UNIT- 3
SOFT SKILLS
Soft Skills are often defined as “personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people”. This skill is indeed, one among those rare intangible abilities which will make a difference between success and failure. During this article, we'll discuss the significance of soft skills and how it helps you to succeed.
We are well aware that, one must sharpen technical skills to urge employment. While professional and technical skills might get you a job and open the opportunities, Soft skills will provide the needed icing on the cake if you actually wish to achieve this competitive world. Your work ethic, your attitude, your emotional intelligence, your communication skills and other personal attributes are a number of the soft skills which are crucial for your career success.
When you are equipped with soft skills, your chances to excel as a leader are high. Motivating, problem-solving, delegating and team building would be a cake walk in the corporate world. One should know, the way to get alongside people and being positive is crucial for attaining success.
The importance of soft skills
1. Career progression and promotion
iCIMS Hiring Insights (2017) found that "Ninety-four percent of recruiting professionals believe an employee with stronger soft skills features a better chance of being promoted to a leadership position than an employee with more years of experience but weaker soft skills."
It's become vital to develop these skills if you would like to progress in your career as they're going to set you aside from others at the interview and on the work .
2. The modern workplace is interpersonal
Skills like active listening, collaboration, presenting ideas and communicating with colleagues are all highly valued within the modern workplace. Strong soft skills ensure a productive, collaborative and healthy work environment, all crucial attributes for organisations in an increasingly competitive world.
3. Customers and clients demand soft skills
Consumers these days have a large number of choices of where to shop for from, bought about by the internet and smart phones. For these consumers, convenience and low prices are easy to return by, so customer service is commonly what influences the choice to use a specific business.
The ability to speak at a person's level with customers is therefore an important think about an organisation’s success.
4. The longer term workplace will believe soft skills
Automation and artificial intelligence will lead to a greater proportion of jobs relying on soft skills. Advances in technology have caused tasks that need hard skills to say no, making soft skills a key differentiator within the workplace. A study by Deloitte Access Economics predicts that “Soft skill-intensive occupations will account for two-thirds of all jobs by 2030”.
As the cost of robots decreases and therefore the performance of AI improves, jobs like manufacturing line workers will become automated. Traditional skills like teamwork, communication and important thinking are going to be more important than ever.
5. Soft skills are hard to automate
Following on from the previous point, soft skills like emotional intelligence are hard to automate and unlikely to become automated anytime soon. this suggests they're expected to become more desirable within the near future.
However soft skills are often difficult to show and track improvements on. Companies like Virtual Speech are tackling this by using VR as a way to enhance soft skills.
6. Soft skills are in high demand by recruiters
Soft skills are in high demand in the workforce. consistent with the 2017 paper by a Harvard student on the importance of social skills in the labour market, jobs requiring high levels of social interaction grew by nearly 12 percent as a share of the U.S. labour force. Most in-demand soft skills
• Communication
• Organisation
• Teamwork
• Critical thinking
• Social skills
• Creativity
• Interpersonal communication
• Adaptability
In the papers conclusion, it reasons that because computers are very poor at simulating human interaction, social skills are still important. Therefore, individuals should still look to enhance their social and soft skills through activities like volunteering, leading a team or maybe by performing on an open source project with people.
The importance of sentimental skills to businesses
Soft skills are needed across all industries, as an example , strong communication skills are needed whether you're working as a nurse, a hairdresser, a mechanic etc. Developing each soft skill comes with its own advantages, for instance, improving communication will help your employees interact more effectively and improvements in time-management can increase productivity.
There also are general benefits of employees developing their soft skills:
Increased productivity - Employees' efficiency in their tasks and responsibilities increases which can help bring the company closer to achieving its goals.
Improved teamwork - For a business to function effectively people must work well together so as to realize a common goal. the quality of work improves when people use their individual strengths and skills together .
Improved retention rates - People want to figure at a company that invests in employees' career development, in fact, 63% of UK employees would change their employer if they're offered a job at a company with more training opportunities. Also, recruitment costs for the company decrease with increased staff retention.
