A Project Report On

SOFT SKILLS

Submitted By:

SHRUTI JAIN

Bhartiya Vidhyapeeth Deemed University

Academic Year:

2018-2020
 Acknowledgement

The success and final outcome of this project required a lot of guidance and assistance
from many people and I am extremely privileged to have got this all along the
completion of my project. All that I have done is only due to such supervision and
assistance and I would not forget to thank them.

I respect and thank the staff of Bhartiya Vidhyapeeth Deemed University and giving me
all support and guidance which made me complete the project duly. I am extremely
thankful for providing such a nice support and guidance.

I owe my deep gratitude to our project guide, who took keen interest on our project work
and guided us all along, till the completion of our project work by providing all the
necessary information for developing a good system. I heartily thank our internal project
guide for his guidance and suggestions during this project work.

I am thankful to and fortunate enough to get constant encouragement, support and

guidance from all Teaching staffs of Bhartiya Vidhyapeeth Deemed University which
helped us in successfully completing our project work. Also, I would like to extend our
sincere esteems to all staff in laboratory for their timely support.

Shruti Jain
1 What are SOFT SKILLS?

2 Breaking down “Soft Skills”

3 Why do Soft Skills matter?

4 What are the Key Soft Skills?

5 Soft Skills for Leaders

6 Soft Skills for Organisations

7 Why is it Important to Develop Soft Skills?

8 Do Your Soft Skills Need Work?

9 How Do You Develop Your Soft Skills?

10 Conclusion
 What are Soft skills?

Soft skills are a combination of people

skills, social skills, communication
skills, character traits, attitudes, career
attribute,[1] social intelligence and emotional
intelligence quotients
among others that enable people to navigate
their environment,
work well with others, perform well, and achieve
their goals with
complementing hard skills.[2] The Collins
English Dictionary defines the term "soft skills"
as "desirable qualities for certain forms of
employment that do not depend on acquired
knowledge: they include common sense, the
ability to deal with people, and a positive
flexible attitude."
 BREAKING DOWN 'Soft Skills'

Soft skills have more to do with who people are, rather

than what they know. As such, soft skills encompass the
character traits that decide how well one interacts with
others, and are usually a definite part of one's personality.
Whereas hard skills can be learned and perfected over
time, soft skills are more difficult to acquire and change.
The soft skills required for a doctor, for example, would be
empathy, understanding, active listening and a good
bedside manner. Alternatively, the hard skills necessary
for a doctor would include a vast comprehension of
illnesses, the ability to interpret test results and symptoms,
and a thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology.
Why do Soft Skills matter?

A soft skill differentiates between the adequate and the

ideal candidates. As far as competitive job markets are
concerned, recruiters look for the people who are efficient
to become leaders and leadership quality depends on the
soft skills. So, in this case, technical ability and knowledge
in the domain area is not important. It is the interpersonal
people skills, social skills, communication skills, attitudes,
social intelligence and emotional intelligence quotients is
what matters over here, because these skills help people
to work and perform well in a suitable environment.
 What are the Key Soft
Skills?

Some of the pillars of soft skills are:

1. Communication:
Communication in soft skills doesn’t focus on the
syllables or speeches, rather it gives importance to
the tone and style in which the communicators
speak to their audience, analyze the issues and
challenges with the colleagues and clients alike. It
also plays a vital role as far as leadership quality is
concerned, since leaders are expected to handle
clearly and comprehensibly.

2. Self- motivation:
An employee is expected to take initiative and work
positively for his organization round the clock,
which is a vital soft skill for an employee. This
quality not only exhibits reliability and commitment,
it also shows that without the need of or constant
oversight you can easily fit efficiently into an
organizational structure.
3. Leadership:
It is an important pillar of soft skill which reflects if we
are not directly managing others. Leadership
achieves its importance when some other skills like
positive attitude and outlook, the ability to
communicate effectively and an aptitude for both
selfmotivating as well as motivating others are taken
into consideration. According to a recent article in the
Harvard Business Review by emotional intelligence
guru Daniel Goleman, the five abilities that distinguish
the best leaders from the average ones are self-
awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy,
social skills etc. India has changed a lot which can no
more accept the ‘lone-wolf’ leadership styles, rather
positive energy, team building, care, reward, teach,
decide, create is what is given a lot of importance
today.

