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Swiss Army Knife

The New Global Marketplace Requires the Versatility of a Swiss Army Knife

On our last trip to Zurich, Switzerland, my son wanted my husband and me to bring him back an authentic Swiss Army knife. Steve and I shopped until we found the ultimate knife as pictured above and brought it home to Mark.

It was well made, had solid craftsmanship, and was true to its core selling point: it was knife! But it was not just a knife – it was anything from a cork screw to a fingernail file. If you ever owned or examined one of these knives, you may have marveled at its versatility as I did. When I held the knife in my hand and personally opened each implement, I realized the knife was scary!

Thomas Friedman, author of the popular book, The World is Flat, says that 21st Century employees need to be as versatile as a Swiss Army knife – the worldwide icon for function, durability, and ingenuity. Freidman recommends that individuals be well founded in their core identity and well rounded in their ability to respond to many different types of job requirements.

From my experience, individuals tend to be a jack-of-all-trades and master of none or an absolute powerhouse with tunnel vision. Which one rings true to your personality?

The mantra for the past several years has been 'do more with less' so it should come as no surprise that the global marketplace demands us to be true to our core characteristics as the powerhouse of performance yet destroy tunnel vision and master more skills – or resemble a Swiss Army knife.

In a Swiss Army knife, the tunnel vision or core tools are a large blade and a small blade. Then you start with options and can chose paraphernalia from can openers and tweezers to toothpicks and a Phillips screwdriver. Don't forget the pliers with a wire cutter and wire crimper.

Think about your core strengths. Are they in sales and marketing, technology, business management, human resources, research and design, etc.?

Now from the wish list below, put a check by the characteristics that if developed, would make you more functional and add value to your resume. Even a jack-of-all-trades should find something on this list he/she could improve.

Start each sentence with "I am":

__ Committed to providing total quality work
__ Punctual, trustworthy and dependable
__ Competent at managing responsibilities in a high-pressure environment
__ Cooperative with a wide range of personalities
__ Accomplished at gaining trust and winning a customer's confidence
__ A good communicator in both verbal and written communication skills
__ Effective in completing assignments despite changing priorities
__ Good at identifying, analyzing, and solving problems
__ A team player and consistently contribute to team production
__ Resourceful in solving problems and maximizing resources
__ Enthusiastic and optimistic
__ Skilled in handling the public with diplomacy and professionalism
__ Good at adapting to new equipment and technology
__ Capable of organizing workflow, ideas, materials, people
__ Skilled at working with people with diverse backgrounds
__ Excellent as a leader

This list is to get you started thinking about the different skill sets you could develop that would make you more valuable to your organization, as valuable as a Swiss Army knife is to the outdoorsman. When you develop skills in addition to your core strengths, you will find the versatility puts you in a unique echelon of achievers.

About the Author

Karla Brandau, Certified Speaking Professional, is a workplace consultant and an expert in leadership and professional development. She works with organizations who want to be competitive in the 21st century global marketplace. Sign up for her monthly newsletter, From the Desk of Karla Brandau and download free articles by going to http://www.KarlaBrandau.com. Contact Karla at 770-923-0883 for a free consultation or to check the availability of dates to bring Karla to your organization.

Swiss Army Esquire 7-tool Pocket Knife $14.54 Stay prepared with this useful Swiss Army knife. The Swiss-made pocket knife boasts seven tools.

Swiss Army Travel Alarm 1884 Limited Edition Pocket Watch Knife Gift Set $296.05 This limited edition alarm pocket watch celebrates the 125th anniversary of Victorinox, maker of the Swiss Army Knife. It features a red dial with centered alarm function and also has a toothpick and tweezers like the included original Swiss Army Knife.

Wenger Men's Expedition Black Dial Yellow Accent Watch $133.99 The Expedition watch from Wenger features distinctive yellow accents on a stainless steel case and a black rubber strap. It is made in Switzerland by the maker's of the Swiss Army knife.

