Meanlng

Soft skiIIs is a sociological term relating to a person's "EQ" (Emotional ntelligence Quotient), the cluster of personality traits, social
graces, communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that characterize relationships with other
people.
[1]
Soft skills complement hard skills (part of a person's Q), which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other
activities.
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.
Screening or training for personal habits or traits such as dependability and conscientiousness can yield significant return on
investment for an organization.
[2]
For this reason, soft skills are increasingly sought out by employers in addition to standard
qualifications.
t has been suggested that in a number of professions soft skills may be more important over the long term than occupational skills.
The legal profession is one example where the ability to deal with people effectively and politely, more than their mere occupational
skills, can determine the professional success of a lawyer.
[3]

ncreasingly, over the last two decades, it has been recognized that when T Professionals acquire soft skills, better relationships
are built between T and the other business units within the enterprise, fostering alignment.
Soft Skills are behavioral competencies. Also known as Interpersonal Skills, or people skills, they include proficiencies such as
communication skills, conflict resolution and negotiation, personal effectiveness, creative problem solving, strategic thinking, team
building, influencing skills and selling skills, to name a few.
Some of us mIght be cureous to realIse what exactly soft skIlls Is. We could say that soft skIlls refers to personalIty
traIts, socIal graces, facIlIty wIth language, personal habIts, frIendlIness, and optImIsm that mark people to
varyIng degrees. Soft skIlls complement hard skIlls, whIch are the technIcal requIrements of a job. t can also be
an Important part of the success of an organIzatIon, especIally If the organIsatIon Is dealIng wIth customers face to
face.

Some exaples of soft skIlls as showned by WIkIpedIa.
Personal QualItIes:
O responsIbIlIty,
O selfesteem,
O socIabIlty,
O selfmanagement,
O IntegrIty/honesty.
nterpersonal SkIlls
O PartIcIpates as a member of the Team
O Teaches others
O Serves ClIent / Customers
O xercIses LeadershIp
O egotIates
O Works wIth cultural dIversIty
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What are Soft Skills?
There are many factors that affect a persons chances of building a successful career. This includes
mental abilities, hard work, and soft skills. A person who is intelligent can win the admiration of future
employers or superiors; a person who works hard can gain other peoples respect; and a person who
has good personal attributes can win the admiration and respect of anyone.

Soft skills are essential traits and qualities which we all possess, at different levels. These include
personality, refinement, habits, communication skills, problem-solving skills, negotiation skills,
listening skills, and many others. Some people have better soft skills than others. For example, a
person may be better at social interaction than the one beside him; this same person may be able to
work well with colleagues, while the other is not. Ultimately, it is honing these skill sets and using
them to your advantage that will land you the job or get you that promotion.

Soft Skills Needed to Get Hired

hen you are looking for a job, you should be aware that you are competing with countless other
applicants who are just as eager to get hired as you. Although you are smart and driven, there are
many others with the same qualifications, and being able to stand out is very important for
prospective employers to notice you.

Studies show that majority of employers put more weight on the following soft skills: communication,
collaboration, leadership, and persuasion. They believe that a team, and subsequently, the
organization, will perform better when these skills are manifested in their people. hile technical skills
are important and certainly necessary for a person to perform their job, employers are also looking
into soft skills to ensure that a job is performed well, and contribute largely to the organizations
success. Thus, they always make sure they hire only those who possess these qualities and avoid
those who will only be a liability to their organization.

Soft Skills Needed to Get Promoted

anagers and upper management often assess the talents, abilities, and skills of their people. They
are constantly making quiet observations on each one, trying to pinpoint which among them have
what it takes to handle the responsibilities of a higher position. In fact, managers think about which
among their people is ready and able to take their place, because they too will eventually get
promoted.

Among the soft skills that your bosses look for are: leadership and management skills, adaptability,
drive and energy, motivational skills, communication skills, and interpersonal skills. These skills are
necessary in making a person become more effective in a position that requires dealing with a team
and leading it, as well as collaborating with other departments. On the contrary, if such skills are not
embedded in the individual, this person will not be able to carry out his work as effectively as the one
who has them. It will also be difficult for him to earn the respect of his team members, which will all
the more contribute to the downfall.

