Corporate soft skills - Training

75% of long-term job success depends on Soft Skills! CEOs and HR Managers today are suggesting that companies can do better if they hire people with good soft skills and then train them to develop their hard skills in the area of specialization. Soft Skill is a personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.
If you are looking for a presentation to learn the basics quickly then the algorithm has brought you to the right place. Happy learning!

1. Basics of Corporate Soft Skills MEDFIN INDIA PVT. LTD.

2. Soft skills: An Introduction If you have tooth ache you go to a Dentist. Beyond the technical skills, though, which dentist do you go to? The one who is pleasant and takes time to answer your questions; or The one who treats you like a number in a long queue? In the above situations and all the others like them, it's the soft skills that matter. Soft Skill is a personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people . Knowing how to get along with people – and displaying a positive attitude – are crucial for success.

3. The Importance of Soft skills 75% of long-term job success depends on Soft Skills! Soft Skills aren't optional A person who has a smile on his face and is helpful will always gain more respect than a person who is withdrawn and harsh Soft Skills are important in every sector Qualification/status will not help if there’s no positive interaction with others CEOs and HR Managers today are suggesting that companies can do better if they hire people with good soft skills and then train them to develop their hard skills in the area of specialization Source: Stanford Research Institute International & The Carnegie Mellon Foundation

4. Most sought-after Soft Skills Effective communication Emotional Intelligence Interpersonal Skills Team Building/Team work Coaching & Feedback

5. How will you feel to speak with a person with this expression? Comfortable Interested Motivated UNITERESTED What about this expression? Comfortable & Interested 1. Effective communication

6. 1. Effective communication - continue Being able to communicate effectively is the most important of all life skills. It may be vocally, email, non-verbally (using body language, gestures and the tone and pitch of voice). Let us focus on few important communication skills - Nonverbal Communication – Your body language, eye contact, hand gestures, and tone all colour the message you are trying to convey. A relaxed, open stance (arms open, legs relaxed), and a friendly tone will make you appear approachable, and will encourage others to speak openly with you. Eye contact is also important; you want to look the person in the eye to demonstrate that you are focused on the person and the conversation (however, be sure not to stare at the person, which can make him or her uncomfortable). Often, nonverbal signals convey how a person is really feeling. For example, if the person is not looking you in the eye, he or she might be uncomfortable or hiding the truth.

7. 1. Effective communication - continue Listening – No one likes communicating with someone who only cares about giving his/her inputs, and does not take the time to listen to the other person. Active listening involves paying close attention to what the other person is saying, asking clarifying questions, and rephrasing what the person says to ensure understanding ("So, what you're saying is…"). Through active listening, you can better understand what the other person is trying to say, and can respond appropriately.

8. 1. Effective communication - continue Clarity and Concision – Good communication means saying just enough - don't say too little or talk too much. Try to convey your message in as few words as possible. Say what you want clearly and directly, whether you're speaking to someone in person, on the phone, or via email. If you ramble on, your listener will either lose interest/patience hearing you out or will be unsure of exactly what you want. Think about what you want to say before you say it; this will help you to avoid talking excessively and/or confusing your audience.

9. 1. Effective communication - continue Friendliness – Through a friendly tone, a personal question, or simply a smile, you will encourage your co-workers to engage in open and honest communication with you. It's important to be nice and polite in all your workplace communications. This is important in both face-to-face and written communication. Empathy – Even when you disagree with an employer, co-worker, or employee, it is important for you to understand and respect their point of view. Using phrases as simple as "I understand where you are coming from" demonstrate that you have been listening to the other person and respect their opinions. Picking the Right Medium - An important communication skill is to simply know what form of communication to use. For example, some serious conversations (layoffs, changes in salary, etc.) are almost always best done in person. You should also think about the person with whom you wish to speak - if they are very busy people (such as your manager), you might want to convey your message through email or chat. People will appreciate your thoughtful means of communication, and will be more likely to respond positively to you.

10. 2.Emotional Intelligence Imagine that you have few hours left for the day and you are in a hurry to finish your task. You notice you colleague/subordinate sitting next to you like this What is the next think you’ll do – Ignore him and do your work Ask him not to waste productive time and work OR Approach him as a compassionate friend, ask if there’s anything wrong and offer your help/counselling/empathy if appropriate The reason why few people will make ‘that’ choice is EI – Emotional Intelligence. And It affects how we manage behaviour, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions to achieve positive results. The connection is so strong that 90 percent of top performers have high emotional intelligence .

11. 2.Emotional Intelligence - continue Definition: the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. Decades of research now point to emotional intelligence as being the critical factor that sets star performers apart from the rest of the pack. Distinct from IQ (cognitive intelligence) EI can be developed and changed EI is definitely about having regard for others, but this does not mean that you have to like their behaviour. The difficult part is still valuing a person despite maybe disapproving of their behaviour.

12. 2.Emotional Intelligence - continue Good Judge Of Character – Much of emotional intelligence comes down to social awareness: the ability to read other people, know what they’re about, and understand what they’re going through. You know what they’re all about and understand their motivations. For an instance, Abhijit's motivation can be Money where as Avneesh may be interested in Growth . Once you start noticing their behaviour and know how to motivate them.

