Mohit Kumar did his M Tech from IIT, New Delhi He has an MBA from IIM, Ahmedabad But he still could not get the job of his choice during campus recruitment.
Reason: Blame it on his soft skills. Or rather the lack of them. These include communication, listening, negotiation, etiquette, language skills etc. Hence, he could not compete with his fellow students who got better jobs. Soft skills play a vital role for professional success; they help one to excel in the workplace and their importance cannot be denied in this age of information and knowledge. Good soft skills -- which are in fact scarce -- in the highly competitive corporate world, will help you stand out in a milieu of routine job seekers with mediocre skills and talent. The Smyth County Industry Council, a governing body based in the US, conducted a survey recently. The results of the survey were called the Workforce Profile which found "an across-the-board unanimous profile of skills and characteristics needed to make a good employee." The people most likely to be hired for available jobs have what employers call "soft skills".
The most common traits, mentioned by virtually every employer, were ~Positive work ethic~Good attitude~Desire to learn and be trained.
Mohan Rao, a technical director with Emmellen BiotechPharmaceuticals Ltd, Mumbai defines a 'good attitude: "It is a behavioural skill, which cannot be taught. However it can be developed through continuous training. It represents the reactive nature of the individual and is about looking at things with the right perspective. You must be ready to solve problems proactively and create win-win situations. And you must be able to take ownership ie responsibility for your actions and lead from the front without calling it quits at the most critical moment."Most of the business leaders observed that they could find workers who have "hard skills" i.e. the capability to operate machinery or fulfill other tasks, but many potential hires lack the "soft skills" that a company needs. CEOs and human resource managers said they are ready to hire workers who demonstrate a high level of "soft skills" and then train them for the specific jobs available. The ever-changing impact of technology has given hard-skills-only workers a short shelf life. According to results of the Workforce Profile the more valuable employee is one who can grow and learn as the business changes. Soft skills "are as important, if not more important, than traditional hard skills to an employer looking to hire -- regardless of industry or job type. This could offer a major breakthrough as educators and training providers seek to develop and cluster training courses to fit business and industry needs."
Top 60 soft skills: How many soft skills do you possess?
The Workforce Profile defined about 60 "soft skills", which employers seek. They are applicable to any field of work, according to the study, and are the "personal traits and skills that employers state are the most important when selecting employees for jobs of any type."
