Significance of soft skills

Soft skills is a sociological term relating to person's "EQ" Emotional Intelligence Quotient, the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communications language personal habits friendliness and optimism that characterize relationships   with other people.  Soft skills complement hard skills (part of a persons IQ) which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other activities. Soft skills have a lot to do with career opportunities development.  Soft skills refer to abilities that make people better employees and open doors to opportunities.
A person's soft skill ‘EQ' is an important part of their individual contribution to the success of an organization.  Particularly those organizations dealing with customers face to face are generally more successful if they train their staff to use these skills. For this reason soft skills ‘are increasingly sought out by employers in addition to standard qualifications.
It has been suggested that in a number of professions, soft skills may be more important over long term than other skills.  For example, the legal profession is one where the ability to deal with people effectively and politely more than their occupational skills can determine the professional success of a lawyer.

Contents of soft skills:

1.      Conflict Management

2.      Creative thinking

3.      Decision making

4.      Goal setting

5.      Inter personal skills

6.      Problem solving

7.      Team building

8.      Leadership qualities

9.      Time Management qualities

10. Motivating Others

11. Teach and guide others

12. Active listening

13. Coach others

14. Provide services

16. Behavioral skills

Conflict  Management:

Negotiation intended to produce an argument for the right reasons and that can be learned or mastered.  A conflict situation is one in which there is a clash of interests.  A competent and sensible individual should be able to take conflict situation in his stride and resolve them. All conflicting situations need not be negative or destructive.

Creative Thinking:

Creativity is mental process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts.

Techniques for creative thinking:

i). Analogical thinking

ii)  Brain storming

iii) Attribute listening

iv)  Mind  mapping

Decision Making:

It can be defined as a wise choice made between various alternatives.

Kinds  of decisions:

a) Simple decisions

b) Strategic decisions

c) Tactical decisions

d) Operational decisions.

Goal setting:

For the development of professional organizations or institutions motto have to be there.

1) Visualization

2) Ideal Personality

3) Evaluation of aspirations are the functions of goal setting.

Time Management:

1.    Planning the day

2.    Importance of managing time

3.    set a schedule

4.    Preparing a weekly schedule

5.    Action Plan

6.    Important points about priorities.

Leadership skills

The ability to lead in various activities and tasks. This is an important criteria for planning and implementing ideas in a group. This skill is also important to lead in discussion and make decision.

Interpersonal skills:

Basic features of relationships:

1.Attitude towards others in relationships

2.The requisite of social skills including interpersonal communication.

3.Trust is the key element in maintaining the relationships.