soft skills & effective communication skills
TRANSCRIPT
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!