1. Math.
2. Safety.
3. Courtesy.
4. Honesty.
5. Grammar.
6. Reliability.
7. Flexibility.
8. Team skills.
9. Eye contact.
10. Cooperation.
11. Adaptability.
12. Follow rules.
13. Self-directed.
14 Good attitude.
15. Writing skills.
16. Driver's license.
17. Dependability.
18. Advanced math.
19. Self-supervising.
20. Good references .
21. Being drug free.
22. Good attendance.
23. Personal energy.
24. Work experience.
25. Ability to measure.
26. Personal integrity.
27. Good work history.
28. Positive work ethic.
29. Interpersonal skills.
30. Motivational skills.
31. Valuing education.
32. Personal chemistry.
33. Willingness to learn.
34. Common sense.
35. Critical thinking skills.
36. Knowledge of fractions.
37. Reporting to work on time.
38. Use of rulers and calculators.
39. Good personal appearance.
40. Wanting to do a good job.
41. Basic spelling and grammar.
42. Reading and comprehension.
43. Ability to follow regulations.
44. Willingness to be accountable.
45. Ability to fill out a job application.
46. Ability to make production quotas.
47. Basic manufacturing skills training.
48. Awareness of how business works.
49. Staying on the job until it is finished.
50. Ability to read and follow instructions .
51. Willingness to work second and third shifts.
52. Caring about seeing the company succeed.
53. Understanding what the world is all about.
54. Ability to listen and document what you have heard.
55. Commitment to continued training and learning.
56. Willingness to take instruction and responsibility.
57. Ability to relate to coworkers in a close environment.
58. Not expecting to become a supervisor in the first six months.
59. Willingness to be a good worker and go beyond the traditional eight-hour day.
60. Communication skills with public, fellow employees, supervisors, and customers.
With emotional intelligence becoming crucial, soft skills play a vital role in professional success
In recent years — especially post recession — 'soft skills' has become a buzz word, frequently discussed and debated within the media and among managers across sectors, irrespective of the geographical boundaries and functional areas. I almost completely agree to what Tom Schulte, CEO of Recalibrate Professional Development, US says, "…One of the most difficult areas for leaders to grow in is in the area of soft skills. Often leaders prefer to ignore this part of their development, because it's either not high on their priority list, or they can't grasp all the steps it takes to master the important elements involved in building relationships". Taking s step ahead, I would add that it is not only leaders who 'prefer to ignore’ it. Most of the time 'non-leaders' and, in the worst case, 'aspiring leaders' who take soft skills for granted.
An Introduction To Soft Skills
It is interesting to note that most dictionaries do not even have any entry for the term soft skills. The reason could be that this terminology is recent in origin. However, there have been attempts to define it in different ways. According to a glossary of a certain business dictionary, it has been defined as "Skills needed to perform jobs where job requirements are defined in terms of expected outcomes, but the process (es) to achieve the outcomes may vary widely; usually, an area of performance that does not have a definite beginning and end (ie, counselling, supervising, and managing)". Here, one can note that these skills lay emphasis on personal management skills. We are required to develop such attitudes and behaviours that enhance our personal growth, and make us an adept team player. According to an alternate definition (from informal sources): "soft skills are about projecting oneself and one's professional skills in the best possible way, and taking a holistic view of things. They are about how you interact with and react to others when you come in contact with them; they enable you to zero in on the most important point you want to make, but in an attractive and charming manner".
These definitions may be true but they are just the tip of the iceberg. It can be strongly argued that soft skills are not only about self projection but also focus on strengthening oneself from within so that one's acceptance in a socio-cultural framework- both in the personal as well as professional arena -is optimum. Keeping this in mind, it can be said that soft skills have a bearing on our intellectual (or cognitive) skills determined by our IQ (Intelligence Quotient) as well as EQ Emotional Intelligence Quotient) or EI (Emotional Intelligence) as it is popularly known.
Managing Intelligence(s)
IQ, as we know, is a numerical representation of intelligence. For any individual, it is derived by dividing his or her mental age (result from intelligence test) with the chronological or the real age times 100. It is calculated by estimating where, under the normal distribution curve, the individual's performance on an IQ test places him or her. The curve is standardised in such a way that the mean score is 100 and standard deviation around the mean is 15. Thus, an average IQ is anywhere between 85 and 115.
On the other hand EQ, is one's ability to manage his/her emotions that arise involuntarily depending on a pleasant or not so pleasant situation, in a composed and matured manner that eventually makes other comfortable, at least not uncomfortable!
According to Dr. Richard E. Boyatzis, "At its most basic, emotional intelligence is, literally the intelligent use of emotions". In 1990, psychologists Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer coined the term 'emotional intelligence' and defined it as "the subset of social intelligence that involve the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one's thinking and action".
One's EQ, determines his/her ability and willingness to fit into a particular social structure, such as a project team, music band, or a company. This requires some personality attributes, namely, emotional maturity, leadership qualities, eagerness to learn or learning aptitude, and willingness to share and embrace new ideas or open and flexible attitude. EQ, thus, indicates an individual's awareness of and ability to read the emotions of others and control one's own emotions accordingly for the overall conducive productivity.
In my recent book, Enhancing Employability @ Soft Skills, I've tried to explain the reason why it makes sense to lay emphasis on EQ more than IQ. The fact is that one's IQ (more or less)remains the same throughout one's life but EQ, which comprises one's AQ (Adaptability Quotient), IPQ (Influence and Persuasion Quotient) and MQ (Motivation Quotient), is dynamic and keeps growing lifelong.
