Soft skills and communication
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This document discusses soft skills and their importance for employability and career success. It provides definitions of soft skills as desirable qualities not dependent on specific knowledge that include interpersonal skills, communication abilities, problem solving, and a positive attitude. The document notes that a survey found over a third of Indian graduates lacked adequate soft skills to be employed. It suggests soft skills like communication, teamwork, and project management are as important as technical skills. The document then discusses challenges in teaching soft skills and measuring their development in students. It provides examples of soft skills training methodology and means of assessment including self-assessment, tests, and peer/teacher evaluation. Finally, it discusses the importance of soft skills for finance and accounting professionals specifically.
Soft skills and communication
- 1. Soft Skills : From Classrooms to Career A Sound Basics Initiatives
- 2. Moments of Truth • There is no point in giving any suggestion to my manager as he always sticks to his own decision. • I feel there is a glass wall between me and my manager. • My colleagues do not cooperate with me • I should stick to my decision, otherwise I may appear weak
- 4. Young India Lacks Soft Skill Business Today April 2011 • The Young Indian is in danger of becoming a liability. • More than one-third of the millions that graduate each year are unemployable. • A survey of 303 employers across the country by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) • majority of graduates lacked adequate "soft skills" to be employed in the industry. • Only about one-third employers were satisfied with the communication ability of their employees and about 26 per cent with their employees' writing ability.
- 5. What Industry Says… Technical skill ALONE does not make someone competitive in the job market
- 6. Communication skills Team/interpersonal skills Problem solving Quantitative reasoning Business process knowledge Project management
- 9. What are Soft Skills ? Desirable qualities for certain forms of employment that do not depend on acquired knowledge: they include common sense, the ability to deal with people, and a positive flexible attitude
- 11. Taking a Hard Line on Soft Skills Why Soft Skills are important for F&A professionals?
- 12. There was a recent survey conducted of 500 senior finance executives at companies across many different industries. 23% 55% CFOs
- 13. Scenario I Little Soft Auditing Disinterested/Insensitive Focuses on reviewing documentation, not on people or process Client is defensive , vanilla auditing Tactless Asks Basic Questions Does not get cooperation Impersonal/Indifferent Focuses on the basic audit/accounting work steps Client is frustrated
- 14. Scenario II Soft Skills Auditing Presents with Enthusiasm Asks intelligent questions Gains insight, audit adds value Uses Tact Prepares for meeting Reduced follow up Exhibits Interest Engages in conversation Gets Information
- 15. Soft Skills F&A • Advanced written and oral communication • Detail oriented and meticulous • Common sense • Problem solving • Ability to work in a constantly changing dynamic environment • Quick earner • Deadline driven • Ability to prioritize • Delivery driven • Technology savvy • Ability to analyze data
- 16. Soft Skills We Know Our Students Need Them, But How Do We Teach Them?
- 17. Methodology 12 modules of 2hours each Interactive learning Role plays Simulated exercises Videos Case discussions Activities Moments of Truth
- 18. Challenges … Busy Multi-taskers Attention deficit Get bored quickly Language Attendance Does not see value
- 19. Measuring Soft Skills “Hard skills” are technical or administrative procedures related to an organization’s core business. “Soft skills” (also called “people skills”) are typically hard to observe, quantify and measure.
- 20. Measuring Soft Skills • Self Assessment • Teacher assessment • Peer Assessment • Periodic Tests (MCQ,Situational,F-I-G)
- 21. Pat Sample Self 6 Others Strength Development Needed Getting information, Making sense of it; Problem identification 1. Seeks information energetically. 2. Probes, digs beneath the surface, tests the validity of information. 3. Creates order out of large quantities of information. 4. Keen observer of people, events, things. 5. Defines problems effectively; gets to the heart of a problem. 6. Spots problems, opportunities, threats, trends early. 7. Logical, data-based, rational. Communicating information, ideas 8. Adept at disseminating information to others. 9. Crisp, clear, articulate. 10.Good public speaker; skilled at performing, being 11. Makes his or her point effectively to a resistant audience. communicator on paper; good writing skills. SYMBOL KEY = Strength = Development Needed = Boss’s Response = Number of Additional Responses or ( ) IMPORTANCE: Self: Others: 3 Boss: 1 SKILLSCOPE for Managers ® IMPORTANCE: Self: 1 Others: 1 Boss:
- 22. It ‘s the hard skills that get you the interview but it’s the soft skills that get you the job
- 23. Human Resource Changing the Client’s idea
- 24. HRO, the next big opportunity for India
- 25. HR OUTSOURCING WHAT IT CAN DO FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM EMPLOYERS
- 26. The Pain Points The average owner of a small business spends between 20 percent and 40 percent of his or her time on human resources, benefits employment concerns, and government compliance
- 27. Average Salary Human Resource Manager: Rs 197,722 to Rs 1,207,546 Human Resource Generalist: Rs 99, 939 to Rs 467, 927
- 28. HR Tasks Frequency Skills Required Manpower planning Once a year MBA HR Policy development Once in 3-5 years MBA HR Recruitment Daily/weekly/monthly SB Graduate Performance Management Once a year MBA HR Employee Joining and Induction Regularly SB Graduate Exit Interviews Regularly/periodically SB Graduate/MBA Training and Development Regularly SB Graduate/MBA(non management) Grievance handling Regularly SB Graduate Disciplinary Action Periodically Personnel Employee Relations Periodically SB Graduate Statutory Regularly/Periodically SB Graduate Payroll processing Regularly SB Graduate
- 29. Challenges Ahead • A ‘buy in’ with companies • Getting dedicated personnel
Editor's Notes
- #6: Sources: Peter Saflund, Saflund Institute (Boeing and other workplace studies) Presented in November 2007 at one of Cengage conferences in Las Vegas “How Should Colleges Prepare Students to Succeed in Today’s Global Economy?” Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2006. Research by Petere D. Hart Research Associates, Inc.