Ls-1 Introduction to Soft Skills

Soft skills are character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person's
ability to interact effectively with others. In the workplace, soft skills are
considered to be a complement to hard skills, which refer to a person's
knowledge and occupational skills. Psychologists may use the term "soft skills"
to describe someone's emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) as opposed to
intelligence quotient (IQ). In a competitive labor market, individuals who
demonstrate that they have a good combination of hard and soft skills often
enjoy a greater demand for their services.

Key Takeaways
Soft skills include attributes and personality traits that help employees
effectively interact with others and succeed in the workplace.
Examples of soft skills include the ability to communicate with prospective
clients, mentor co-workers, lead a team, negotiate a contract, follow
instructions, and get a job done on time.
Hard skills are measurable and usually obtained through formal education and
training programs.
Workers with good soft skills can help companies achieve higher levels of
efficiency and productivity.
In contrast to hard skills, soft skills are more difficult to acquire through formal
training.
Understanding Soft Skills
Many employers look for a balance of hard skills and soft skills when making
hiring decisions. For example, employers value skilled workers with a track
record of getting jobs done on time. Employers also value workers with strong
communication skills and a good understanding of company products and
services. When communicating with prospective clients, workers with soft skills
can put together compelling presentations even if their specific job is not in
sales or marketing. Another valued soft skill is the ability to coach co-workers
on new tasks.
Company leaders often are most effective when they have strong soft skills. For
example, leaders are expected to have good speaking abilities, but great leaders
are also good at listening to workers and to other leaders in their fields. As an
article in the Harvard Business Review put it, "Employers who fail to listen and
thoughtfully respond to their people's concerns will see greater turnover. Given
that the highest rates of turnover are among top performers who can take clients
and projects with them, and the frontline employees responsible for the
customer experience, the risk is clear."
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Negotiation is also a big part of the job for many company leaders. When
negotiating with employees, clients, or associates, leaders need to be skilled in
staying considerate of what others want while remaining focused on achieving
what they want. Good leaders also need to know how to effectively assign tasks
to other team members.

Companies often like to hire employees who possess soft skills that mesh well
with those of the rest of the staff, considering them to be a good cultural fit for
the company.
Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills
Workers acquire hard skills through formal education, training programs, and
concentrated effort. Hard skills are the quantifiable skills that workers need to
successfully perform a specific job. Employers often test or evaluate a
candidate's hard skills before hiring. Examples of hard skills include computer
programming, writing, web development, and graphic design. Some hard skills
are more in demand than others, and employers may need to hire recruiting
agencies or headhunters to fill jobs that require specialized, high-level hard
skills.

Hard skills can be learned and perfected over time, but soft skills are more
difficult to acquire and change. For example, the soft skills a doctor might need
are empathy, understanding, active listening, and a good bedside manner.
Alternatively, the hard skills a doctor requires include a vast comprehension of
illnesses, the ability to interpret test results and symptoms, and a thorough
understanding of anatomy and physiology.

Coaching is one of the most effective methods for improving soft skills.
Valuable Soft Skills for Employees
Soft skills benefit businesses when they are practiced on a company-wide basis.
For example, a collaborative spirit among workers is important. Team members
who are able to work well with people of different generations and backgrounds
are generally more productive and better able to focus on common priorities.
Efficiency and output improve 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 another soft skill that companies value. For example,
companies can operate more efficiently and increase productivity when all
workers know how to troubleshoot software problems instead of relying on the
information technology (IT) department for every fix.

Soft skills can also be thought of as people skills. These can include good
communication and interpersonal skills, leadership, problem-solving, work
ethic, time management, and teamwork. These are characteristics that can be
carried over to any position.

Soft Skills and Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is one specific soft skill worth talking about on its own.
It involves the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions.
Unlike traditional intelligence, which focuses on logic, problem-solving, and
technical elements related to an industry, emotional intelligence is about
navigating social situations and building strong relationships. According to
McKinsey, the demand for emotional skills with grow by 26% from 2016 to
2030.
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A major part of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. This means being

aware of your emotions, strengths, and weaknesses, and understanding how
they affect others. By recognizing your emotional triggers, you can control your
reactions more effectively, avoiding hasty decisions or misunderstandings. Self-
aware people are also better at receiving feedback and making personal
improvements because they can objectively assess their behavior and attitudes.