Improved employee satisfaction - Investing in employees' shows them that they're valued. Feeling appreciated and having a positive outlook of the company increases job satisfaction.
Improves leadership - Soft skills help prepare employees for leadership positions because specific skills are needed, such as, active listening, empathy etc. this is often important because 50% of employees leave their job thanks to poor managers.
Attracts new clients - If your clients are proud of your company’s service, they're more likely to recommend you to other clients. This provides your company with new business opportunities.
What Are Soft Skills?
Soft skills relate to how you work. Soft skills include interpersonal (people) skills, communication skills, listening skills, time management, and empathy, among others.
Hiring managers typically hunt for job candidates with soft skills because they make someone more successful within the workplace.1
Someone may be excellent with technical, job-specific skills, but if they cannot manage their time or work within a team, they'll not achieve success at the workplace.
• Alternate names: Interpersonal skills, essential skills, noncognitive skills2
How Soft Skills Work
Soft skills are important to the success of most employers. After all, nearly every job requires employees to interact with others in some way.
Another reason hiring managers and employers hunt for applicants with soft skills is that soft skills are transferable skills that may be used no matter the person's job. This makes job candidates with soft skills very adaptable employees.
Soft skills are particularly crucial in customer-based jobs. These employees are in direct contact with customers. It takes several soft skills to be able to hear a customer and provide that customer with helpful and polite service.
Types of Soft Skills
Soft skills include the private attributes, personality traits, and communication abilities needed for achievement on the job. Soft skills characterize how an individual interacts in his or her relationships with others.
Soft skills include:
• Adaptability
• Communication
• Creative thinking
• Dependability
• Work ethic
• Teamwork
• Positivity
• Time management
• Motivation
• Problem-solving
• Critical thinking
• Conflict resolution
Examples of Soft Skills
Soft skills comprise of private attributes, communication skills and other abilities, and personality traits which differentiate people with similar hard-skill-set from one another.
Some samples of soft skills are:
• Communication Skills
• Leadership
• Work Ethic
• Creative Problem Solving
• Time management
• Conflict Resolution
• Team player
Why Are Soft Skills Important?
You wouldn’t deny if we are saying that hard-skills are at the top of every hiring manager’s priority list. However, a search by Glassdoor acknowledged that on an average, each corporate job opening attracts 250 resumes, only four to 6 of these candidates get an interview call, and only 1 gets the work .
What separates the successful candidate from the other job seekers is, most likely , a group of soft skills. Employers search for candidates with a powerful work ethic, who not only does the work effectively and efficiently, but also stay focused, organized, competitive, dedicated, give ideas, knows the way to work with a team, has a positive attitude and has leadership skills.
3.2.1 Manners & Etiquettes, Grooming.
Business dress code is commonly a matter of common sense prevailing while deciding what to wear to the work place. However, cases of dressing disasters still occur, especially during the summers once you might find a colleague dressed up to work with a "day at the beach" hangover.
The reason these eyebrow-raising errors in dress codes occur is that a lot of companies, especially start-ups and small to medium-scale businesses, have relaxed norms to almost no norms on dress code. Even if there are dress code rules, at times, they're vague and ambiguous. In such situations, it's always advisable to err on the a part of “too formal” attire, as against arriving dressed up informally enough to boost a few eyebrows.
A few common errors people make in business dressing are −
• Ill-Fitting Clothes − Clothes too big give you a bloated look and too tight fitting clothes accentuates the body during a non-formal way. during a meeting, you'd not want the attention to shift from you and your presentation towards your clothes.
• Wearing Short Skirts/Sleeves − Short skirts and sleeves draw attention to your legs and hands once you sit down. That diverts the attention of the listeners and appears unprofessional.
• Wearing Short Socks − Short socks, or drooping socks expose skin which distracts attention while crossing legs or sitting down. Always choose socks that cover 3/4th the distance from the ankle to the knee. Avoid wearing white socks as they immediately draw notice towards themselves.
• Low-Cut or Plunging Tops − even as with short skirts, this distracts an interviewer and appears very out of place in a professional environment that needs a conservative code .