13. 2.Emotional Intelligence - continue Neutralize Toxic People - Dealing with difficult people is frustrating and exhausting for most. When they need to confront a toxic person, they approach the situation rationally. They identify their own emotions and don’t allow anger or frustration to fuel the chaos. They also consider the difficult person’s standpoint and are able to find solutions and common ground. You put tremendous and honest hard work to complete a presentation which you were commissioned. You received unanimous appreciation from everyone but one of your co-worker. Will it disappoint you? Are you going to fight proving him wrong? or Will you simply acknowledge his/her choice, even care to take his/her suggestion and go on to analyse with your understanding it at all needed?

14. 3. Interpersonal Skills As you make the transition into the corporate world whether you are an individual contributor or manager, interpersonal skills become increasingly important. There are hundreds of skills that could be defined as interpersonal, we will focus on few of the important ones. You have been assigned a work by your boss. You are not very sure what exactly is needed. You feel – It will be useless to ask your boss because he won’t explain clearly If there’s any mistake you will probably be humiliated His gestures while talking is undignified (points finger, no eye-contact while assigning work etc.) He is hard to negotiate with (even for a tea-break while at work) If most of the above are true then you are dealing with a person with poor interpersonal skills (See the example below)

15. 3. Interpersonal Skills - Continue Self-Confidence - The right level of self- confidence in the workplace can open doors and help you to gain recognition. It can also demonstrate how you approach various situations and deal with them both positively and effectively. Work Ethic - What exactly does work ethic relate to? Well, it can be split into three distinct strands, the first of which is professionalism. This incorporates everything from how you present yourself through to your appearance and the way in which you treat others. The next strand is respectfulness. All workplaces require you to work under pressure at some time or another, and exercising grace under stress will earn you more recognition. Liaison in Action - If you've had formal supervisory or even informal group leadership experience, you probably already know that being a liaison is about 'connecting people to what they need'. Being a liaison involves networking, but it is far more than just making lot of friends. For example, people know you to be polite and helpful person thus you share good bonding with people from different functions like IT, Facility management etc. So when in need you can get your work done with less hassle or wait time. So do you when they need you. Showing Appreciation - In the workplace, employers always look for employees who show their appreciation. This could be something as simple as a thank you or a quick huddle at the end of the day and give recognition to somebody's effort. Showing appreciation is about letting them know that you value them, their expertise and their assistance.

16. 4. Team Building/Team work you will see 16+ people (including three per wheel, one each for front and rear jacks, an extra man with engine start gear, and the lollipop man holding the driver in the pit) perform a highly orchestrated ballet of sorts. It is a very short ballet, usually less than four seconds . It allows the team to change all four tires and make slight wing adjustments. Do you think these 16 people have different goals? - NO Do they all perform the same task? - NO So what’s the big deal? - This teamwork helps the driver get onto the track and achieve victory.  Have you ever seen the overhead shots of a F1 pit stop?

17. 4. Team Building/Team work - Continue One Goal - Where the desires of the team are in line with that of the business, and aligned with working towards successful outcomes. It should a cumulative effort toward one unified goal in one direction. The best lesson can be taken from a Rowing team where everyone works in perfect harmony, rhythm and in one direction. Or else they will never finish the race let alone win. Strengths - Understand strength of every individual and drive them toward achieving excellence. You might find people possessing different skills and expertise, but it's up to you how you utilize your resource and meet the organization's expectations. Conflict Management - Conflict arises from differences. It occurs whenever people disagree over their values, motivations, perceptions, ideas, or desires. It's important to resolve any conflict within the team and keep a positive environment of work. So have an unbiased conversation with both the parties, be a mediator. Stay calm in the face of challenges, listen carefully. Try to bring about harmony through a reasonable solution.

18. 5. Coaching & Feedback One fine day you made a mistake while working on a project and your boss find it out. He did everything possible make sure you are – Humiliated Shouted Made to feel worthless and Never to be trusted Feedback is praising good performance and offering corrective suggestions. Focus should be both on what the person did and how it was done. It should be development and its purpose should be made clear. Coaching is all about a supportive, permissive relationship. The coach does not tell, but seeks permission to make suggestions and ask questions, respecting the person being coached. This is exactly how Coaching and Feedback should NOT be given.

19. 5. Coaching & Feedback - Continue Make It a Positive Process - Before giving feedback make sure you remind yourself why you are doing it. The purpose for giving feedback is to improve the situation or performance. You won't accomplish that by being harsh, critical, or offensive. Make It Regular - Feedback is a process that requires constant attention. This is not a once-a-year or a once- every-three-month event. So there can be a weekly schedule for feedback or whenever needed. Be Specific - Tell the person exactly what they need to improve on. This ensures that you stick to facts and there is less room for ambiguity. If you tell someone they acted unprofessionally, what does that mean exactly? Were they too loud, too friendly, too casual? Set A Clear Goal - Make sure to create a positive environment before you end the coaching/feedback session. You should give a SMARTER goal to the employee which stands for – S PECIFIC – M EASURABLE – A CHIEVABLE – R EALISTIC – T IMELY – E NTHUSIASTICALLY – R EWARD. Boost his/her confidence by showing your trust that he/she can meet the desirable target with hard work and discipline.

20. Thank you, Akshay Mayur Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value . Albert Einstein “ “