Soft skill relate to human behaviour, which is dynamic, ever-changing and cannot be cast in any single mould, there is no limit to the scope of this field. The fact that this is a topic of much debate, and there exist different opinions, which could all be correct in their own way, makes the subject very interesting.
The term “Soft Skills” has gained tremendous attention of late and is being used by professionals in every passing day. They affect our lives, both professional and personal. Realizing this, some business schools in India have introduced soft skills into the curriculum.
A successful student, manager, organizer or home maker must be equipped not only with technical skills or hard skills, But also soft skills, which include among others, interpersonal skills. Communication skills, leadership skills, social skills, time management, goal setting and all other skills and attributes that contribute to managerial effectiveness. No bounds can be set to the scope of soft skills, because soft skills are mostly related to behavioral issues, the spectrum of which is infinite.
Soft skills has become indispensable not only for creating a profitable business but also for leading a successful life. According to Dunn (2002), components of emotional intelligence or soft skills can be regarded as keys to success in life are as follows:
* Self awareness and honesty towards self
* Knowledge about causes of emotions
* Empathy
* Motivation and good decision- making
* Ability to analyze and understand relationships
* Intuitiveness
* Creative and flexible thinking
* Integrated self
* Balanced life
Steps to develop Emotional intelligence or Soft Skills:
1. Tackling Emotional Upset: Students should learn how to tackle their various emotions- frustrations, conflicts, inferiority complexes, etc. It also means avoiding emotional exhaustion such as stress, burnout and negative emotions.
2. Overcome Inferiority complex: The ability to channelize emotions positively and constructively is another key skill which raises the emotional quotient. Inferiority complex results in low self esteem and negative feelings. Research shows that a high level of emotional intelligence helps overcome inferiority complex.
3. High Self-esteem: Students should learn to raise their self-esteem which results in confidence, competence and also helps them perceive challenges as learning opportunities. In order to develop self-esteem, students are required to be very optimistic.
4. Don’t be over Confident: Over confidence among students always kills efficiency, hard work and leads towards failures.
5. Tactful Response to Emotional Stimuli: Students should learn to manipulate the ongoing environment to their advantage through appropriate emotional responses.
6. Handling Egoism: Egoism is based on the view that the fundamental motive behind all emotional conduct is self interest. Tackling ego problems without hurting one’s self-esteem is the key to success. Ego is the root cause of problems in interpersonal relations.
7. Self-awareness: One of the basic emotional skills is the ability to recognisze different feelings emanating from within aqnd giving a name to them. Knowing one’s own emotional strengths and weaknesses is of great help. It is generally believed that people who cannot interpret their own emotions may not able to interpret and understand others’ emotions.
8. Developing Others: acknowledging the value of the others, contributions and encouraging their participation often helps a great deal. Appreciating others’ standpoints and involving them actively in a project are signs of an emotionally intelligent manager.
9. Adaptability and Flexibility: Knowing how and when to take the lead and when to follow are both essential emotional skills.
Students should know when to be aggressive and qwhwen to be passive. They should also know that there is a time to confront, withdraw, speak, and remain silent. However, to do so, the student has to control powerful negative tendencies such as jealosy, manipulation and the feeling of self-grandeur.
Dr. Kousar Jahan Ara Begum
Prof. of Economics
