Soft Skills

Lecture No :- 4

Skills
Soft Skills
Soft skills are intangible interpersonal skills that are associated with an individuals ability to effectively interact with others. These skills are not easy to measure but they can be observed in individuals who possess the ability to interact with people well.

Hard Skills
Hard skills are tangible skills that are easy to teach, identify, and measure. Some examples of hard skills are occupational skills such as technical and administrative; Hard skills also include your degrees, certifications, job titles.

Soft skills refer to the

cluster of communication characteristics, social graces, facility with language, friendliness, and optimism that demonstrate our concern and care for our customers particular situation.
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Soft skills" is a broad term used to describe social and relationship skills.
The term has evolved to be similar to "personal software" as a general reference. They are also major elements in the classic managerial skill set. Your "soft skills" are a measure of your progression, and in some cases they can be a measure of your need for development. Soft skills are:

Team participation Leadership Communications Negotiation skills Mediation skills Training skills Personality characteristics which enhance relationships Social interaction and etiquette skills Problem solving Conflict resolution Decision making

Assessing your soft skills

This isn't an academic exercise. Any areas where you're deficient in soft skills refer to weak spots in your job skills. They're areas you must address, to achieve career advancement. One of the reasons for the very high emphasis on these skills is because they work as good social mechanisms in the workplace. They have a lot to do with achieving better relationships and synergies in teams. Employers naturally place a high value on staff who can operate well in a group, whose soft skills are clearly indicated by their work experience and performance. These workers are facilitators, fixers, and problem solvers. They can communicate well across a broad base of interactions with clients and other staff. They reduce conflict, and promote teamwork. Have another look at that list: What are your strong points? Which areas need development? Which have you had no opportunity to develop? Have you had difficulties in any of these areas?

Upgrading your soft skills

Everyone has a weakness. Not everybody is a born leader, mediator or negotiator. Some people are brilliant, but not so good as communicators, particularly with an audience. Whatever your situation, you'll need to do some work on the gaps. The best remedy is actual training. The training can be a lot of fun, and it's particularly useful for dealing with problem zones in a positive setting, where no damage is done in the process. Trainers emphasize a structured approach, starting from scratch, where you can learn the principles and do some practical exercises in using the skills. Negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution are good starting points. They highlight a lot of the skills in problem solving, communication, and leadership. They also create very strong situational awareness situations, adding considerable depth to the social aspects of soft skills. The more time and effort you put in to these types of training, the more you'll get in return. This is very effective training, done with useful situational examples which allow trainees to get actual practical expertise. You'll find that none of your time is wasted, and you obtain very useful practical skills.

Empathy What is it?

Showing empathy means understanding, and being sensitive to, the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of the customer. It doesnt mean you have to agree with someone who is expressing negative thoughts. It just means that you recognize that point of view.

How to show Empathy

Incorporate at least 1 empathy statement in every call. Examples:
I understand this can be very frustrating Im sorry for the delay in getting back with you (as appropriate). I understand the process requires several steps

Pro-Active Service What is it?

Pro-active service is demonstrated when you anticipate the customers needs or expectations and respond to them in advance of being asked.

Examples of Pro-Active service

Explain what the customer can expect if their problem was not resolved on the first call. Ie: What steps you will be taking and what steps the customer can take. Educate the customer in a way that may avoid future similar problems. Offer to stay on the line and/or to call the customer back to confirm their problem was handled correctly as appropriate.

TYPES OF BODY LANGUAGE Remember that you are dealing with PEOPLE
(P)OSTURES & GESTURES
How do you use hand gestures? Stance?

(E)YE CONTACT
Hows your Lighthouse?

(O)RIENTATION
How do you position yourself?

(P)RESENTATION How do you deliver your message? (L)OOKS

Are your looks, appearance, dress important?

(E)PRESSIONS OF EMOTION
Are you using facial expressions to express emotion?