includes efficiency, success and healthy leaving.
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There are several ways to improve time management skills, however, the following are some
the techniques to achieving proper time management by the entrepreneur.
i. Delegate Tasks. It is common for us to take on more tasks than we are capable of
completing, often resulting in stress and burnout. Therefore, get help from others
ii. Prioritize Work
iii. Create a Schedule
iv. Set up Deadlines
v. Overcome Procrastination
vi. Deal With Stress Wisely
vii. Avoid Multitasking
viii. Start Early
ix. Manage time-wasters
x. Set appropriate schedules
Collaboration Skills
Collaboration means working well with someone to complete a task or develop ideas
together. Collaborating happens when two or more people work together to achieve a common
goal. Therefore, collaboration skills cover everything it takes to work well with others and
deliver results as a team. A person who’s good at collaborating in the workplace is an influential
team member, communicator, decision-maker, and leader.
Some examples of how collaboration skills look include:
• Communicating updates to your manager to solicit feedback
• Recognizing other team members for their hard work
• Sharing insights and helpful tips with team members to improve group processes
• Intervening when there’s tension among team members and working to dissolve it
• Facilitating inclusive workplace practices to make all team members feel respected
Benefits of Collaboration
Collaborating doesn’t just mean working with others to complete a project. To collaborate well,
you need to build relationships with teammates, know how to resolve conflict when it arises,
and create an inclusive, respectful working environment. There are many befits of collaboration
and they includes:
▪ Teaching and learning
▪ Solving problems
▪ Boosts morale
▪ Increasing efficiency
Emotional Intelligence
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This the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve
stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse
conflict.
It is also the ability to be in control of how you identify and express your emotions. It also refers
to your ability to recognize and react to other people's emotions. This is a necessary skill for
collaborating, as it will help you act professionally and respectfully, regardless of how you or
your team members are feeling.
Having emotional intelligence will ensure you don't lash out at your team members, potentially
harming your working relationship and ability to collaborate. Emotional intelligence will also
help you realize when your colleague is having a bad day, so you don't get angry at them for not
contributing as much that day.
Components of Emotional Intelligence
▪ Self-awareness.
▪ Self-management.
▪ Social awareness.
▪ Relationship management.
Professionalism and Work Ethics
Professionalism and Work Ethic demonstrates integrity, resilience, accountability and ethical
behavior. It's the ability to take initiative, maintain effective work habits i.e. prioritize, plan and
manage work punctuality to produce high quality results.
Professionalism
Professionalism refers to a cluster of competencies that experts possess. For instance, a
mathematician can work with mathematical formulae to solve real-world problems while a
badminton pro can hit the shuttle from anywhere on the court. It is the general competencies
needed to achieve in the workforce.
Professionalism can also be described as “conducting oneself with responsibility, integrity,
accountability, and excellence. It means communicating effectively and appropriately and
always finding a way to be productive.”
Work Ethic
This refers to a person’s commitment to self-discipline and commitment to the daily grind.
Examples of work ethic traits are attributes like showing up for work, being punctual, meeting
deadlines, focusing on the process while also being aware of the end goal.
Professionalism and Work Ethic are obviously tied to success in the workplace. They also play
leading roles in our personal and business lives. In the psychological
literature, professionalism and work ethics are associated with the personality construct
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called Conscientiousness, a cluster of traits related to competence, order, dutifulness,
achievement striving, self-discipline, and deliberation.
Digital skills
Digital skills are broadly defined as the skills needed to “use digital devices, communication
applications, and networks to access and manage information,” from basic online searching and
emailing to specialist programming and development.
It is also defined as the ability to find, evaluate, use, share, and create content using
digital devices, such as computers and smartphones.
These days, the digital skills required in the workplace are a bit more advanced, and
companies expect the vast majority of their employees to have them, not just a select
few. Technology is at the center of our lives, and as our dependence on the internet and
digital communications increases, our workforce must keep up with the evolving skill
demand.
W hy Lea rn Di git al Skill s?
Digital transformation is on the rise and affecting every industry imaginable.
Farmers are no longer merely sowing seeds and harvesting a crop; they’re using sensors
and information technology to automate, monitor, and regulate their systems t o become
more profitable, efficient, and sustainable.
Food delivery apps now help restaurants provide their menu options to hungry patrons
without them having to leave their homes. This adds a complex layer of responsibilities
for restaurant workers who now must manage orders through digital devices, as well as
any in-person interactions.
Even real estate, a traditionally face-to-face industry, relies on digital skills. Virtual walk-
throughs are available to prospects looking to relocate, and signing documents remotely
with services like DocuSign is a quick and convenient way to finalize an agreement.
So me Necessa ry Di git al S kill s
It is important to note that for any entrepreneur to excel and master the game in today’s
dynamic world, digital skills are a most. Whichever venture path the entrepreneur
chooses, one must keep in mind that there are always new skills to learn and new
technologies to master.
For entry-level positions, the bare minimum digital skills required include the ability to
carry out tasks, such as:
i. Communicating via email
ii. Researching information online
iii. Handling sensitive information in virtual ecosystems
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iv. Safely using cloud-based collaboration tools like Google Drive, DropBox, and
Microsoft, Teams, Zoom among others
v. Creating and managing spreadsheets and online documents
vi. Basic device management like connecting to the internet or installing software
updates
vii. Screen sharing during a video call
viii. Using online calendars and efficiently managing your schedule (and possibly others
on the team)
ix. Cyber Security
Problem-Solving Skills
Problem-solving skills are the ability to identify problems, brainstorm and analyze answers, and
implement the best solutions. An entrepreneur with good problem-solving skills is both a self-
starter and a collaborative teammate; they are proactive in understanding the root of a
problem and work with others to consider a wide range of solutions before deciding how to
move forward.
Everybody can benefit from having good problem solving skills because we all encounter
problems on a daily basis. Some of these problems are obviously more severe or complex than
others. It would be wonderful to have the ability to solve all problems efficiently and in a timely
fashion without difficulty, unfortunately though there is no one way in which all problems can
be solved.
Examples of using problem-solving skills in the workplace include:
• Researching patterns to understand why revenue decreased within a particular period
• Experimenting with a new marketing channel to increase sales
• Brainstorming content types to share with potential customers
• Testing calls to action to see which ones drive the most product sales
• Implementing a new workflow to automate a team process and increase productivity
Why Are Problem-Solving Skills Important?
Problem-solving skills are the most sought-after soft skill of 2022. In fact, 86% of employers
look for problem-solving skills on student resumes, according to the National Association of
Colleges and Employers Job Outlook 2022 survey.
It’s unsurprising why employers are looking for this skill: companies will always need people to
help them find solutions to their problems. Someone proactive and successful at problem-
solving is valuable to any team.
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Problem-Solving Process
Activities:
3. The Resource person to apply role playing and simulation to demonstrate the soft
skills discussed above.
4. The Resource person to use video contents to display how the skills are practically
applied in organizations
Assessment:
1. Invite students to demonstrate in groups some of the soft skills if not all.
2. Ask students to use graphic displays on cardboard to explain the skills they understand.
Discussion:
1. Having analyze the answers given by the students from the assessment questions (1 and
2), the Resource person should then discuss the results with the students.
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