IMPORTANCE

OF
SOFT SKILLS
PREPARED BY
MONIKA MISHRA

MEANING

Soft skills is a term associated with

the abilities required and expected
from persons for finding a suitable
job, its maintenance and promotion.

WHY NECESSARY?
To handle interpersonal relations
To take appropriate decisions
To communicate effectively
To have good impression and impact
in professional life

WHAT IS REQUIRED?

Communication Skills
Body Language
Presentation Skills
Team Work
Professional Ethics
Interpersonal Skills
Time and Stress Management

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

MEANING

Communication is the process by which information

is exchanged between individuals whether this be vocally (using voice)
written (using printed or digital media such as
books, magazines, websites or emails)
visually (using logos, maps, charts or graphs)
or
non-verbally (using body language, gestures and
the tone and pitch of voice).

IMPORTANCE

A vital skill required for personal

,social and professional life.
Communication skills are
rankedfirstamong a job candidates
'must have' skills and qualities.
communication skills increases; the
ability to speak, listen, question and
write with clarity and conciseness.

BARRIERS

The use of jargon.Over-complicated,

unfamiliar and/or technical terms.

Emotional barriers and taboos.Some

people may find it difficult to express their
emotions and some topics may be completely
'off-limits' or taboo

Lack of attention, interest,

distractions, or irrelevance to the
receiver.
Differences in perception and
viewpoint.
Physical disabilities such as hearing

Physical barriers to non-verbal

communication. Not being able to see the nonverbal cues, gestures, posture and general body
language can make communication less effective.

Language differences and unfamiliar

accents.

Expectations and prejudices which may

lead to false assumptions or stereotyping.
People often hear what they expect to hear rather
than what is actually said and jump to incorrect
conclusions.

Cultural differences. The norms of social

interaction vary greatly in different cultures, as do the
way in which emotions are expressed. For example,
the concept of personal space varies between
cultures and between different social settings.

IMPROVING THIS SKILL

Become an engaged listener. Focus fully on

speaker, avoid interruptions, try to set aside
judgment etc.

Pay attention to nonverbal skills. Use facial

expressions, body movement and gestures, eye
contact, posture etc effectively while communicating.

Keep stress and emotions in check. Handle

pressure efficiently.

Be Assertive. Communicate values, ideas,

beliefs, opinions, needs and wants freely.

BODY LANGUAGE

MEANING

The conscious and unconscious

movements and postures by which
attitudes and feelings are
communicated.

IMPORTANCE

To keep peoples attention

To create good atmosphere

To create more impact

BARRIERS

Emotions, Stress and Nervousness.

Physical Pain or Disability.

Misinterpretation by listener or
audience.

IMPROVING THIS SKILL

Standing. Stand straight, stand where

everyone can see you etc.
Movements. Avoid nervous
movements, use gestures to emphasis.
Appearance. Look energetic, look
relaxed
Practice. Practice will help to use this
skill effectively.

PRESENTATION SKILLS

MEANING

A presentation is a means of
communication which can be adapted to
various speaking situations, such as
talking to a group, addressing a meeting
or briefing a team. To be effective, stepby-step preparation and the method and
means of presenting the information
should be carefully considered.

IMPORTANCE

Presenting information clearly and effectively

is a key skill to get your message or opinion
across and today, presentation skills are
required in almost every field.
Whether you are a student, administrator or
executive, if you wish to start up your own
business, apply for a grant or stand for an
elected position, you may very well be asked
to make a presentation.

BARRIERS

The amorphous nature of

presentation skills.Its not something
that most people are good at, and even if
they were, its not like sitting down with
someone and spending a few hours going
over the basics.
The Time Factor. In limited time more
information is delivered through this skill
which requires practice.

IMPROVING THIS SKILL

Preparation. Researching, reading,

discussions etc.

Organizing presentation material.

Before you write your presentation, you should
already have started to prepare by developing
your ideas and selecting the main points to
include

Writing Your Presentation.

Deciding the Presentation Method.
Formal or informal according to the audience

Managing your Presentation Notes . You might manage

your talk by using full text, notes on cue cards, keywords on cue
cards, or mind maps.

Working with Visual Aids and Data. If visual aids and

data are used well, they will enhance a presentation by adding
impact and strengthening audience involvement.