• Improper Colour Choices − Colours, like green, yellow, red, etc., don't go down well in corporate circles. They not only draw attention towards themselves but also look unprofessional.
• Clothes with Quotes, Pictures or Designs −This lends a very informal and non-serious look to the interviewee. There’s always a risk of people associating the slogans and mottos on the t-shirts to be your personal points of view.
• Poorly-Maintained Shoes − Shoes are a really important a part of your business attire. Shoes, in a way, announce your arrival even before you interact with someone, so naturally, it draws loads of attention. it's for this reason that your shoes should be always clean and polished.
• Not Dressing Formally For Business Social Events − Even dinners at the boss’ house are formal business occasions. So, dress accordingly. the general rule about informal business dressing is that it should be treated as formal clothing.
• Improper Grooming − Unclipped nails, odorous breath and unkempt hair are all red-checks. If you're one of those that perspire profusely, use anti-sweat deodorants. However, confine mind that the meetings will be mostly in air-conditioned rooms with very less chance of fresh air entering the room. So, wear a perfume or deodorant of a light fragrance.
In addition to the ideas discussed here, there are some areas that require to be taken care of before you finally enter the premises and knock on that door. let us discuss these −
Final Tips for Grooming
• Avoid noisy and squeaky shoes as they're going to disturb and distract everyone.
• Trousers’ side-pockets shouldn't bulge with mobile phones, wallets etc., because it gives a bulky look to your legs.
• All noticeable body-piercing, tattoos should be concealed, as tattoos are since long, related to rebellious behaviour.
• Do not smoke or eat odorous food before interviews. Use breath fresheners.
• Clean your nails and teeth properly.
3.2.2 Effective Listening & Speaking
Speaking effectively is defined as speaking in such a way that your message is clearly heard and, if possible, acted upon. There are two main elements to speaking effectively: what you say, and the way you say it.
What you say means your choice of words. The words you may use when chatting to a friend are likely to be quite different from those utilized in a proper presentation or interview.
Similarly, the way that you speak also will vary in several situations. However, there also are likely to be some common factors: for instance, whether you naturally talk quietly or loudly, and how you use body language.
This page discusses aspects of effective speaking. It also suggests ways in which you can become a more effective speaker.
Aspects of Effective Speaking
Effective speaking means being able to say what you want to say in such how that it's heard and acted upon.
Whether you're talking to a major conference about a new scientific discovery, your children about their behaviour or your boss a few pay rises, you need to be able to speak effectively. This suggests considering every possible tool and aspect to make sure that nothing distracts or detracts from your message.
Aspects of Effective Speaking
There are three main elements of effective speaking
Choosing Your Words
What you say—the words you choose—matters.
If unsure about your meaning, your audience will come to the words that you used and double-check what you might have meant. it's therefore important to decide on carefully, especially when you are saying something important. Things to consider include:
Your audience
The words you select will be different if you are talking to 200 people at a conference, a trusted colleague, your boss, or your children. you need to believe your audience’s overall level of understanding of the subject, and also the sort of language that you use.
Shorter sentences are easier to process and understand
. Using shorter sentences also creates urgency.
Simpler words also are easier to understand. If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you've got probably not understood it yourself. this is often particularly important if your audience are not all native speakers of the language.
Accents
Regional and ethnic accents are a part of individual personality and add a unique element to the way that you speak.
They may also, however, in some situations, create potential barriers to communication. For instance, if you've got a really strong accent, people from another area or country may find it harder to understand what you're saying. you'll therefore need to slow down your speech to ensure that they need time to process what you're saying.
It is worth remembering, however, that words are only a part of your overall communication and message. The tone of voice and your body language also send strong messages.
You’re Voice
Your voice can reveal as much about your personal history as your appearance. The sound of a voice and the content of speech can provide clues to an individual's emotional state.
For instance, if self-esteem is low, it's going to be reflected by hesitancy within the voice. A shy person may speak quietly, but someone who is confident in themselves will be more likely to own command of their voice and clarity of speech.