Wenger Men's Expedition Black Dial Grey Accent Watch $133.99 The Expedition watch from Wenger features distinctive grey accents on a stainless steel case and a black rubber strap. It is made in Switzerland by the maker's of the Swiss Army knife.

Wenger Men's Expedition Black Dial Red Accent Watch $143.99 The Expedition watch from Wenger features distinctive red accents on a stainless steel case and a black rubber strap. It is made in Switzerland by the maker's of the Swiss Army knife.

Wenger Men's Expedition Black Dial Blue Accent Watch $143.99 The Expedition watch from Wenger features distinctive blue accents on a stainless steel case and a black rubber strap. It is made in Switzerland by the maker's of the Swiss Army knife.

Wenger SwissGear 'Sherpa' 16-inch Laptop Computer Backpack $69.99 This laptop backpack is manufactured by the makers of the genuine Swiss Army Knife. Full of convenient pockets, this laptop bag is all you need to keep your school and business essentials organized.

Swiss Army Men's Chrono Classic Silver Dial Brown Leather Strap Watch $269.99 This Swiss Army men's Chrono Classic Watch is made in Switzerland by Victorinox, the maker's of the Swiss Army knife. It features a 30 minute chronograph, tachymeter and date display.

Victorinox Swiss Army 125th Anniversary Black Travel Alarm Pocket Watch $324 This limited edition alarm pocket watch celebrates the 125th anniversary of Victorinox, the maker of the Swiss Army knife. It features a rubber touch shell, individually numbered certificate of authenticity and exclusive collectors display case.

Wenger Men's 'Classic Field' Large Blue Dial Watch $107.95 This is a brand new, world-class watch by Wenger, maker of the genuine Swiss Army knife. It features a large blue dial with luminous components, date display, and a stainless steel case and bracelet.

Wenger Men's 'Commando' Day Date XL Brown Dial Watch $171.99 This is a brand new, world-class watch by Wenger, maker of the genuine Swiss Army knife. It features a brown dial with luminous components, day and date display, and a genuine leather strap.

Swiss Army Women's Vivante Rectangle Watch $235.99 his Swiss Army women's Vivante watch is made in Switzerland by Victorinox, maker's of the Swiss Army knife. This watch features a bright silver dial with sublte rays emenating from the center.

Swiss Army Women's Base Camp Pink Mother of Pearl Dial Watch $229.99 This women's Swiss Army Base Camp watch is made in Switzerland by Victorinox, maker of the Swiss Army knife. It features a pink mother-of-pearl dial with military time and a date display at 4:00.

Swiss Army Women's Base Camp White Mother of Pearl Dial $229.99 This Swiss Army women's Base Camp watch is made in Switzerland by Victorinox, the maker of the Swiss Army knife. It features a white Mother-of-Pearl dial complemented by a stainless steel bracelet.

Wenger Men's 'Squadron Chrono' Blackout Watch $452.99 This is a brand new, world-class watch by Wenger, maker of the genuine Swiss Army knife. It features an all-black, stainless steel case, with date display, luminous blackout components, and three subdials.

Victorinox Skipper Swiss Army Knife $94.57 Swiss Army Skipper Multitool

Swiss Army $31.99 Swiss Army by Swiss Army for Women - 2 Pc Gift Set 3.3oz EDT Spray, Wenger Pocket Knife.

Swiss Army Manager Knife $26.5 The Swiss Army Manager knife by Victorinox is a small, compact pocket knife built with only the necessities. This is a great knife for someone who is tired of carrying around a heavy, clunky knife built with features you never use. The Manager is also a great knife to keep in your car, first aid kit, or anywhere else for those "just in case" times.

Swiss Army Recruit Knife $16 The Swiss Army Recruit Knife by Victorinox is the knife most people think of when they hear, "pocket knife". The Recriut is built with the 7 standard features most people need or desire on a knife. Its small size and light weight are the other reasons this is a top seller.

