Soft skills & effective communication skills

Soft Skills and Effective Communication Skills

Workshop Contents

1. Introduction to ‘Soft Skills’

2. Effective Communication Skills.

Workshop Objectives

What do companies look for in candidates?

What do recruiters look for in a candidate?

Technical Skills

Soft Skills

What are Technical Skills?

Technical Skills

Technical skills teach one how to meet the expectations of the job.

It is not possible to survive in a job without sound technical skills.

What are ‘Soft Skills’?

Soft Skills

‘Soft Skills’ are essentially people skills -the non-technical, intangible, personality-specific skills.

‘Hard skills’, on the other hand, are more along the lines of what might appear on your resume - your education, experience and level of expertise.

What skills qualify as ‘Soft Skills’?

Skills that qualify as soft skillsCommunication Skills – Oral &

Written

Analytical Thinking

Problem Solving Skills Leadership Skills

Team work

Interpersonal Skills

Personal Grooming

Initiative

Self AwarenessConflict Resolution

Integrity

Creativity

Flexibility

Listening Skills

DiplomacyRisk Taking

Skills

Ability to work under pressure

Work Ethics

Commitment

AssertivenessTime Management

Soft skills are

The hardest to acquire

Impossible to practice

Unless these become habits

Importance of Soft Skills

Importance of soft skills

When it comes to skills other than technical, the unanimous response from the industry is

communication skills and good personality

(Manpower requirement findings)

Soft Skills Vs. Technical Skills

Which is more important?

Technical skills Vs. Soft Skills

Both technical and soft skills complement each other and the balance between these two is what makes a complete professional

Now let’s look at one of the most important soft skill……

Effective Communication Skills

You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas

won’t get you anywhere Lee

Iacocca

Definition of Communication

Communication

Communication is a two way process

Communication is the transfer of information from one person to another

Barriers of Communication

Barriers of Communication

Physical factors

Psychological factors

Other factors

3 rules of Effective Communication

3 Rules of Effective Communication

Be clear in you own mind about what you want to communicate

Deliver the message clearly

Ensure that the message has been clearly and correctly understood

Types of Communication

Types of Communication

1) Verbal

2) Non-verbal

Golden rules of verbal communication

Golden Rules of Verbal Communication

Think before you talk Know your message Get to the point quickly Know the outcome you want from the

conversation Practice the art of persuasion Plan in advance what you want to say Know something about the people you will

be talking to

How to communicate effectively?

How to communicate effectively?1. Control fear2. Establish eye contact with the listener3. Find out what your listener wants4. Listen carefully5. Think before you talk6. Have belief in your message7. Use gestures effectively8. Pause at the right place9. Reiterate the major points10. Avoid acronyms and jargon11. Handle objections12. Ask for feedback

Now let’s look at each one of them in detail….

How to control fear

Take a deep breath, relax and be yourself Focus on the

Listener (not yourself) Message (not words) Success (not alternatives)

Visualize a positive outcome Do your homework, know what you want to say Keep negative thoughts under control

Establish eye contact with the listener

Very important to get feedback for non verbal cues

Helps you to adjust your conversation according to the visual feedback you get

For example, if you get a quizzical look, you can clarify or ask questions to ensure proper understanding by the listener

Find out what your listener wants

Ask questions and listen to the responses

Use open-ended questions

Rephrase questions to ensure better understanding

Offer suggestions/alternatives for the listener to evaluate

Define terms to avoid misunderstanding

How to listen effectively

The real art of verbal communication is talking while listening

Allow the other person to speak

Respect the other person’s point of view

Listen actively instead of only hearing

Think before you talk

Improves the chance of persuading the other person to your point of view

Pause, think and consider what you want to say Choose appropriate words to communicate the

meaning clearly Decide the tone of your voice Decide the outcome of the conversation If possible, learn about your audience in

advance

Have belief in your message The crux of successful communication

Speak with conviction and passion

Be as natural as you can be with your feelings, body language and tone

Show enthusiasm

Avoid faking or putting on an act

Use gestures effectively

Gestures are facial expressions, hand and body movements used in communication

They make the communication process livelier

They can be used to support or emphazie a point

Reiterate major points

Reinforces your main points and enables information retention by the listener

Know what you want to emphazise Reiterate it during the conversation in

different ways Ask the listener for feedback tactfully Frame questions to ensure that the

listener has understood your main points

Avoid acronyms and jargon Use acronyms sparingly as they might not be

understood by everybody If it has to be used, then define it and proceed Avoid jargon to ensure that you don’t exclude

your listener from the communication process If you have to use jargon, slow down speech and

look for visual feedback to ensure understanding Be sensitive to your listener’s ability to

understand your message

Handle objections

To avoid future barriers in the communication process

Avoid quick judgements. Put yourself in the other’s shoes.

Be fair in handling objections. Understand that objections are not personal

attacks and are against a point being made Do not get emotional You can pre-empt an objection and support it

with your points

Ask for feedback

To ensure that there is no confusion Ask general questions like “Am I making

myself clear?” Ask specific questions like “From what I

understand from our conversation….is that right?”

Give further explanation if there is any misunderstanding

Implementing Effective Communication

Implementing Effective Communication

Choosing the right environment

Using language appropriate to your audience

Being balanced in your thinking

Curtailing excessive use of humour

Avoiding the usage of controversial language

Implementing Effective Communication (Contd…)

Being empathetic

Being a good listener

Not indulging in cross conversation

Not arguing

Not letting ego come in the way

How to be a better communicator?

What you can do to be a better communicator

Increase your vocabulary Read – no shortcuts here Keep up-to-date with current events Read inspirational books Avoid audible pauses like “ah”, “er”, “um” Practice pronouncing words properly Speak neither too slowly nor too fast Watch the tone of your voice

What you can do to be a better communicator (Contd…)

Adjust the volume of your voice according to the situation

Get to the point quickly Use gender neutral language Illustrate with personal examples Be concise and simple

Simple tips that you can follow….

Simple tips to improve your English communication skills

Watch an English news channel everyday – NDTV, Headlines Today, etc

Pay attention to the way words are pronounced Helps to increase your general knowledge indirectly

Read an English newspaper everyday if possible read loudly by locking yourself in a room Helps you to hear and understand how you pronounce

words Make it a point to speak to your friends/siblings

in English at home/college. Begin reading light fiction if you do not have

the habit of reading books.

Any Questions???

Thank You!