New Trends in Management:

Technical skills give you business,soft skills give you profits

Dr. K. Kuhathasan, CEO: Cenlead

According to CEO, Tech Sys Ltd., Dinesh Sattrukulsinghe, "Our technical people are able to penetrate into business and win a lot of institutional customers. But, retaining such institutional customers, developing business with them, and earning profits, depends largely on the soft skills of our people."

The statement of Sattrukulsinghe clearly reflects the importance and significance of maintaining excellent relations with institutional customers.

Soft skills is the most important "job asset" today.

Why soft skills?

"Soft Skilled people are wealth creators - profit generators."

The focus so far has been on qualifications that boast of specialisation in various fields.

However, the globalisation of the industries and job scene has suddenly found us wanting in the area of soft skills. These skills are essential for the success of any individual as well as an organisation. Business communication, business etiquette, leadership, team building, relationship management, and time management are some of these soft skills.

Organisations and some management institutes have realised the importance of these skills. The focus is becoming increasingly evident. Most companies have, therefore, a budget for soft skills training. Soft skills are also increasingly becoming important criteria in selection and promotion of individuals.

Soft skills are skills relating to people issues. These are the skills that make client and customers feel happy as well as keep them loyal.

Technology, customer - driven markets, an information - based economy an globalisation calls for an increased reliance on and demand for, soft skills. Many employees today look for a set of skills that are often developed on cross - functional assignments.

These are termed soft skills. "Soft" skills include oral communication, written communication, critical and lateral thinking skills, and the development of an overall sense of the "big picture".

Soft skills are the essential skills that all employees must develop to achieve success in the workplace. Be it a CEO of a company, an HR executive, manager, counsellor or an ordinary employee, all must master these skills.

Among others, the following are considered as the key soft skills.

* Interpersonal Intelligence

* Excellent communication skills.

* Building relationships.

* High level of drive and determination.

* Think effectively at strategic level.

* Able to initiate and manage change.

* Proven ability to lead.

* Good negotiator.

* Motivating team builder.

* Problem solving and decision making.

* Networking

* Capable of thinking laterally

* Creative in style.

* Ability to create win/win deals.

* Persuasiveness

* Flexibility

* Understanding difference

* Active Listening

Interpersonal Intelligence

This is the ability to understand and work with other people. It requires the capacity to perceive and be responsive to the moods, temperaments, intentions and desires of others.

interpersonal relationships are of profound significance whether at work or at social levels. Most of the problems that we encounter at work, are actually problems relating to people. Successful people recognise the rewards that come from maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships with those they interact with.

They know that their quality of life is contingent upon the quality of their relationships with people. They have a genuine flair for developing healthy, rewarding and satisfying relationships with people. Successful people are pleasant to talk to, and are warm and receptive. They develop a magnetic personality that attracts others to them.

Persuasiveness

We have to influence someone to do what we want them to do (eg. a salesperson trying to persuade a buyer or a negotiator trying to persuade another negotiator). You may not consider yourself as either a salesperson or a negotiator but you are a persuader nonetheless.

Think how often you have an idea that you need to "sell" to your boss or to colleagues. Think how often, say in a meeting or discussion, you have a point of view that you want to persuade other people to agree with or adopt. The plain fact is that in most of your interactions with other people you are seeking to exsert some influence - to persuade.

Flexibility

Good working relationships are like bridges: if they don't allow for some movement then they collapse. The person who always has to be right or always has to come out as winner will not be too successful. You need to know when to overlook failings and as when to accept less than you might have been seeking.

That doesn't mean you always have to compromise your own views or wind up with solutions that merely represent the least unattractive options. But you should ensure that other people's needs and points of view are fully taken into account and that decision are not dictated by ego.

To be continued