It is worth taking time to boost your command over your voice, especially if you find it hard to talk publicly. It can even help to boost your confidence!
It is important to urge used to the sound of your own voice. most people are more relaxed in a private situation, particularly at home, where there are no pressures to conform to any other social rules and expectations. this is often not the case in public situations when there are all kinds of influences exerted upon the way people speak.
You might also note any aspects of your speech which reduce the overall effectiveness of your message. This might include a tendency to mention ‘um’ or ‘er’ a lot, to slur one or more letters together, or stammer slightly
Often people don’t just like the sound of their own recorded voice - within the same way that some people do not like photographs of themselves - they can feel embarrassed.
Most of us aren't used to hearing our own voices and these feelings are totally normal. Get past the initial, ‘Do i really sound like that?’ stage and develop a far better understanding of your voice.
The more you get used to the sound of your voice functioning during a slightly more formal way, the better it's when doing it 'for real'. In conversational mode, individuals tend to talk in short phrases, a couple of at a time. Speaking or reading aloud helps you to become wont to the more fluent sound of your voice.
Slow down: it's a natural reaction to want to get it over as fast as possible and this often causes people to stumble over their words. Speeding up also occurs once you are nervous and usually makes you more difficult to understand.
Keep your head up: Try to not tuck your chin into the book as your voice is then addressing the ground. Hold your book higher and project your voice.
Pause occasionally: Let the end of a sentence or the end of a paragraph offer you a chance of a small, two or three second rest. Pauses are often useful for emphasis.
Vocal Production
The following three core elements of vocal production got to be understood for anyone wishing to become an effective speaker:
Volume - to be heard
Clarity - to be understood
Variety - to feature interest
Volume
This is not a question of treating the voice just like the volume control on the TV remote. Some people have naturally soft voices and physically cannot bellow. Additionally, if the voice is raised an excessive amount of , tonal quality is lost. Rather than raising the voice, it should be 'projected out'. Support the voice with much breath - the further you would like to project the voice out, the more breath you need. It also must come from the diaphragm, not the throat.
When talking to a group or meeting, it's important not to aim your talk to the front row or simply to the people nearest you. Instead, you would like to consciously project what you've got to say to those furthest away. By developing a strong voice, as opposed to a loud voice, you'll be seen as someone positive.
Clarity
Some people tend to talk through clenched teeth and with little movement of their lips. It’s this inability to open mouths and failure to form speech sounds with precision that's the root explanation for inaudibility. The sound is locked into the mouth and not let loose.
To have good articulation it's important to unclench the jaw, open the mouth and provides full benefit to every sound you make, paying particular attention to the ends of words. This may also help your audience as a particular amount of lip-reading will be possible.
Variety
To make speech effective and interesting, certain techniques are often applied. However, it's important to not sound false or as if you're giving a performance. Words convey meaning, but the way that they're said reflects feelings and emotions. Vocal variety can be achieved by variations in:
Pace: this is the speed at which you talk. If speech is just too fast, then listeners won't have time to assimilate what's being said. it's also an honest idea to vary the pace - quickening up then |every now and then"> sometimes and then slowing down – because this may help to maintain interest.
Volume: By raising or lowering volume occasionally, you'll create emphasis. If you drop your voice to almost a whisper (as long because it is projected) for a sentence or two, it'll make your audience suddenly alert. take care to not overuse this technique, though, or it'll lose its impact.
Pitch - Inflection - Emphasis: When speaking in public, try to convey the information with as much vocal energy and enthusiasm as possible. This doesn't mean your voice has got to swoop and dive everywhere the place in an uncontrolled manner. try to make the talk interesting. Remember that once you are nervous or excited, your vocal chords tense and shorten, causing the voice to get higher. Emphasise certain words and phrases within the ask convey their importance and help to add variety.
Pause: Pauses are powerful. they will be used for effect to highlight the preceding statement or to achieve attention before a crucial message. Pauses mean silence for a couple of seconds. Listeners interpret meaning during pauses so have the courage to remain silent for up to 5 seconds – dramatic pauses like this convey authority and confidence.