Honing Your Soft Skills

As mentioned, we all possess soft skills; however, some have more of it than others. If you happen to
be one of those who need to improve their skills, the good news is that even at this point, you can still
do something about it. Yes, you can develop soft skills, and use it to your advantage.

To do this, you need to have the right mindset. Understand and accept the reasons why you need to
develop these skills. Then, discover which skills you lack and work on it. For example, if you are often
afraid to speak up, then muster the courage to do so, one day at a time.

Soft ]nard Sk|||s

You have probably come across articles and books that argue on which is more important- hard skills
or soft skills. First, let us differentiate the two. Hard skills are the technical skills you learn through
training and schooling. These include processes, procedures, techniques, jargons, and other aspects
that can be quantified and measured. Soft skills, in contrast, are sets of personal and interpersonal
attributes that a person has which are not necessarily quantifiable and measurable, but will determine
a persons work performance, nonetheless.
Now going back to the question, which one is more important? Let us talk about each ones role in
helping you fast track your career.

mportance of Soft Skills

!sychologist Daniel Coleman has repeatedly reiterated the value of soft skills, saying that an
individuals ability to know and manage themselves, as well as their relationships with others is twice
as important as their intelligence quotient (IQ). Because there are constant pressures from work as
well as changes in the work environment, an employee has to be prepared for these, and this can only
be made possible if they have the needed soft skills to help them face the many challenges every
single day.

Employers today put a high regard on soft skills because they understand that to get things done, to
achieve the company goals, they have to have the right employees in their organization. !eople with
good personal attributes and excellent interpersonal skills are necessary and invaluable to their
business.

mportance of Hard Skills

Hard skills are something you learn through training and through certain educational programs. If you
studied to become a doctor, you should know how to diagnose an illness or to determine which drug
to be prescribed so as to cure this illness. If you do not have the knowledge and the know-how, you
will not be able to practice your profession as a doctor. Years of training will help you acquire
"technical skills.

In any career path or business you choose, hard skills are always needed. For example, if you want to
be a teacher, you need to know how to make lesson plans; if you are a salesperson, you need to know
the products or services you are selling; if you are a guidance counselor, you need to know human
behavior; and so on.

In essence, influencing others and getting them to look up to you are something you will find difficult
to do if you do not know the technical aspects of your job. You cannot motivate the members of your
team to complete a project if you do not even know how to complete it yourself. You cannot lead
others in an effort to increase your companys profits if you do not even understand finance,
marketing, and business development.


Soft Sk||| Aspect
Soft skills are behavioral characteristics that make us better individuals in terms of how others
perceive us and how we relate to everyone around us. It is a component of emotional intelligence or
EI, which refers to ones ability to understand, control, assess, and manage emotions.
Soft skills have become indispensable in any organization because it helps determine the ability of
each person to perform his functions, and his performance can create a big impact in the organization.
If this person is doing well, he will contribute positively to the overall performance. However, if he is
not performing well, then he could negatively affect the organizations performance.

There is misconception that people are born with soft skills. !recisely why these are referred to as
"skills; you learn them over time- they do not come naturally.

The five Aspects of Soft Skills

As a measure of ones ability to perform both at a personal and professional level, soft skills need to
be honed and developed. hen doing so, you should address the 5 aspects in order to achieve
significant progress.

Communication Skills
An effective communicator creates many opportunities for himself, in terms of career growth. hen
you are able to understand and converse with your colleagues and your superiors, your job will
become a lot easier. Confusion and conflicts can be avoided, and doing your tasks can be more
rewarding.

Problem-Solving Skills
Everyday, we are given several things to do. Decisions have to be made, and actions need to be
taken. !roblem-solving skills require cognitive processes such as introspection and analysis. Such
skills prove to be indispensable in the workplace because we are consistently faced with several issues
that need solutions, from something as simple as who gets to use the new computer to one that is
more complicated, such as making a choice between two highly qualified individuals for a promotion.