Dealing with question. Some speakers prefer questions to be

raised as they arise during the presentation whilst others prefer to
deal with questions at the end. At the start of your presentation,
you should make clear your preferences to the audience .

Self-Presentation in Presentations.
attitude, coping with nervousness efficiently.

Keeping positive

TEAM WORK

MEANING

The combined action of a group,

especially when effective and efficient.

IMPORTANCE

Delegation. The delegation of various tasks for a

particular purpose determines which staff members can
best accomplish which job tasks.

Efficiency. Work groups and teams develop systems that

allow them to complete tasks efficiently and quickly.

Leadership Skills. Leading a team can enhance ones

leadership skills

Ideas. Teams in the workplace often meet to discuss how

to solve company issues.

Support. a strong team environment can act as a support

mechanism for staff members. Work group members can
help each other improve their performance and work
together toward improving their professional development.

BARRIERS

Bad Leadership. A team without an effective

leader is not going to be a productive team.
Poor Goal Planning. For a team to feel
effective and relevant, it needs to have welldefined goals to accomplish.
Poor Communication.
Personality Clashes. People who have their
own agenda that they are unwilling to
compromise for the good of the group will be
some of the biggest barriers to developing an
efficient team.

IMPROVING THIS SKILL

Split the work evenly, clearly and

minimize overlap
Always meet at the same place at the
same time
Make everyone feel important
Never blatantly oppose someones ideas
Learn names
Praise like a teacher would (whenever
you can)
Lead the team ANYONE CAN DO IT!

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

MEANING

Professional ethicsencompass the

personal, organizational and corporate
standards of behaviour expected
ofprofessionals.

NECESSITY

It promotes1.Fairness.
2.Honesty and Truthfulness.
3.Judgement.
4.Kindness or Compassion.
5. Leadership.
6.Teamwork.
Which are beneficial as well as essential
for a person at workplace.

BARRIERS

Lack of Knowledge of Ethical

Standards.
Financial Incentives.
Personal Benefits.
Biasness.
Lack of Morality.

IMPROVING THIS SKILL

Search for ethics guidelines within your

profession. Lawyers, Doctors and journalists all
adhere to a professional code of ethics.

Conduct an ethics workshop.

Make ethics a part of the daily
discussion. Pose a question to the staff via a

daily email or once a week post an ethical situation

for workers to review during a break.

Explain the consequences of unethical

behavior.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

MEANING

Interpersonal skills are the life skills we

use every day to communicate and
interact with other people, both
individually and in groups which includes Verbal Communication
Non-Verbal Communication
Listening Skills
Negotiation
Problem Solving
Decision Making
Assertiveness

IMPORTANCE

People who have worked on developing

strong interpersonal skills are usually
more successful in both their professional
and personal lives.
Employers often seek to hire staff with
'strong interpersonal skills' - they want
people who will work well in a team and
be able to communicate effectively with
colleagues, customers and clients.

BARRIERS

Walls and Doors. Physical barriers such as high

cubicle walls and closed office doors can hinder
effective communication in the workplace.

Cultural and Language Differences.

Gender Issues. In a traditionally male-dominated
work environment, women may have difficulty getting
their ideas accepted, or they may be treated harshly
or even ignored.

Competition. In a highly competitive work

environment, workers may be more concerned with
their own career advancement than helping or
communicating effectively with their co-workers.

IMPROVING THIS SKILL

Learn to Listen
Choose Your Words thoughtfully
Be Positive and Cheerful
Empathise
Understand Stress and try to reduce
it.
Learn to be Assertive
Reflect and Improve
Working in Groups

TIME AND STRESS MANAGEMENT

MEANING

Time and Stress Management - the

ability to use time effectively or
productively and reducing ones
psychological, physical and emotional
stress by it.

IMPORTANCE

Brings out efficiency.

Keeps the individual happy and
positive.
Helps to do tasks on time.
Increases productivity.
Helps to relax.

BARRIERS

Improper life style.

Negative Attitude.
Personal Problems.
Health Issues.
Fearof loss of naturalness and
spontaneity. Some people feel that they will
lose their spontaneity and freedom if they are
extremely efficient.

IMPROVING THIS SKILL

Creating protected time for both work and

family responsibilities.
Taking breaks and vacations.
If a task is genuinely urgent and
important, getting on with it.
Dont Try To Multi-task.
Stay Calm and Keep Things In Perspective.
Living a healthy lifestyle.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

THANK YOU!