1. Do your background research.
This may not seem like an actual interview skill, but it is. If you walk into an interview saying, "Now, what do you do again?" and "Do you guys have funding yet?" you're doomed before you start. no matter how sparkly your personality is, you have to do the background research.
2. Be polite to everyone.
You may have heard stories of individuals who were rude to the receptionist, cut someone off in the parking lot, or yelled at the barista at the cafe round the corner then didn't get the job. These things happen, and they can ruin your chances. i will be able to never, ever, not during a million years hire the one that is rude to the receptionist or barista. Many recruiters and hiring managers feel the same.
3. Watch your body language.
Some of them are especially important in an interview. For instance:
• Lean in or sit up straight to show you're interested.
• Keep eye contact so you look honest, but don't just lock during a stare, because then you look aggressive.
• Don't nod too much. Yes, you want to point out agreement, but too many nods and you start to seem like you don't truly care.
4. Watch your real language.
If you have a potty mouth, reserve it for your friends, and not for the interview. If the interviewer is letting the f-bombs fly, you'll feel more comfortable doing the same, but otherwise, use words that express your actual feelings and concepts.
5. Review your own resume.
You know what you probably did , right? Are you sure? I once got caught off guard in an interview when the hiring manager asked me a selected question about an accomplishment on my resume. I had to stumble for a moment before my brain latched on to what she was talking about. Don't make that mistake. Refresh your memory, especially old jobs.
6. Prepare for standard questions.
Lots of interviewers are getting to ask you to "tell me a few time when ..." followed by something appropriate for your field and this particular job. you ought to have great answers prepared for this. Brainstorm a list of possible questions and work on your answers.
7. Prepare your wardrobe.
Yes, people judge you by what you're wearing. Most interviewers aren't going to care the brand of your jacket, or if the heel of your shoe is scuffed, but you ought to be dressed appropriately. Generally, for many professional jobs that means a suit, or one step lower. If you're concerned, attend their parking lot before the interview and watch people begin . If their style is business casual, you ought to wear a suit. If they're wearing jean and flip flops, you're probably fine in business casual, but better to be overdressed than underdressed, in most industries.
8. Prepare your questions.
Don't ask questions that could be answered by watching the company website. Do ask questions on the challenges of the position, what success seems like , and the way this position fits in with the organization's goals. Remember, you want to look like you're really interested in succeeding during this position, and you need this information to try to to so.
9. Don't badmouth your former employer.
You're most likely getting to be asked why you're looking to leave your current job (or why you left your last job if you're unemployed). Don't lie, but don't be super negative either. "My boss may be a huge jerk. She is nit-picky, plays favourites, and smells like tuna ." this stuff may all be true, but you don't come out looking good. find out how to explain why you're leaving, why you bought fired, what you learned from it, and the way this all means this new job may be a great fit.
10. Don’t forget the thank you card.
It doesn't need to be a card anymore; an email will do exactly fine. you'll get hired without one, but it is a nice gesture to send a fast follow up email to the hiring manager and recruiter. It keeps you in their minds and shows your politeness, which brings this full circle. You start by being nice to everyone, and you finish the interview by being nice to everyone, and you increase your chances.
There are few things within the business world that are scarier than delivering a presentation, yet there are few that are as important.
Presentation skills are important to both individual success and business success.
Presenting information clearly and effectively is a key skill to induce your message or opinion across and, today, presentation skills are required in almost every field.
Even if you don’t need to make regular presentations before of a group, there are many situations where good presentation and public speaking skills can assist you advance your career and make opportunities.
Many people feel terrified when asked to form their first public talk, but these initial fears are often reduced by good preparation which can also lay the groundwork for creating an effective presentation.
Here are five ways to assist make your presentation astounding and enjoy the opportunity to enjoys the limelight.
• Subject and preparation
Research and have facts to supplement your speech. Create an overview , and once you’ve prepared your presentation, don’t be afraid to revise.
To develop your presenting skills and increase confidence you want to prepare, practice and learn from each presentation. Rehearse what you're getting to say out loud a minimum of 3 times. This may ensure you’ve found your flow and help eliminate any “ums”, “ahs” or other filler words.