Empathy is another important aspect of emotional intelligence. It’s the ability to

understand and share the feelings of others, which helps you connect with
colleagues, clients, and customers on a deeper level. Empathetic leaders can
better support their teams by recognizing their needs and motivations, leading to
a more engaged and productive workforce. Employers do tend to realize and
recognize the benefits of those who have emotional intelligence; according to
TalentSmartEQ, people with high EQs make $29,000 more per year than people
with low EQs.

What Is the Difference Between a Soft Skill and a Hard Skill?

Hard skills are the measurable skills acquired through training, education, and
practice. They are the abilities needed to perform a specific task or job. Soft
skills are behavioral and interpersonal skills that relate to how effectively
people interact with others and handle situations.

Why Are Soft Skills Important?

How well you interact and treat others is crucial for career success. Trust
develops through positive interactions and relationships, and productivity
increases in environments where soft skills flourish.

How Do You Improve Soft Skills?

Although not customarily acquired through formal training, soft skills can be
learned. To improve soft skills, an individual must be open to feedback and
willing to change behaviors. Training can provide tips and strategies for
developing better practices, such as active listening and empathizing with
others. And practicing can strengthen areas where deficiencies exist.

What Is Soft Skills Training?

Soft skills training is training to help develop or improve interpersonal skills. It
consists of lessons to improve communication, increase active listening, resolve
conflicts, and more.

The Bottom Line

While hard skills are highly valued in today's economy, many employers
recognize the importance of soft skills as well. For that reason, workers with
both hard and soft skills may find it easier to get hired and rise through the
ranks.

Soft skill development is the process of improving non-technical skills that help
you interact with others, solve problems, and work effectively. Soft skills are
personal attributes and character traits that are more subjective and harder to
quantify than hard skills, which are specific abilities that can be taught.
Some examples of soft skills include:
Teamwork: Working together with colleagues to complete a task
Problem-solving: Identifying issues, exploring solutions, and choosing the best
course of action
Communication: Being able to effectively communicate with others
Adaptability: Being able to adjust to changes in your environment
Critical thinking: Being able to think critically
Time management: Being able to manage your time effectively
Soft skills are typically not learned in a classroom setting or through on-the-job
training.

What are soft skills?

Definition
Soft skills are social, methodological and personal competencies that enable
applicants to act in a goal-oriented and effective manner when employed in a
specific role within a company. Soft skills tend not to be measured in terms of
grades or examinations but are developed to different degrees in each
individual. Occasionally they can be trained and developed using courses.

Table of contents

Soft skills definition

What are some soft skill examples?
Why are soft skills beneficial?
Soft skills definition
The term “soft skills” refers to competencies that enable a person to deal with,
interact with and react appropriately to different people and situations.

For example, the ability to learn and develop is itself a soft skill.
Communication and teamwork skills, empathy, the ability to think critically and
analytically and solve problems, resilience, and leadership skills are all further
examples of soft skills a person may have.

Combined with the hard skills (technical competencies), this skill set helps a
hiring manager assess the “employability” of a candidate. This is then used to
assess whether a candidate is deemed suitable during a hiring process.

To help you with your interview process, we have the best 90 soft skills
interview questions (with answers).

It is not always possible to measure how strongly a soft skill is developed in a

person. But if a candidate has already completed training courses to deepen
their skills, they can sometimes prove this with a certificate or similar
qualification.
In addition, certain soft skills can be tested during an interview using
behavioural, situational, and operational questions.

What are some soft skill examples?

Soft skills refer to all abilities beyond hard, technical expertise. Consequently,
they encompass a very broad spectrum of very different skills, which can be
divided into four subgroups for better clarification:

Personal skills
Personal soft skills are usually strongly influenced by one’s personal beliefs
(values) and character traits. These strongly influence the way candidates will
interact with other team members.

Here are some examples of personal competencies:

Self-awareness
Critical ability
Ability and willingness to learn
Ability to develop further
Commitment and dedication
Stress tolerance
Analytical thinking ability
Decision-making ability
Curiosity
Methodological skills
Methodological soft skills are used to solve tasks and problems that are part of a
role’s day-to-day work. They also give a rough idea of how well candidates will
be able to build hard skills.
Examples of methodological competencies are:

Creativity
Comprehension
Strategic thinking
Ability to solve problems
Time management
Flexibility
Organisational skills
Ability to focus
Social skills
Social soft skills enable respectful interaction with the individual members of a
company and their different character traits. They have a significant influence
on how positively the candidate will be received within a team.

