Introduction to soft skill | Lecture series-1| OP's Open Academy

What is Soft Skill?

Soft skills are a combination of interpersonal people skills(କଥା ହେବା ର ପାରସ୍ପରିକ ଦକ୍ଷତା) , social skills(ସାମାଜିକ ଦକ୍ଷତା), communication skills(ଭାବବିନିମୟ ଦକ୍ଷତା), character traits(ଚରିତ୍ର), attitudes(ବ୍ୟବହାର), career attributes and emotional intelligence(ଭାବନା ବୁଦ୍ଧି) quotient (EQ) among others.

Technical knowledge of any subject is considered hard skill. Soft skills are also called corporate skills. Soft skills can be more useful and practical. 

Soft skills are related with insights, emotions, feelings, gut-instinct(ମନ-କଥା) and (some would say) an inner knowing. 

According to Wikipedia:- 

Soft skills are a combination of people skills, social skills, communication skills, character traits, attitudes, career attributes, 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. 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”.

Why we should learn soft skill techniques?

We have to learn this skill for the following reasons 

• To handle interpersonal relations
• To take appropriate decisions
• To communicate effectively
• To have good impression and impact 
• To gain professional development.

Soft skills describe career attributes that individuals should possess skills, such as team skills, communication skills, ethics, time-management skills, and an appreciation for diversity. In the twenty-first century workforce, soft skills are important in every business sector. However, employers in business continuously report that new employees are deficient in these soft skills.

Soft skills are character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person's relationships with other people. In the workplace, soft skills are considered a complement to hard skills, which refer to a person's knowledge and occupational skills. Sociologists may use the term soft skills to describe a person's "EQ" or “Emotional Intelligence Quotient," as opposed to "IQ" or "Intelligence Quotient."

Types of Soft Skill 

According to research, seven soft skills have been identified and chosen to be implemented in all institutions of higher learning. That are

1. Communicative skills.
2. Thinking skills and Problem solving skills.
3. Team work force
4. Life-long learning and Information Management
5. Entrepreneur skill
6. Ethics, moral and professionalism
7. Leadership skills

Communicative skills:- (କଥା ହେବାର କଳା)

Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place to another.

There are specific things to do that can improve your communication skills:

1.  Listen, listen, and listen. People want to know that they are being heard. Really listen to what the other person is saying, instead of formulating your response. Ask for clarification to avoid misunderstandings. At that moment, the person speaking to you should be the most important person in your life. Another important point is to have one conversation at a time. This means that if you are speaking to someone on the phone, does not respond to an email, or send a text at the same time. The other person will know that she doesn’t have your undivided attention.

2.  Who you are talking to matters. It is okay to use acronyms and informal language when you are communicating with a buddy, but if you are emailing or texting your boss, “Hey,” “TTYL” or any informal language, has no place in your message. You cannot assume that the other person knows what the acronym means. Some acronyms have different meanings to different people, do you want to be misunderstood? Effective communicators target their message based on who they are speaking to, so try to keep the other person in mind, when you are trying to get your message across.

3.  Body language matters. This is important for face-to-face meetings and video conferencing. Make sure that you appear accessible, so have open body language. This means that you should not cross your arms. And keep eye contact so that the other person knows that you are paying attention.

4.  Check your message before you hit send. Spell and grammar checkers are lifesavers, but they are not foolproof. Double check what you have written, to make sure that your words are communicating the intended message.

5.  Be brief, yet specific. For written and verbal communication, practice being brief yet specific enough, that you provide enough information for the other person to understand what you are trying to say. And if you are responding to an email, make sure that you read the entire email before crafting your response. With enough practice, you will learn not to ramble, or give way too much information.

6.  Write things down. Take notes while you are talking to another person or when you are in a meeting, and do not rely on your memory. Send a follow-up email to make sure that you understand what was being said during the conversation.

7.  Sometimes it’s better to pick up the phone. If you find that you have a lot to say, instead of sending an email, call the person instead. Email is great, but sometimes it is easier to communicate what you have to say verbally.

8.  Think before you speak. Always pause before you speak, not saying the first thing that comes to mind. Take a moment and pay close attention to what you say and how you say it. This one habit will allow you to avoid embarrassments.

9.  Treat everyone equally. Do not talk down to anyone, treating everyone with respect. Treat others as your equal.

10.  Maintain a positive attitude and smile. Even when you are speaking on the phone, smile because your positive attitude will shine through and the other person will know it. When you smile often and exude a positive attitude, people will respond positively to you.

Thinking skills and Problem solving skills:- (ଚିନ୍ତା କରି ସମାଧାନ କରିବା ର ଦକ୍ଷତା)

1. The ability to think about systems (both natural and social sciences).
2. The ability to think in time-to forecast, to think ahead, and to plan.
3. The ability to think critically about value issues.
4. The ability to separate number, quantity, quality and values.

All the above skills are important and students will require them as adults.

Life-long learning and Information Management:-

This skill involves an effort to learn to be independent or self-regulated learning in acquiring skills and new knowledge. The ability to find and manage relevant information from various sources is also a criterion of this soft skill. Besides this, students are also expected to develop an inquiry mind and crave for knowledge.

Entrepreneurship skill:- (ଉଦ୍ୟମିତା ଦକ୍ଷତା)

Entrepreneurial skill is the ability to seek business opportunity and develop risk awareness. It also involves being creative and innovative in activities related to business and tasks. To design and plan business propositions and the ability to be self employed. This skill can in some ways contribute to the society if the training and practice is done for a good purpose.

Ethics, Moral and Professional:- (ଆଚର ବିଚାର ଓ ନୈତିକତା)

The ability to practice a high moral standard in professional tasks and social

interaction. This skill also includes the ability to analyze ethical problems and make problem solving decisions. Having a sense of responsibility towards society is another criterion of this soft skill.

Leadership skill:- (ନେତୃତ୍ବ ନେବାର ଦକ୍ଷତା)

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

NOTE->>>IN UPCOMING CLASSES WE WILL LET YOU KNOW ABOUT ITS APPLICATION SO STAY TUNED AND THIS IS JUST AN INTRODUCTION SO WE PUT MORE STRESS ON  ENGLISH LANGUAGE BUT IN COMING CLASSES WE WILL POST IT IN ODIA LANGUAGE TOO.
IF YOU FACED ANY PROBLEM THEN JUST COMMENT DOWN BELOW.

[Sources- OSOU-Sambalpur, Wikipedia, skillsyouneeded, wikihow and Google images.]