• Focus
No one is impressed by a presentation that rambles. Rambling happens when the speaker is both self-indulgent and unorganised. Your purpose and prose must be specifically directed to interests of your listeners or they're going to mentally shut you down.
• Enthusiasm
If you’re not interested in your subject then no-one else stands a chance. you want to bring some enthusiasm to your talk. Don’t be afraid to let go, even if it feels overdone at first. Be enthusiastic about your topic, it'll help get your audience excited. Stand up and give the best of yourself. Try to feel the adrenalin from your nerves as a positive and use it to offer yourself some energy.
• Use Media only to enhance
PowerPoint, visuals and video are powerful presentation tools when used correctly. But they will be disastrous distractions when misused. They should never replace you because the provider of expertise. Keep your PowerPoint to limited words and never read from the screen in the presentation. Ask yourself if a slide or video is actually necessary before adding anything.
• Short window to grab their attention
Every audience wonders what’s in it for them, so start a presentation with a reason to listen. you only have 45 seconds to induce your audience’s attention so make it count. You don’t got to tell jokes or do anything out of the standard, simply explain why your presentation is worth listening to.
• Don’t let the slides be your notes
Prepare the presentation slides for the audience and not for you. a good speaker will always use their own notes to prompt them and keep them on track; a bad speaker will use the slides as their notes. The slides aren’t alleged to be your notes or your crutch, they're for the audience.
• It’s okay to say, “I don’t know”
It’s okay to not know the answer to every question. Admit you don’t know, explain why you don’t know and say you'll get back to them. The trick is to manage the stress you feel when this happens.
Be that leader for your audience! Guide your audience through your thoughts and keep them engaged. Establishing yourself as a leader will gain respect from your audience and assist you get them to require the action you want them to.
• Be yourself
It’s absolutely important to remember, the more you try to act like someone you’re not on stage, the more people will see right through you. Gestures should be a reflection of what you’re feeling, helping convey that to your audience. They ought to come naturally, and should be one of the only unplanned parts of your speech. Make sure your movements are fluid and go along with what you're saying at that exact moment. The more you act like yourself, the more confident you’ll see, and therefore the more the audience will be able to relate to you.
Purpose of a group discussion is larger than simply judging your knowledge. The underlying reason why a GD is conducted is to assess you as a team member. you're alleged to possess a collection of group discussion skills to ace during this round.
Please undergo some crucial group discussion skills below to craft your very own GD strategy accordingly.
Reasoning
Try to find the GD topic category that you are comfortable with. Also, follow the news regularly to remain updated about Current Affairs. If you're good at debating, factual or social topics are your forte. Bookworms (or avid readers) may have an edge over the rest in abstract and situation based topics.
Speaking
If the given topic is familiar, you must start the GD. Collect your ideas systematically (preferably in points) and start speaking. If not, attempt to jump in as a second or 3rd speaker. so as to talk confidently during a GD, commit yourself completely to English at least a week before the round.
You have to consciously train yourself to communicate in English sort of a pro. Build a good command over the language that you are going to be discussing in. So listen to English songs, watch English movies and sitcoms, follow English news and read a newspaper daily for 15 days at least, before your GD.
Time Management
In the time given before the beginning of GD, define the topic, write 2-3 pros and cons and provides a 3 point structure to the discussion. The structure has relevancy typically for current affairs and social/factual topics. So frame just 3-4 points for a turn and try to end those points in time.
Presentation
If you are ready to start then use a line or two to define the subject and spell out the structure.
Paraphrasing/summarizing
If you manage to go second or third then paraphrase the explanation of the topic, propose a structure if missed by the first speaker and provides a couple of some pros and cons.
Creativity
People speaking afterward should either attempt to repose on the points given by others or attempt to bring in a replacement dimension to the discussion. during a socially inclined topic, pitch every angle of the argument and take a middle path. Bring out different views and excerpts from the speeches/articles for a subject of current affairs. And for situation based topics, attempt to have a couple of guidelines and follow them to hold forward the discussion
Listening
Once you're through with your point, listen passionately to what others are speaking. Nod if you agree. Keep watching others and understand their facial expression.
