75% of long-term job success depends on Soft Skills! CEOs and HR Managers today are suggesting that companies can do better if they hire people with good soft skills and then train them to develop their hard skills in the area of specialization. Soft Skill is a personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people. If you are looking for a presentation to learn the basics quickly then the algorithm has brought you to the right place. Happy learning!

1. Basics of
Corporate Soft
Skills
MEDFIN INDIA PVT. LTD.

2. Soft skills: An Introduction
If you have tooth ache you go to a Dentist. Beyond the technical skills, though, which
dentist do you go to?
 The one who is pleasant and takes time to answer your questions;
or
 The one who treats you like a number in a long queue?
In the above situations and all the others like them, it's the soft skills that matter.
Soft Skill is a personal attributes
that enable someone to interact
effectively and harmoniously
with other people. Knowing how
to get along with people – and
displaying a positive attitude –
are crucial for success.

3. The Importance of Soft skills
 75% of long-term job success depends on Soft Skills!
 Soft Skills aren't optional
 A person who has a smile on his face and is helpful will always gain
more respect than a person who is withdrawn and harsh
 Soft Skills are important in every sector
 Qualification/status will not help if there’s no positive interaction
with others
 CEOs and HR Managers today are suggesting that companies can do
better if they hire people with good soft skills and then train them to
develop their hard skills in the area of specialization
Source: Stanford Research Institute International & The Carnegie Mellon Foundation

4. Most sought-after Soft Skills
1. Effective communication
2. Emotional Intelligence
3. Interpersonal Skills
4. Team Building/Team work
5. Coaching & Feedback

5. How will you feel to speak
with a person with this expression?
1. Comfortable
2. Interested
3. Motivated
4. UNITERESTED
What about this expression?
Comfortable & Interested
1. Effective communication
Non
Verbal/Body
Language
54%
Voice/Tone
39%
Content
7%
Non Verbal/Body Language Voice/Tone Content

6. 1. Effective communication - continue
Being able to communicate effectively is the most important of all life skills. It may be vocally, email, non-
verbally (using body language, gestures and the tone and pitch of voice).
Let us focus on few important communication skills -
 Nonverbal Communication – Your body language, eye contact, hand gestures, and tone all colour
the message you are trying to convey. A relaxed, open stance (arms open, legs relaxed), and a friendly
tone will make you appear approachable, and will encourage others to speak openly with you.
 Eye contact is also important; you want to look the person in the eye to demonstrate that you are focused
on the person and the conversation (however, be sure not to stare at the person, which can make him or
her uncomfortable).
 Often, nonverbal signals convey how a person is really feeling. For example, if the person is not looking
you in the eye, he or she might be uncomfortable or hiding the truth.

7. 1. Effective communication - continue
 Listening – No one likes communicating with someone
who only cares about giving his/her inputs, and does not take
the time to listen to the other person.
 Active listening involves paying close attention to what the
other person is saying, asking clarifying questions, and
rephrasing what the person says to ensure understanding
("So, what you're saying is…"). Through active listening, you
can better understand what the other person is trying to say,
and can respond appropriately.

8. 1. Effective communication - continue
 Clarity and Concision – Good communication means saying just enough - don't say too little or talk
too much.
 Try to convey your message in as few words as possible. Say what you want clearly and directly, whether
you're speaking to someone in person, on the phone, or via email.
 If you ramble on, your listener will either lose interest/patience hearing you out or will be unsure of
exactly what you want.
 Think about what you want to say before you say it; this will help you to avoid talking excessively and/or
confusing your audience.

9. 1. Effective communication - continue
 Friendliness – Through a friendly tone, a personal question, or simply a smile, you will encourage your
co-workers to engage in open and honest communication with you. It's important to be nice and polite in
all your workplace communications. This is important in both face-to-face and written communication.
 Empathy – Even when you disagree with an employer, co-worker, or employee, it is important for you to
understand and respect their point of view. Using phrases as simple as "I understand where you are coming
from" demonstrate that you have been listening to the other person and respect their opinions.
 Picking the Right Medium - An important communication skill is to simply know what form of
communication to use.
 For example, some serious conversations (layoffs, changes in salary, etc.) are almost always best done in person.
 You should also think about the person with whom you wish to speak - if they are very busy people (such as your
manager), you might want to convey your message through email or chat.
 People will appreciate your thoughtful means of communication, and will be more likely to respond positively to
you.

10. 2.Emotional Intelligence
 Imagine that you have few hours left for the day and you are in a hurry to finish
your task.
 You notice you colleague/subordinate sitting next to you like this
What is the next think you’ll do –
1. Ignore him and do your work
2. Ask him not to waste productive time and work OR
3. Approach him as a compassionate friend, ask if there’s anything wrong and
offer your help/counselling/empathy if appropriate
The reason why few people will make ‘that’ choice is EI– Emotional Intelligence.
And It affects how we manage behaviour, navigate social complexities, and make
personal decisions to achieve positive results. The connection is so strong that 90
percent of top performers have high emotional intelligence.

11. 2.Emotional Intelligence - continue
Definition:
the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle
interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.
 Decades of research now point to emotional intelligence as
being the critical factor that sets star performers apart
from the rest of the pack.
 Distinct from IQ (cognitive intelligence)
 EI can be developed and changed
 EI is definitely about having regard for others, but this
does not mean that you have to like their behaviour. The
difficult part is still valuing a person despite maybe
disapproving of their behaviour.

12. 2.Emotional Intelligence - continue
 Good Judge Of Character – Much of emotional
intelligence comes down to social awareness: the
ability to read other people, know what they’re
about, and understand what they’re going
through.
 You know what they’re all about and understand
their motivations.
 For an instance, Abhijit's motivation can be
Money where as Avneesh may be interested in
Growth. Once you start noticing their behaviour
and know how to motivate them.