4. Self-awareness:
It is one of the very important parts of soft skill which
is highly neglected. It not only helps how to accept
responsibilities for any mistakes, but also
demonstrates willingness to learn and progress.
Daniel Goleman, the guru of emotional intelligence,
identified that self-awareness in a triangular shape is
made up of emotional awareness, accurate self-
assessment and self-confidence. One cannot lead a
happy and prosperous life without self-awareness.

5. Team work:
It is like a basketball team working together for a
perfect shot, in which each member of the team is
being assigned a specific role to play for completing
the job successfully. Here, one of the players scored
the basket, but it was made possible by every
people’s planning, cooperation and coordination.
Employers look for those candidates who not only
have the capability to work efficiently with others, but
also understand that every player gets an opportunity
of getting the ball.

Team work includes skills and habits like:

a) Working cooperatively
b) Contributing to groups with ideas
c) Communication (Both giving and receiving)
d) Sense of responsibility
e) Healthy respect for different opinions, customs, and
individual preferences.
f) Ability to participate in group decision-making
6. Ability to Work under Pressure and
Time management:
There are many jobs which demands not only
deadlines, but also occasionally face high stakes.
Recruiters give reward to those candidates who show
decisive attitude, an unfaltering capacity to think
clearly and deeply and the ability to compartmentalize
and set stress aside. Time management is very much
related to the ability to work under pressure, and also
within the deadlines. Employers who are able to
manage their timings and prioritize tasks are the real
successful managers.

7. Flexibility:
You must always be able to predict what’s next and
have the flexibility to evolve.”-----Marc Benioff.
Adaptability and flexibility are the two sides of the
same coin, i.e., creativity. Every day is a new day
which brings some kinds of changes. It may be a
small one (leaving a job and joining another) or a
massive one (the birth of a child). The capacity of
accepting the real fact and changing according to the
situation is to be flexible. It is this soft skill which asks
capacity and the willingness to acquire new skills and
to face new tasks and challenges.
8. Negotiation and Conflict
Resolution:
It is a friendly fight, which is wrapped in positive
attitude. Every employee is expected to negotiate
whether in salary or in ideas and thoughts. But the
greatest problem that the society is facing today is
that people are inefficient to learn how to negotiate
well.

Step-1: Determine your negotiation objective.

Step-2: Identify the issues for you and the other

person/party.

Step-3: Think about strengths and weaknesses for the issue

on both the sides

Step-4: Agree the attitude you will take into the negotiation.

Step-5: Decide on a strategy for each issue.

Step-6: Plan your bargaining position for each issue.

Step-7: What tactics will be used?

Step-8: Plan your questions and evidences.

Step-9: Decide your plan B.

 Soft Skills for Leaders

Company leaders are also most effective when they have

a strong set of soft skills. For example, leaders are
expected to have strong speaking abilities, but good
leaders are also good at listening to workers and to other
leaders in their fields. Negotiation is a big part of the job
for company leaders. When negotiating with employees,
clients or associates, leaders need to be skilled in staying
considerate of what others want, while they remain
focused on pushing for what they want. Good leaders also
need to know how to make their own work most efficient
by strategically delegating tasks to workers.
 Soft Skills for Organizations

Soft skills benefit businesses when they are practiced on a

company-wide basis. For example, a collaborative spirit
among workers is important. Efficiency and output
improves when workers collaborate by sharing knowledge
and tools to get jobs done. The ability to learn new
methods and technologies is also a desired soft skill for all
workers. Companies that value learning as a soft skill
recognize various learning styles and encourage workers
to pursue the methods that work best for them. Good
troubleshooting is a soft skill that is also valuable to
companies. For example, companies can operate more
efficiently when all workers know how to troubleshoot
software problems instead of relying on the information
technology (IT) department for every fix.
Why is it Important to Develop Soft
Skills?