Your AQ is a result of your self-awareness, self-regulation and flexibility. You are self-aware if you are conscious of your own moods, emotions and drives. You are self-regulated if you can think before you act and can control negative impulses. If you can adjust to a changed or different environment, you are flexible. The higher the degree of these three aspects the higher would be your AQ. Next to AQ is IPQ which influences your overall EQ. It rests on your interpersonal skills, empathy and perseverance. Your interpersonal skills help you get along with people around you in your personal as well as professional life. Empathy enables you to put yourself in another's shoes before getting into action, favourable or otherwise, while perseverance is your ability to continue your efforts to achieve your desired goal.
Your EQ is not complete without your power to motivate others and bring about desired change in other people's lives; that is where MQ (Motivation Quotient) comes in. It rests on your leadership skills, initiative and negotiation skills. Your leadership skills help you guide and lead people to the common goal. Initiative means you are able to raise your hand, accept a challenge, and set off the stage for action. Negotiation refers to a decision-making process that results in reaching a consensus, where every concerned party feels satisfied. The more mature your negotiation skills are the more empowered you will be to reach agreeable situations. With a better MQ you will be able to effectively straighten out disputes or contentious issues for the benefit of all. In order to have high MQ you need to have very strong base of these three qualities.
An Introduction To Soft Skills
It is interesting to note that most dictionaries do not even have any entry for the term soft skills. The reason could be that this terminology is recent in origin. However, there have been attempts to define it in different ways. According to a glossary of a certain business dictionary, it has been defined as "Skills needed to perform jobs where job requirements are defined in terms of expected outcomes, but the process (es) to achieve the outcomes may vary widely; usually, an area of performance that does not have a definite beginning and end (ie, counselling, supervising, and managing)". Here, one can note that these skills lay emphasis on personal management skills. We are required to develop such attitudes and behaviours that enhance our personal growth, and make us an adept team player. According to an alternate definition (from informal sources): "soft skills are about projecting oneself and one's professional skills in the best possible way, and taking a holistic view of things. They are about how you interact with and react to others when you come in contact with them; they enable you to zero in on the most important point you want to make, but in an attractive and charming manner".
These definitions may be true but they are just the tip of the iceberg. It can be strongly argued that soft skills are not only about self projection but also focus on strengthening oneself from within so that one's acceptance in a socio-cultural framework- both in the personal as well as professional arena -is optimum. Keeping this in mind, it can be said that soft skills have a bearing on our intellectual (or cognitive) skills determined by our IQ (Intelligence Quotient) as well as EQ Emotional Intelligence Quotient) or EI (Emotional Intelligence) as it is popularly known.
Managing Intelligence(s)
IQ, as we know, is a numerical representation of intelligence. For any individual, it is derived by dividing his or her mental age (result from intelligence test) with the chronological or the real age times 100. It is calculated by estimating where, under the normal distribution curve, the individual's performance on an IQ test places him or her. The curve is standardised in such a way that the mean score is 100 and standard deviation around the mean is 15. Thus, an average IQ is anywhere between 85 and 115.
On the other hand EQ, is one's ability to manage his/her emotions that arise involuntarily depending on a pleasant or not so pleasant situation, in a composed and matured manner that eventually makes other comfortable, at least not uncomfortable!
According to Dr. Richard E. Boyatzis, "At its most basic, emotional intelligence is, literally the intelligent use of emotions". In 1990, psychologists Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer coined the term 'emotional intelligence' and defined it as "the subset of social intelligence that involve the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one's thinking and action".
One's EQ, determines his/her ability and willingness to fit into a particular social structure, such as a project team, music band, or a company. This requires some personality attributes, namely, emotional maturity, leadership qualities, eagerness to learn or learning aptitude, and willingness to share and embrace new ideas or open and flexible attitude. EQ, thus, indicates an individual's awareness of and ability to read the emotions of others and control one's own emotions accordingly for the overall conducive productivity.
In my recent book, Enhancing Employability @ Soft Skills, I've tried to explain the reason why it makes sense to lay emphasis on EQ more than IQ. The fact is that one's IQ (more or less)remains the same throughout one's life but EQ, which comprises one's AQ (Adaptability Quotient), IPQ (Influence and Persuasion Quotient) and MQ (Motivation Quotient), is dynamic and keeps growing lifelong.