Proactive
If there are N people during a GD then you should be the N-th turn for raising your points. If you're speaking at N-1 or N-2 then you're dominating the GD which is really a good sign, So in a group of 8 people, attempt to snatch the 6th-7th turn.
Public speaking
Once you get your chance to talk, speak slowly and with authority. Focus more on ensuring that your points are understood by people instead of becoming self-conscious or self-analysing your speaking skills or relevance of points.
Social engagement
Don’t be self-conscious and keep thinking or rehearsing your points. Use this point to know the points given by others. Use somebody’s point by rephrasing it and posting it to someone who has not engaged within the discussion so far.
Memory and recalling
Bringing an international perspective with statistics or an anecdote creates a good impression.
Writing
Write down just 4-5 words because you don’t want to risk a blank thought at your turn. it's an opportunity and it's happened to me variety of times when I thought of my argument but was completely blank when my turn came.
Analytics
The interviewer tests you on several parameters (especially your ability to see , articulate and conceptualize), not just on your points. So make sure you're covering all the parameters. Give your ideas a structure, listen, bring the group back if they digress, give the topic a replacement dimension, build-up on someone else’s point, give credits to a fellow participant, etc.
• Leadership skills and initiative-taking ability
Taking initiative is indicative of your ability to impart direction to the group and define the key issue(s) along which the discussion has to progress. The three "Cs" which rank you high on this parameter are clarity (the details to be discussed), content (the vertical depth in each point) and confidence. The "Key Word Approach", wherein you begin with defining the dominant words within the topic then develop subsequent constructs, can assist you to initiate effectively. this may also demonstrate your leadership skills.
For example, during a topic like "Should Republic Day celebrations be redefined?", the key words are "Republic" and "redefined". Thus, a good strategy are often giving a backdrop against which this day is celebrated, then graduating to the way it's celebrated and finally talking about ways and means of redefining (if at all). If demonstrated properly, this skill gets you within the visible limelight and reflects your ability to break the ice and evoke a discussion! However, if mishandled (e.g., you'll begin on a high note then abruptly recede into an eerie silence), it puts you in an embarrassing position!
• Knowledge
Knowledge reflects your ability to possess an opinion on issues and concerns of contemporary relevance and hence your ability to attach with different aspects of the environment (economic, political, business, social, etc.). It assumes, even more, relevance for a fact-intensive topic like "Indian Economy within the post WTO regime". Here, knowledge becomes a pointy differentiator and helps you to leverage a robust competitive advantage. Unless you've got the requisite knowledge of the given topic, your discussion runs the danger of being shallow and superficial. Being well versed in current affairs and problems with concurrent importance can assist you to do well along this parameter.
• Group Dynamics:
This basically demonstrates the skill to strike a balance between individual excellence and group performance. an individual scoring high on this parameter are going to be more probable to work in groups and hence contribute effectively to organizations. It also reflects your team skills, listening skills and willingness to simply accept diverse viewpoints.
• Logical Ability/Analytical Skills
This indicates your ability to effectively flowchart your thought process and analyze the subject in a comprehensive manner. It reflects your ability to construct logical arguments and structure the discussion during a streamlined manner, avoiding random forays.
• Lateral Thinking:
This reflects your ability to think off the feet and contribute on a creative and unorthodox tangent. it's even more relevant for an abstract topic, where the scope to view the subject from an avant-garde angle is proportionately more (e.g. during a topic like "red and blue", somebody who translates this into a coke (red) and pepsi (blue) warfare or discuss the marketing strategies of kingfisher (red) and jet (blue) or harp on the gender differences as mentioned in John Gray's "Men are from Mars (red) and women are from Venus (blue)", will certainly stand apart.)
• Communication Skills:
This evaluates the candidate's ability to attach with the group and is measured from a dual perspective - verbal and non-verbal. While verbal communication scores the student on parameters like fluency, articulation and modulation, the non-verbal quotient defines his/her adequacy vis-&-vis visual communication, gesticulation, eye contact and posture.