Swiss Army Farmer Knife $40 DECENT FEATURES of the Swiss Army Farmer Knife Large blade Can opener with Small screwdriver Wood saw Key ring inox Cap lifter with Screwdriver Wire stripper Reamer The SPECS Dimension (L x W x H): 93 x 22 x 14 mm Net Weight: 86 g

Swiss Army Spartan Knife $20.5 The Swiss Army Spartan knife by Victorinox is a well built, average sized pocket knife. Perfect boy scouts to construction workers, this is a great knife for someone who wants more than just a blade. The Spartan has 9 commonly used main features so you can get away with carrying fewer tools. 

Kids Swiss Army Knife $7.99 When Billy cut his finger testing out a new multitool, we picked up this beauty so that he could get some practice before handling the "grown-up" stuff again. The thing is, we really liked the Kids Swiss Army Knife and we knew your geekling would too! The Kids Swiss Army Knife comes with 6, plastic tools. The fork and spoon are large enough to eat with. The saw blade and the knife will make quick work of cake, hot dogs, or sandwiches. The can opener/screwdriver are sturdy enough to pry apart stubborn plastic bricks. But the biggest surprise was the the magnifying lens. The lens is fairly powerful and makes for a fun, up-close backyard science excursions. Just like a real Swiss Army Knife, all the tools fold up nice and neat in the bright red housing. There's also a small carabiner clip for attaching the knife to beltoops or backpacks. All in all, we couldn't be happier and there are no more tears for Billy either. Product Specifications For Ages 3 Years and Up WARNING - Small parts. Not intended for children under 3 years of age. Official Victorinox Toy 6 tools: Saw blade, knife blade, fork, spoon, can opener/screwdriver, and magnifying lens Mini carabiner for easy carrying Not dishwasher safe

Swiss Army SwissChamp Knife $153.76 Be prepared for any task at hand with this genuine Swiss Army knifeLegendary Swiss-made pocket knife has 31 useful functionsKnife is great for camping, travel or even for use around the office or houseHighlights include:Large bladeSmall bladeCan opener with small screwdriver Bottle opener with large screwdriver and wire stripperMetal sawPliers with wire cutterScissorsWood sawFish scaler and hook disgorgerRuler (centimeters and inches)Magnifying glass

Victorinox Swiss Army Victorinox Swiss Army Pocket Pal Knife 53281 $12.66 Pocket pal knife Features large blade and small blade Red Measures 3-1/4? Gift boxed Brand #: Victorinox Swiss Army 53281 UPC: 046928532810 Keywords: pocket knife pal swiss army

Wenger Patriot Swiss Army Knife $13.99 0.80 oz 16920 3.37" Length - Actual Size 3 implements / 3 functions 2.25" Blade 1.4" Clip point utility blade Key ring Aluminum Handle Black Lifetime Limited Patriot Patriot Swiss Army Knife Swiss Army Knife Wenger Wenger, North America www.wengerna.com

Official Swiss Army Soldier's Knife $55 This is the updated version of the official knife issued to all members of the Swiss military.

Swiss Army Classic Knife $14.5 The Classic Swiss Army Knife by Victorinox is just that, classic. Its small size and numerous features have made this a time proven piece. Available in numerous colors, this knife is a perfect gift for anyone on your list.  Great for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, camping, hiking, or just for daily needs throughout a day.  The knife includes:Small bladeScissorsNail file with screwdriver tipToothpickTweezersKey Ring

Victorinox Swiss Army Classic Swiss Army Knife $43.63 Brand: Victorinox Swiss Army Classic Swiss Army KnifeModel: 53012Materials: Stainless steelDimensions: 2.3 inches long x 0.25 inches wide x 0.6 inch deepBlade length: 2.3 inchesSwiss made Tools Included: BladeNail fileNail cleanerScissorsReamerKey ringTweezersToothpick

Swiss Army Knife Modifications