A Research Study by Huma Hyder, an Independent Researcher From Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Drew 8 Significant Conclusions From Their Research on Soft Skills and Hard Skills
8 Conclusions from the Research:
- 1. Soft skills play an essential role in the life of every individual. These skills define the person concerning the surroundings.
- 2. Soft skills are integrated and incorporated with hard skills.
- 3. Soft skills are difficult to teach, while hard skills can be learned without any difficulty.
- 4. Soft skills can be developed only with the aid and support of teachers or training sessions.
- 5. Soft skills can be developed within an individual only when he lays the foundation for himself. That is, individuals should be committed to the learning aspect.
- 6. Soft skill is life-long learning. The process is never-ending and tiring. It can also be considered as a source of life.
- 7. While it comes to teaching these, teachers can use different techniques like projects, seminars, academic writing, conducting case studies, and games.
- 8. Even the corporate world is in high demand of employees who can undoubtedly cope well with others. That is the ability to interact with others humbly and straightforwardly.
Conclusion number 4 is very revealing and suggests why soft skills training is in such demand. People cannot change behaviours without being supported by a trainer.
The Benefits
Research also identified these benefits of learning soft skills:
- 1. It defines the person and what they desire to achieve. In short, it is a kind of self-awareness.
- 2. It creates an opportunity for the young ones.
- 3. It allows for dreaming, aspiring, and achieving success.
- 4. It allows us to review, analyze and evaluate the possible outcomes and aftermath.
- 5. It brings in discipline-based knowledge in academics and profession.
- 6. It is life-long learning.
- 7. It focuses more on people than on the revenue earned.
- 8. Improves presentation skills.
87 Soft Skills into 7 Categories
The research categorised the 87 soft skills into 7 categories:
A. Communication Skills
- Ability to use clear, appropriate, and accurate oral communication styles.
- Acquire presentation skills.
- Possess active listening skills.
- Ability to provide and receive appropriate and clear feedback.
- Ability to manage criticisms.
- Skill to manage technology during discussions.
- Be clear at expressing one’ opinion without any hesitation.
B. Problem Solving Skills
- Skill to think, analyze and evaluate problems in a situation.
- Ability to come up with practical solutions to the identified problem.
- Develop essential examining and assessing skills.
- Ability to understand the issues far ahead which may pop up
- Creative Skills:
- Capacity to come up with novel ideas.
- Capability to go beyond the comfort level and think.
- Suggest advanced ideas whenever demanded.
- Ability to come up with a variety of solutions.
C. Leadership Skills
- Ability to lead other members of a group at the workplace.
- To be able to make a meaningful contribution to the team.
- Have respect towards other members of the team.
- Possess extremely positive behaviour and attitude towards work and others as well.
- To be able to lead and direct a project.
- Carry excellent coordinating skills.
- Have in-depth knowledge of different types of leadership.
- To be able to encourage, support, motivate and inspire other members of the team.
- To be able to take turnovers and turnovers at the appropriate time.
D. Entrepreneurship skills
- 1. To be able to use advanced technology.
- 2. To be able to initiate and develop business at one’s own risk.
- 3. To be able to recognize employment openings.
- 4. Possess high convincing skills.
- 5. To be able to interact with others smoothly.
E. Professional skills
- Understand the importance of workplace ethics.
- To be able to practice an appropriate ethical attitude towards life and society.
- Maintain organizational standards throughout.
- Maintain social and moral ethics at workplace.
As Jack Ma, the chairman of Alibaba identified, we cannot win the race against the machines. Soft skills are the only way forward for humans.
You can read the complete research.
