Note on

SOFT SKILLS FOR PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

Greeting & Very Good Morning to all of you!

INTRODUCTION

Most organisations require that those who work in them have certain abilities that
allow them to do their jobs effectively. For example, photographers must
understand how different camera settings and lighting affect the picture they are
taking, and University teachers need to know how to use their expertise for
teaching, research or extension. These abilities are known as hard or technical
skills and to learn them one usually enrolls in some sort of educational
programme i.e. where they receive classroom instruction and often practical
training as well.

However, to work in any occupation you also need what are referred to as ‘soft
skills’ (often referred to as ‘life skills’). Soft skills as opposed to hard skills (such
as technical skills) greatly impact the personality development of employees.
Academic organisations today recognize that the professional development of
their employees plays an important part in maintaining relationships with their
students, clients, co-workers and developing a successful academic programme.
However, soft skills are not a replacement for hard or technical skills. In fact, they
are complementary to them and serve to unlock the potential of people equipped
with hard skills.

WHAT ARE SOFT SKILLS?

Soft skills are the personal character traits or qualities each of us has. They make
us who we are, generally encompassing our attitudes, habits and how we interact
with other people. They refer to abilities that make people better employees and
open doors for many opportunities that are not directly related to the subject
matter of their jobs. In other words, soft skills refer to a person’s ability to relate
to others, to get him/her and others organised, to communicate in written, spoken
or other forms.

NEED FOR SOFT SKILLS FOR TEACHERS

Crucial skills of the most effective teachers today are very different from those
of twenty years ago. Long gone are the days of one room school houses with a
handful of students where lecturing, reading, and writing were enough. It takes
more than expertise in one academic field to be an effective teacher. Knowledge
is still important, but today’s teachers must also possess the right soft skills to be
successful. Soft skills allow us to effectively and efficiently use our technical
skills and knowledge.

The complexity and rapid evolution of knowledge that teachers are expected to
convey and the “bundles of habitual action tendencies” that teachers are expected
to communicate in order to be effective are growing exponentially. In today’s
world, a different breed of teacher is required. Recent research and findings about
the skills possessed by the most effective teachers show that that accurate self-
reflection and awareness of how one is perceived by others are the most important
skills of effective teachers. Research has also demonstrated that, it’s not about
knowledge, degrees or experience, but “instead it is about what they do,
especially people skills, consistently. Great teachers know their students and
connect with them.” Knowing your students is more important than knowing your
subject.

Consequently, the demand for and reliance on soft skills is on the increase due to
constant change in the academic work environment, competition, information-
based technology and globalization.

The best teachers are those who are both very human and very professional, both
student-centered and subject-centered. Effective teachers seamlessly blend
together positive personality traits, content knowledge, and pedagogical
skillfulness coupled with an in-depth understanding of their students and their
learning needs.

I must be very thankful to Dr. Mahesh Patel and his team; and also Dr. G. K.
Sasane & his team for organising today’s workshop on very pertinent topic. And,
I hope this workshop will help you all the participants to develop and use soft
skills that can make the difference in the way you carry out your academic
functions and responsibilities.

I wish a big success to this workshop.

Thank you!