Examples of interpersonal skills are:

Empathy
Conflict resolution skills
Willingness to cooperate
Ability to work in a team
Integration skills
Intercultural competence
Leadership competence
Communicative skills
Communicative soft skills revolve around a candidate’s ability to communicate
with their teammates and work with them on projects.
Here are some examples of important communication skills:

Expressiveness
Persuasiveness
Assertiveness
Negotiation skills
Motivation and enthusiasm
Listening skills
Why are soft skills beneficial?
Faced with a shortage of skilled workers, recruiters can no longer judge the
suitability of candidates solely based on their education or degrees.

With no improvement in this situation in sight, the trend is understandably

moving away from role-specific recruiting and towards competency-based
recruiting, where the focus increasingly shifts to the candidate’s professional
experience and personality.

Soft skills can help you be more effective and happy at work, which can lead to
higher productivity and lower absenteeism and turnover rates. Some examples
of soft skills and their uses include:
Leadership
Soft skills training can help you develop leadership qualities, such as decision-
making, conflict resolution, and inspiring others.
Time management
Strong time management skills can help you prioritize tasks, set realistic goals,
and meet deadlines.
Adaptability
Adaptability is how quickly you respond to change and how easily you can
learn new skills.
Communication skills
Good communication skills help you understand other people's perspectives,
actively listen, and share your own thoughts.
Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to manage your emotions as well as
those of other people.
Critical thinking
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills can lead to improved decision-
making and increased productivity.
Teamwork
Soft skills training can help you understand your strengths and weaknesses
within a team and learn how to communicate with others

Ls-2 Communication Skills

Communication skills are the abilities that allow people to exchange

information with others, whether it's verbally, in writing, or through body
language. They are an important skill set to have in life, as effective
communication can lead to more productive workplaces and closer personal
relationships.
Here are some things to consider about communication skills:
Types of communication
There are several types of communication, including verbal, non-verbal,
written, listening, and visual.
Effective communication
An effective speaker uses a variety of vocabulary, maintains eye contact, and
speaks in an articulate manner.
The 7 Cs of communication
These are a checklist of communication tips that can help you communicate
more effectively. The 7 Cs are clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent,
complete, and courteous.
Different communication contexts
It's important to understand how to communicate in different contexts, such as
face-to-face, over the phone, or through digital communication.
Communication theories and principles
An introduction to communication course may cover topics such as speech
communication, conflict and negotiation, and ethical issues in communication

Some components of communication skills include:

Feedback
Giving and receiving feedback is a core skill for effective communication. It
encourages people and helps improve weak points.

Active listening
This skill involves understanding the speaker's intent and meaning, and requires
concentration, empathy, and a desire to understand the speaker's perspective.

Message
The message is the meaning or stimulus produced by the source for the receiver
or audience.

Confidence
People are more likely to respond to ideas and individuals who present
confidence.

Context
This component of communication relates to the setting, scene, and expectations
of all those involved.

Be concise
Being clear and concise is essential for effective understanding and interaction
within a team.

Respect
A key aspect of respect is knowing when to initiate communication and
respond.

Other components of communication skills include: Being clear, Being

cohesive, Being complete, and Being concrete.

***The communication process is the method of sharing information, ideas, and

feelings between two or more people. It involves the following steps:
Sender: The person who initiates the communication process by developing an
idea and encoding the message
Encoding: The process of giving the message a form and meaning by expressing
it in words, symbols, gestures, drawings, or graphs
Channel: The method or medium used to convey the message to the recipient,
such as a telephone, letter, or email
Receiver: The person who receives the message
Decoding: The process of interpreting the message sent by the sender
Feedback: The message sent back to the original sender by the receiver
Effective communication leads to understanding and can improve productivity
and morale.
Some factors that can interfere with the communication process include:
Psychological noise: Personal barriers that can interfere with communication
Physical noise: External distractions in the workplace
Environmental noise: Noise from construction sites or passing traffic that makes
it difficult to concentrate on the message
Semantic noise: Interference on the sender's end
Image communication process