In order to be effective at problem solving you're likely to need some other key skills, which include:
• Creativity. Problems are usually solved either intuitively or systematically. Intuition is used when no new knowledge is required - you recognize enough to be able to make a fast decision and solve the problem, otherwise you use common sense or experience to resolve the problem. More complex problems or problems that you haven't experienced before will likely require a more systematic and logical approach to resolve, and for these you'll got to use creativity.
• Researching Skills. Defining and solving problems often requires you to try tosome research: this might be an easy Google search or a more rigorous research project.
• Team Working. Many problems are best defined and solved with the input of people . Team working may sound sort of a 'work thing' but it's even as important reception and faculty also as within the workplace.
• Emotional Intelligence. it's worth considering the impact that a problem and/or its solution has on you and others. Emotional intelligence, the power to recognise the emotions of yourself and others, will help guide you to an appropriate solution.
• Risk Management. Solving a problem involves a precise amount of risk - this risk must be weighed up against not solving the problem..
• Decision Making. Problem solving and decision making are closely related skills, and making a choice is a vital a part of the problem solving process as you'll often be faced with various options and alternatives.
3.2.7 Time management abilities
Ask yourself which activity is more important and how much time should be allocated to the same? Know which work should be done earlier and which might be done a little later.
Time Management plays a really important role not only in organizations but also in our personal lives.
Time Management includes:
i. Effective Planning
ii. Setting goals and objectives
iii. Setting deadlines
iv. Delegation of responsibilities
v. Prioritizing activities as per their importance
vi. Spending the proper time on the proper activity
Effective Planning
Plan your day well earlier. Prepare a to do List or a “TASK PLAN”. write the important activities that require to be done in one day against the time that should be allocated to every activity. High Priority work should come on top followed by those which don't need much of your importance at the instant . Complete pending tasks one by one. don't begin fresh work unless you've got finished your previous task. Tick those you've got already completed. make sure you finish the tasks within the stipulated time-frame .
Setting Goals and Objectives
Working without goals and targets in a company would be almost like a situation where the captain of the ship loses his way in the sea. Yes, you'd be lost. Set targets for yourself and ensure that they're realistic ones and achievable.
Setting Deadlines
Set deadlines for yourself and strive hard to finish tasks before the deadlines. don't wait for your superiors to ask you every time. Learn to take ownership of work. One person who can best set the deadlines is you yourself. Ask yourself what proportion time must be dedicated to a specific task and for how many days. Use a planner to mark the important dates against the set deadlines.
Delegation of Responsibilities
Learn to say “NO” at workplace. Don’t do everything on your own. There are others also . One shouldn't accept something which he knows is difficult for him. The roles and responsibilities must be delegated as per interest and specialization of employees for them to end tasks within deadlines. an individual who doesn't have knowledge about something needs longer than someone who knows the work well.
Prioritizing Tasks
Prioritize the tasks as per their importance and urgency. Know the difference between important and urgent work. Identify which tasks should be done within each day , which all should be done within a month then on. Tasks which are most vital should be done earlier.
Spending the right time on right activity
Develop the habit of doing the right thing at the right time. Work done at the incorrect time isn't of much use. Don’t waste an entire day on something which may be done in an hour approximately. Also keep some time separate for your personal calls or checking updates on Facebook or Twitter. after all person is not a machine.
For Effective Time Management one must be:
Organized - Avoid keeping stacks of file and plenty of paper at your workstation. Throw what all you don’t need. Put important documents in folders. Keep the files in their respective drawers with labels on top of every file. It saves time which matches on unnecessary searching.
Don’t misuse time - don't kill time by loitering or gossiping around. focus on your work and finish assignments on time. Remember your organization isn't paying you for enjoying games on computer or peeping into other’s cubicles. First complete your work then do whatever you are feeling like doing. Don’t wait till the last moment.
Be Focussed - One must be focused for effective time management.
Develop the habit of using planners, organizers, table top calendars for better time management. Set reminders on phones or your personal computers.