Leadership Skills
Leadership skill is one component of interpersonal skills. It is something every team leader,
supervisor, or manager must have to be effective in their role. If you have a high level of leadership
skills, you could change your people significantly, making them more motivated and more committed
to do their job.

Work Ethics
This would refer to the moral and professional ethics of a person. It comprises several components
such as attendance, punctuality, productivity, appearance, respect, integrity, and character.

Teamwork
This is the capacity of a person to promote collaboration, cooperation, and synergy in a team. It is
about building relationships based on trust and respect, and encouraging every member to work
towards a common goal.

&sing Soft Skills to Your Advantage

A very important thing you need to remember is that soft skills are essential to your success. Truly,
there are many recipes for success but take note that the ingredients are always the same. Soft skills
are something you can utilize, no matter what career path you choose, and they are what will help
you reach your goals.

If you know which soft skills you possess, use them to their fullest capacity. If you have good
leadership skills, rise up to the occasion. If you know better ways to resolve a certain problem, speak
up and let everyone know your ideas and suggestions. Do not be afraid to let your managers and
peers know what you can do, because if you keep it to yourself, then you are wasting away valuable
resources, which could be the key to your professional triumph.

Learning the Soft Skills

If, however, you do not have any of the aforementioned skills, then you need to do something about it
now. How can you acquire these skills? You can use several methods. First, you can learn them on
your own. You can read about them from various online and offline resources. You can find a lot of
self-help books and articles such as this one, which will aid you in honing these skills.

%ips for Developing Soft Skills
We all want to be competitive. We want to excel in every endeavor we take, which will help
us climb the ladder of success. With so many people vying for job positions and craving
recognition, being able to stand out can be quite a challenge. f you have the right technical
knowledge and skills, with a good number of achievements you have gained throughout
years of toil, you may have a good chance of getting noticed; however, you still have to
compete with at least a handful of other individuals with the same competencies as you.

Your best chance of getting the break you need is by acquiring exceptional behavioral skills referred to
as soft skills. Employers today have put a lot of weight on these skill sets, which as studies have
shown, determine how an individual will perform his job functions and responsibilities; the more soft
skills he possesses, the better he will be in performing his job. And this of course will affect the
companys bottom line.

Read on to learn some tips on how you can develop soft skills.

Self-Improvement
Discovering your own strengths and weaknesses is instrumental to developing soft skills. As you
probably know by now, we all have our own competencies, though it varies from person to person.
Find out which soft skills you already possess and which ones you do not, and determine what are
needed to help you succeed in your career. As soon as you are able to identify these, you are on the
first step to developing soft skills.

So, how can you find out which soft skills you lack? The answer is quite simple, all you need to do is
ask yourself a series of self-discovery questions such as:

. Are you nervous and uncomfortable when in the presence of other people? (Confidence)
2. Are you unable to relate and work with other people effectively? (Team player)
3. Do you need to be told what to do in every task or project handed to you? (Leadership/ Being
proactive)
4. Do you prefer to work alone? (Team work)
5. Do you miss deadlines? (Responsibility)
6. Do you get all stressed out when under pressure at work? (Handling pressure)

If you answer YES to any of these questions, then there are soft skills you have yet to acquire.

Learning Soft Skills Fundamentals
As soon as you have discovered which competencies you lack, your next step is to develop these
skills. It is no easy feat, but it is highly likely that you can develop these even at this stage in your
life. Here are some of the basic tips you need to follow:

. Always look at the bright side. A positive disposition will shine through when you are faced with
problems. Smile. hen you flash your smile on people who are feeling down, you will lighten the
mood. Remember that people love to be around happy and positive individuals.

2. Learn to appreciate and give compliments. Get to know the people you work with and work for, find
something good in them, and let them know about it. !raise and encouragement, as long as sincere,
will go a long way.