Soft skills are an essential part of finding, attracting,

and retaining clients. Highly-developed presentation
skills, networking abilities, and etiquette awareness
can help you win new clients and gain more work
from existing clients. Honing your abilities to resolve
conflicts, solve problems, and provide excellent
customer service can lead to stronger relationships
with colleagues, vendors, and other professional
contacts. Ultimately, strong soft skills can help you
gain confidence—an invaluable trait in the business
world.
On the other hand, a lack of soft skills can limit your
potential, or even be the downfall of your business.
By developing strong leadership, teamwork, and
communication abilities, you can run projects more
smoothly, deliver results that please everyone, and
even positively influence your personal life by
improving how you interact with others.
Do Your Soft Skills Need Work?

Soft skills aren’t generally “all or none.” Many people are

adequate or even exemplary with some skills yet struggle
with others. For instance, you may have excellent
communication and teamwork abilities but struggle
with time management or crack under pressure. It’s not
uncommon to either underestimate the importance of soft
skills or overestimate your own proficiency. Here are a few
common scenarios that may be improved with stronger
soft skills:
 You have a low client retention rate compared to
others in your field
 You are frequently late for meetings or struggle to
meet deadlines
 You fail to grow your professional network, or avoid
networking opportunities altogether
 You manage to land meetings with prospective
clients, but rarely proceed to the next stage or close
deals
 How Do You Develop Your Soft
Skills?

A great first step in personal development is to recognize

and acknowledge the areas in which you need to improve.
This can take place through personal reflection and
introspection, an evaluation of your business’s
performance deficiencies, or through feedback from
trusted colleagues or friends. You may find that daily
journaling regarding your professional interactions and
their outcomes is helpful self-evaluation.
After you’ve gained an awareness of your strengths and
weaknesses, create a plan of action for improvement that
aligns with and supports your business plan. Because soft
skills encompass a relatively large category, there are a
number of ways to develop or enhance these skills.
Consider working with a mentor who can provide feedback
and model appropriate skills. If your focus is on improving
communication, courses in subjects like public speaking or
joining a group such as Toastmasters can be helpful.
Finally, although it may seem deceptively simple, don’t
underestimate the effect of positivity and optimism. After
all, the majority of soft skills are bolstered by confidence
and enthusiasm, and undermined by anxiety, insecurity,
and negativity. Changing your mindset so you are able to
see the positive in situations can have a significant impact
on how you interact with others.
 Conclusion
If we will observe properly, we can understand that
hard skills and soft skills cross over each other in all
the stages of project management. All the soft skills
that a project manager needs are not one time
endeavors but threads applied throughout the project.
Since soft skills spread widely through personal and
interpersonal attributes, it must be recognized from
the simple gesture of day-to-day activities to the
complex management activities at workplace. So, to
fit the right soft skill at the proper place is the need of
the hour. Soft skills play a very vital role in the
professional life of an individual and the basics of it
starts from the foundation of ethics, integrity and
values. It contains team work, communication skill
and interpersonal skills as its main pillars. Leaders
are always favored for taking initiatives and
responsibilities, and so are the project managers. To
have a proper coordination in the team, listening skills
and communication skills helps the project manager
to solve many problems. Time management is also
one of the important factors for appreciating self-
discipline of the team members. A project manager is
expected to have strategic vision, selfconfidence,
courage, execution and drive for results as his core
competencies. A project manager needs keen
observation to make his team members multi-tasking.
Soft skills are considered as critical traits for one’s
career growth, and this is the reason why soft skills
are said to expose somebody’s inner self. So it is said
that, hard skills reflect what you know and soft skills
indicate who you really are.