Soft Skills- Managerial Jewels-That Make Beautiful Necklace

Soft Skills

 Managerial Jewels

That Make Beautiful Necklace

“People who wish to go into the future should have two skills to succeed – the ability to deal with people and the ability to sell.” – Shiv Khera

A skill is the ability to perform an action in a manner required or prescribed so as to obtain desired results within a specified time frame, energy or both. When you perform a job again and again you improve your time as well as quality and with time you become master and then a creative person in that field.

Some define soft skills as combination of people skills, social skills, communication skills, personality traits, attitudes, career attributes, social intelligence, emotional intelligence quotients, among others, that enable people to navigate their environment, work well with others, perform well, and achieve. This is too broad and vague.

But what is soft skill-very difficult to define as no skill is easy to learn nor easy to execute.  

Soft skills are, in fact, understanding the psychology of a person affecting his behavior in given context. As a manager, one is more concerned about getting the work done from his team. Understanding these skills need a constant learning behavior limited by age, attitude, qualifications and ego.

You would come across teams where so much work appears to have been done but nothing achieved and there are situations where no work is being done but results are excellent. Naturally you would like to be part of the second team. Every assignment has items one likes to do and others that you have to deliver. A manager’s skill lies in making a worker to like as many items as possible because that will reduce the load of a manager itself. How to proceed. My long journey with Govt. has taught many good things.

All men are equal in emotional traits may be respect, regard, love, affection, hate, likes & dislikes, honour, inquisitivity. These are so delicate traits that honouring them would do wonders and a little ignoring would cost heavy. So whomsoever you happen to deal with bring him to you own level in all respects. Must treat him as a good human being as you are. Albert Einstein said, “I speak to everyone in the same way, whether a he is a garbage man or a President of a University.” Human beings love humane behavior. Knowing that we are all human being that is the most important soft-skill.

Majority of us like to deal with the issue themselves, want to be sovereign & free-a reason for immigration to alien lands away from interference; so a person feels shy rather he conceals his financial or other kinds of needs outside particularly at work place. It is a very searching process for a boss to find out the hidden needs. He can’t ask directly he has to be alert at all times to identity what a co-worker really needs. Once identified all a good senior needs is to satisfy it and see that the other person is performing at his highest level of productivity.

Listening is skill not taught in any school it requires many other difficult traits of a character like patience, attention, understanding, language, expression etc. Speak in such a way that others love to listen to you and listen in such a way that others love to speak to you. This fundamental is generally missing; particularly the hierarchy spoils the show. Most of the people do not listen, try to ponder over response before someone completes question. If one listens carefully it gives satisfaction and happiness to the person who speaks.  

What is the general attitude of an employee towards his life: what he wants from life: satisfaction, peace, prosperity, family welfare, advancement, achievements, ego etc. What is the level of his contentment with his environment, circumstances and surrounding, does he generally remains happy or is always grumbling. If you are able to gauge all these you would be better placed in the matter of handling and understanding the person concerned.

Empathy is to share someone else's feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person's situation; whereas sympathy is feeling of pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortune. One must understand clearly the meaning of these words. Sympathy conveys more of formality and is used for acquaintances those who are not well known and not near to your heart where is empathy is natural, brother-like your own expression. You dealings should always be empathic.

Everyman is a special creation: unique, genes, education, nature, circumstances, attitude, responsibility taking, manners and what not. Everyone has to be treated in a special way different from others so that there is wonder connect between the two.

Special favours are tools that make a person recipient of highest trust and rapport. A real example from my life: when I was Section Officer supervising six dealing hands: one morning could not reach office on time: was late by one hour: when reached was informed that the Joint Secretary came thrice and every time he asked only for Section Officer. When reached JS Chamber I was asked to explain. It was explained that kerosene quota was to be purchased from PDS hence the delay. Instead of giving some office job: Joint Secretary forwarded Section officer’s request for out of turn allotment of LPG connection- a luxury at that time to concerned officer and got it sanctioned within a week. This create inseparable bond between the two. Special favors create special bonds.  

Say Good, Well Done, Excellent as immediately as possible. Appreciation of Good Work done, should be then and there. It can be said in a special way; just as the boss calling his subordinate for a cup of coffee or boss going to subordinate to convey his appreciation.

Soon a baby is born he is labeled with “Surname”, then comes the “Namkaran” may be with scriptures or otherwise: fact is that every name particularly in India carries a meaning and has its characteristics defined somewhere. One beautiful thing about them is that if you adopt in your personality a single characteristic: you stand to gain unthinkable things and it keeps you happy and motivated.

Name is the identity so always spell it right and bright. It is the most common way of addressing: can always be improved by adding a few letters more, even your tone, tenor, volume, can do wonders. Nick names never die: people are better known by their nick names: may be childhood similes or adulthood achievements, your looks and attitude in old age. Nick names are very dear to individual so try to find out; nobody would tell you directly particularly at your work place.

In fact soft skills are those skills that touch the conscious, the inner personality of an individual that enhance the rapport between two persons for higher achievements for both.

With technical skills you may lead a team but with soft-skills you can lead a company.