3. !ractice empathetic listening. !ay attention to what others are saying and listen between the lines.
!ut yourself in their shoes whenever necessary for you to better understand them.

4. Avoid conflicts and arguments, when possible. These things will only create a gap between you and
others so it is best to avoid them. However, should they arise, deal with it fairly and maturely, and
make the first move at reconciliation.

5.Communicate clearly. Avoid giving vague and ambiguous messages, set proper expectations, and
make sure everything you say is understood. Be confident in saying what you need to say, but always
be tactful. You cannot simply blurt out what is on your mind without making considerations of others,
or you might end up offending others and leaving a negative impression.

Practice
As many professional athletes and successful people know, the mother of all skills is practice. If you
keep on doing something, repetitively, these will become your habits.

Think about it. If you continue to smile and think positively every single day for a couple of weeks,
this will eventually become natural for you even if you will no longer have to remind yourself to do so.
Your positive outlook will simply manifest even without a conscious effort on your part.

The right mindset and a strong commitment will help you develop these soft skills, and once you have
mustered them, you will realize that every effort you made was well worth it.

Soft Skills for Managers
As a manager, you are always faced with various challenges, day in and day out. One of the most
difficult aspects of the job is people management. In fact, it is probably the most difficult of all, and
this is because everyone has a different personality, different strengths and weaknesses, and even
different approaches to the responsibilities handed out to them. oreover, when you have to manage
several people in your department, this can be quite a challenge, even for experienced managers.

!art of a managers strength is their soft skills. This is because when you possess these, managing
your people can become easier. Not entirely easy, because the hurdles would still be present, but it
would be so much better than if you did not have the necessary soft skills.

So, the question you probably have in mind right now is: what soft skills do you need? Let us discuss
these in detail to help you become aware of what you should acquire to become effective in doing your
job.

Strong Work Ethic

This is perhaps, the single most important soft skill a manager should have. hen you possess this,
everything else will fall into place. Having a strong work ethic means making sure you get the job
done without compromising quality; it means working honestly and fairly, even when no one is
watching. It also means reporting to work early, attending meetings on time, and completing projects
on or before the deadline. Additionally, it refers to maintaining a high level of professionalism at the
workplace, to contribute as much as you can to help your organizations success.

hen a manager has a strong work ethic, everyone in the team or department will look up to him. He
will serve as a role model for all to emulate.

Leadership and Problem-Solving Skills

To be a manager, it is important that you know your people very well. You have to know what makes
them tick, and you highlight on this. Give them motivation to become more productive, no matter how
mundane and routine their tasks are. Becoming bored at what they do is inevitable and you need to
be able to counter this productivity killer the moment you see it coming.

Leadership is ones ability to influence others and inspire them to maintain their focus on the company
or organizations goals. A leader is a visionary, one who can think out of the box and provides answers
even in your organizations darkest moments.This ability motivates others to keep going, because they
know that as their manager, you have the capacity and the strength to guide them all the way.

!roblem-solving skills go well with leadership because it is the ability to think ahead; to anticipate
possible issues and provide fixes or even preventive measures. Additionally, it means having the grace
to work under pressure, to be able to think and act on pressing issues. It helps in ones job as a
manager because if we are unable to think and prepare in advance, to think out of the box, we could
easily be overwhelmed with the problems that we have to contend with everyday.

!ossessing strong leadership skills and problem-solving skills are two of the most essential soft skills
that you, as a manager, need.

pen-mindedness

One of the biggest mistakes a manager could make is to believe that they have all the answers.
Thinking that you are always right could cost you a lot, in terms of your relations with your
subordinates. It is necessary that you keep an open-mind; learn from others just as they are learning
from you. Be open to constructive criticism because it is through this that you will discover your
shortcomings and be able to do something to improve.

hen you are not open-minded, you run the risk of creating a communication gap between you and
the people you are managing. If you often dismiss what others have to say then the next time they
have some good ideas brewing in their minds, they would probably opt to keep it to themselves for
fear of rejection.