Your AQ is a result of your self-awareness, self-regulation and flexibility. You are self-aware if you are conscious of your own moods, emotions and drives. You are self-regulated if you can think before you act and can control negative impulses. If you can adjust to a changed or different environment, you are flexible. The higher the degree of these three aspects the higher would be your AQ. Next to AQ is IPQ which influences your overall EQ. It rests on your interpersonal skills, empathy and perseverance. Your interpersonal skills help you get along with people around you in your personal as well as professional life. Empathy enables you to put yourself in another's shoes before getting into action, favourable or otherwise, while perseverance is your ability to continue your efforts to achieve your desired goal.
Your EQ is not complete without your power to motivate others and bring about desired change in other people's lives; that is where MQ (Motivation Quotient) comes in. It rests on your leadership skills, initiative and negotiation skills. Your leadership skills help you guide and lead people to the common goal. Initiative means you are able to raise your hand, accept a challenge, and set off the stage for action. Negotiation refers to a decision-making process that results in reaching a consensus, where every concerned party feels satisfied. The more mature your negotiation skills are the more empowered you will be to reach agreeable situations. With a better MQ you will be able to effectively straighten out disputes or contentious issues for the benefit of all. In order to have high MQ you need to have very strong base of these three qualities.
Acquiring The Right Skill Set
To be precise, soft skills include competencies in areas such as emotional strength, communication, adaptability, team-playing ability, leadership quality, self-initiative, self-motivation, decision-making ability, negotiating ability and conflict-resolution. The given figure elucidates the combination of qualities and attributes that forms ones soft skills.
Psychologists, management experts and spiritual leaders, from Daniel Goleman to Donald Trump to Dalai Lama, agree that a combination of soft skills have a great impact on one's level of success in life. Each of these may use different vocabulary but they are all emphasising on same thing.
A research conducted among Fortune 500 CEOs by the Stanford Research Institute and Carnegie Mellon Foundation drew the inference that 75 per cent of long-term job successes depended on people skills and only 25 per cent on technical knowledge. Researches also show that it is the soft skills of a person that determine everything from getting promoted to how happy he/she is at the workplace. Luckily, with knowledge, awareness, training and practice it can be enhanced.
EQ is essentially the most scientific and researched element of soft skills, as 'emotional' is both complementary and in contrast with the 'intellectual' or cognitive aspect of intelligence. Both emotional and intellectual aspects of the brain matter but scientists find that emotions influence everything from intelligence to personal-professional growth and life expectancy.
Overall, soft skills play a vital role in one's professional success. They help one excel at the workplace and their importance cannot be undermined in this age of culturally diverse workplaces.
To be precise, soft skills include competencies in areas such as emotional strength, communication, adaptability, team-playing ability, leadership quality, self-initiative, self-motivation, decision-making ability, negotiating ability and conflict-resolution. The given figure elucidates the combination of qualities and attributes that forms ones soft skills.
Psychologists, management experts and spiritual leaders, from Daniel Goleman to Donald Trump to Dalai Lama, agree that a combination of soft skills have a great impact on one's level of success in life. Each of these may use different vocabulary but they are all emphasising on same thing.
A research conducted among Fortune 500 CEOs by the Stanford Research Institute and Carnegie Mellon Foundation drew the inference that 75 per cent of long-term job successes depended on people skills and only 25 per cent on technical knowledge. Researches also show that it is the soft skills of a person that determine everything from getting promoted to how happy he/she is at the workplace. Luckily, with knowledge, awareness, training and practice it can be enhanced.
EQ is essentially the most scientific and researched element of soft skills, as 'emotional' is both complementary and in contrast with the 'intellectual' or cognitive aspect of intelligence. Both emotional and intellectual aspects of the brain matter but scientists find that emotions influence everything from intelligence to personal-professional growth and life expectancy.
Overall, soft skills play a vital role in one's professional success. They help one excel at the workplace and their importance cannot be undermined in this age of culturally diverse workplaces.
