We have always referred to Soft Skills in a modern and very corporate context. The concept of People Skills, Customer Centricity or Social Etiquette seemingly came in with the advent of globalisation and the consequent competition. Interestingly, I stumbled upon a few articles very recently on the history of soft skills and actually was not surprised to realise these concepts have been around for a very long time.
One theory takes it back to the 1900s, which was the coming of age of machinery where it became necessary for people to co-ordinate and make things work out amongst themselves and communicate effectively.
A more recent theory says ‘soft skills’ trace back to the US Military between 1968 and 1972. The military had excelled at training troops on how to use machines to do their job. But they noticed that largely what made a troop of soldiers victorious was how the group was led. This made the military think, so they created a method to capture how this knowledge was being acquired. They researched and segregated skills in to ‘Hard’ and ‘Soft’.
However, the fact remains that the need for people skills has existed from the time human interaction has been around. Gradually service has gained importance over just products and the advent of internet has raised the bar of expectations even higher.
In today’s world Success = Hard Skills multiplied by Soft Skills
In a recent survey conducted in India, 80% of employers stated that graduates lacking people skills create toxic work environments.
Therefore, the way forward is to focus on both the hard and soft-skills. Only by working on these together can we ensure overall success.
Soft Skills, their importance and benefits –
Soft skills are the skills which impact how effectively you interact with those around you. They are also called “people skills” and are those personal attributes that indicate a high level of Emotional Intelligence that affect relationships and interaction with others to define the degree of success in every job and relationship.
Benefits –
- Builds more relationships – Teamwork and adaptability
- Improves our Interaction and Decision Making
- Better career options and growth
- Advances one’s communications skills – verbal and non-verbal
- Develops leadership skills
- Enhanced quality of life / happiness
Most looked For Soft Skills –
- Good / Effective Communication Skills
- Strong Work Ethic
- Positive Attitude
- Team Player
- Flexibility/Adaptability
- Ability to Handle and Learn from Criticism
You can be the best at what you do, but if your soft skills aren’t cutting it, you’re limiting your chances of career success. Soft skills are critical to have firmly under your belt for your career and the good news is they can be acquired with some effort and the right attitude. One can develop the communication skills, strengthen interpersonal relationships, and demonstrate professional enthusiasm to prove that your soft skills are well rounded.
At Tranziam our vision is to ignite the passion, inspire the dream and unleash the potential in every individual so that they can be the very best version of themselves. Whether you are an individual looking to improve yourself, an Educational Institution looking to support your Students and Faculty or an Organisation looking to develop your colleagues on their professional journey, we are here to help you every step of the way.
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