13. 2.Emotional Intelligence - continue
 Neutralize Toxic People - Dealing with difficult people is frustrating and exhausting for
most.
 When they need to confront a toxic person, they approach the situation rationally. They
identify their own emotions and don’t allow anger or frustration to fuel the chaos.
 They also consider the difficult person’s standpoint and are able to find solutions and common
ground.
You put tremendous and honest hard work to complete a presentation which you were
commissioned. You received unanimous appreciation from everyone but one of your co-worker.
A. Will it disappoint you?
B. Are you going to fight proving him wrong? or
C. Will you simply acknowledge his/her choice, even care to take his/her suggestion and go
on to analyse with your understanding it at all needed?

14. 3. Interpersonal Skills
As you make the transition into the corporate world
whether you are an individual contributor or manager,
interpersonal skills become increasingly important. There
are hundreds of skills that could be defined as
interpersonal, we will focus on few of the important ones.
You have been assigned a work by your boss. You are not very sure what exactly is needed. You feel –
1. It will be useless to ask your boss because he won’t explain clearly
2. If there’s any mistake you will probably be humiliated
3. His gestures while talking is undignified (points finger, no eye-contact while assigning work etc.)
4. He is hard to negotiate with (even for a tea-break while at work)
If most of the above are true then you are dealing with a person with poor interpersonal skills (See the
example below)

15. 3. Interpersonal Skills - Continue
Self-Confidence - The
right level of self-
confidence in the workplace
can open doors and help you to gain recognition. It
can also demonstrate how you approach various
situations and deal with them both positively and
effectively.
Work Ethic - What exactly does
work ethic relate to? Well, it can be
split into three distinct strands, the
first of which is professionalism. This
incorporates everything from how you
present yourself through to your
appearance and the way in which you treat others.
The next strand is respectfulness. All workplaces require you to
work under pressure at some time or another, and exercising grace
under stress will earn you more recognition.
Liaison in Action - If
you've had formal supervisory
or even informal group
leadership experience, you
probably already know that
being a liaison is about
'connecting people to what they need'. Being a liaison
involves networking, but it is far more than just making lot
of friends. For example, people know you to be polite and
helpful person thus you share good bonding with people
from different functions like IT, Facility management etc.
So when in need you can get your work done with less
hassle or wait time. So do you when they need you.
Showing Appreciation - In the
workplace, employers always look
for employees who show their
appreciation. This could be
something as simple as a thank you
or a quick huddle at the end of the
day and give recognition to somebody's effort. Showing
appreciation is about letting them know that you value them,
their expertise and their assistance.

16. 4. Team Building/Team work
you will see 16+ people (including three per wheel, one each for front and rear jacks, an extra man
with engine start gear, and the lollipop man holding the driver in the pit) perform a highly orchestrated
ballet of sorts.
It is a very short ballet, usually less than four seconds.
It allows the team to change all four tires and make slight wing adjustments.
 Do you think these 16 people have different goals?
- NO
 Do they all perform the same task?
- NO
 So what’s the big deal?
- This teamwork helps the driver get onto the track and achieve victory.
Have you ever seen the overhead shots of a F1 pit stop?

17. 4. Team Building/Team work - Continue
One Goal - Where the
desires of the team are in
line with that of the
business, and aligned with
working towards
successful outcomes. It
should a cumulative effort
toward one unified goal in one direction. The best lesson
can be taken from a Rowing team where everyone works in
perfect harmony, rhythm and in one direction. Or else they
will never finish the race let alone win.
Strengths -
Understand strength of
every individual and
drive them toward
achieving excellence.
You might find people
possessing different
skills and expertise, but it's up to you how you utilize your
resource and meet the organization's expectations.
Conflict Management - Conflict arises
from differences. It occurs whenever
people disagree over their values, motivations,
perceptions, ideas, or desires. It's important to
resolve any conflict within the team and keep
a positive environment of work. So have an
unbiased conversation with both the parties,
be a mediator. Stay calm in the face of
challenges, listen carefully. Try to bring about
harmony through a reasonable solution.

18. 5. Coaching & Feedback
One fine day you made a mistake while working on a
project and your boss find it out.
He did everything possible make sure you are –
1. Humiliated
2. Shouted
3. Made to feel worthless and
4. Never to be trusted
 Feedback is praising good performance and offering corrective
suggestions. Focus should be both on what the person did and how it
was done. It should be development and its purpose should be made
clear.
 Coaching is all about a supportive, permissive relationship. The
coach does not tell, but seeks permission to make suggestions and ask
questions, respecting the person being coached.
This is exactly how Coaching and Feedback should NOT be given.

19. 5. Coaching & Feedback - Continue
Make It a Positive Process -
Before giving feedback make
sure you remind yourself why
you are doing it. The purpose
for giving feedback is to
improve the situation or
performance. You won't
accomplish that by being harsh,
critical, or offensive.
Make It Regular -
Feedback is a process
that requires constant
attention. This is not a
once-a-year or a once-
every-three-month
event. So there can be a weekly schedule for feedback or
whenever needed.
Set A Clear Goal -
Make sure to create a
positive environment
before you end the
coaching/feedback
session. You should give
a SMARTER goal to the
employee which stands for
– SPECIFIC – MEASURABLE – ACHIEVABLE – REALISTIC –
TIMELY – ENTHUSIASTICALLY – REWARD. Boost his/her
confidence by showing your trust that he/she can meet
the desirable target with hard work and discipline.

20. Thank you,
Akshay Mayur
Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.
Albert Einstein