Effective Communication
The practice of clearly and meaningfully conveying information and ideas
between two or more people or groups is known as effective communication. It
includes a number of crucial components, such as:

Active listening: This refers to giving verbal or nonverbal indicators that show
you are interested and paying attention, as well as actively listening to the
speaker and comprehending their message.
Clarity and conciseness: Using simple language and being direct and to the
point are essential components of effective communication. This makes it easier
to communicate clearly and ensures that the message is understood as intended.
Empathy and understanding: Understanding the viewpoint of the person you are
interacting with, demonstrating empathy, and being conscious of their needs and
feelings are other components of effective communication. This fosters trust
and fosters an environment that is conducive to effective communication.
Feedback and response: Giving comments on the message heard and reacting in
a way that is appropriate and respectful are further components of effective
communication. This makes it easier to make sure the message is understood
and that any misconceptions are promptly resolved.

Types of Communication
In preparing for my Fall course: Communications for Professionals, I’ve been
thinking more and more about the different types of communication. In previous
years, I have outlined four types of communication, but I believe there are
actually five types of communication: verbal, non-verbal, written, listening, and
visual.

Verbal Communication
Verbal communication occurs when we engage in speaking with others. It can
be face-to-face, over the telephone, via Skype or Zoom, etc. Some verbal
engagements are informal, such as chatting with a friend over coffee or in the
office kitchen, while others are more formal, such as a scheduled meeting.
Regardless of the type, it is not just about the words, it is also about the caliber
and complexity of those words, how we string those words together to create an
overarching message, as well as the intonation (pitch, tone, cadence, etc.) used
while speaking. And when occurring face-to-face, while the words are
important, they cannot be separated from non-verbal communication.

Non-Verbal Communication
What we do while we speak often says more than the actual words. Non-verbal
communication includes facial expressions, posture, eye contact, hand
movements, and touch. For example, if you’re engaged in a conversation with
your boss about your cost-saving idea, it is important to pay attention to both
the their words and their non-verbal communication. Your boss might be in
agreement with your idea verbally, but their nonverbal cues: avoiding eye
contact, sighing, scrunched up face, etc. indicate something different.
Written Communication
Whether it is an email, a memo, a report, a Facebook post, a Tweet, a contract,
etc. all forms of written communication have the same goal to disseminate
information in a clear and concise manner – though that objective is often not
achieved. In fact, poor writing skills often lead to confusion and embarrassment,
and even potential legal jeopardy. One important thing to remember about
written communication, especially in the digital age, is the message lives on,
perhaps in perpetuity. Thus, there are two things to remember: first, write well –
poorly constructed sentences and careless errors make you look bad; and
second, ensure the content of the message is something you want to promote or
be associated with for the long haul.

Listening
The act of listening does not often make its way onto the list of types of
communication. Active listening, however, is perhaps one of the most important
types of communication because if we cannot listen to the person sitting across
from us, we cannot effectively engage with them. Think about a negotiation –
part of the process is to assess what the opposition wants and needs. Without
listening, it is impossible to assess that, which makes it difficult to achieve a
win/win outcome.

Visual Communication
We are a visual society. Think about it, televisions are running 24/7, Facebook
is visual with memes, videos, images, etc., Instagram is an image-only platform,
and advertisers use imagery to sell products and ideas. Think about from a
personal perspective – the images we post on social media are meant to convey
meaning – to communicate a message. In some cases that message might be,
look at me, I’m in Italy or I just won an award. Others are carefully curated to
tug on our heartstrings – injured animals, crying children, etc.

We communicate continually throughout each and every day. We do it without

thinking – we operate on communication autopilot. However, I encourage you
to think about how you communicate. How do you communicate verbally?
What nonverbal cues do you use when you are disinterested? Excited?
Nervous? Are you a good listener? Can you write a concise, clearly articulated
message? Are there barriers to how you communicate effectively?

Understanding how you communicate is the first step to communicating more

effectively. You can easily look online for communication courses. There are a
variety of credit and non-credit course available to help you improve your
communication skills, including our non-credit series.

Ls 3 Skill Development

Skill development refers to identifying the skill gap in a person and ensuring
that he or she develops these skills. Skills determine the ability to achieve goals
and execute better plans. Keeping this in mind, the Government of India
introduced the initiative of 'Skill India' in 2015.