Is your child good in studies? And he scores really well in his exams? If yes, then we know his report card fascinates you. But wait a minute, what do you think? Only studies will create a bright future for your champ? You will be surprised to know that, apart from academic prowess, soft skills are increasingly being seen as a crucial factor to be successful in professional and personal life.

Being the parents, its your primary responsibility to teach your child soft skills from an early age. Ask them to actively participate in extracurricular activities, go and take them out for various tournaments and stage shows. If they win, it will be a great stroke of luck. On the other hand, a lost battle will imply they have acquired so much more experience out of it. Continue reading to learn some more about this topic.

What do you mean by soft skills?

Soft skills are a potpourri of the social skills, communication skills, personality and character traits, career attributes, and emotional and social intelligence found among individuals. These skills enable people to perform better at their workplace. For example, have you seen the politeness and tolerance displayed by people working in the hospitality sector, a major source of employment worldwide? Their soft skills enable them to sail through unpleasant situations, while keeping up a high standard of customer experience.

Outside of work too, qualities like these will always keep you motivated. The Collins English Dictionary defines the term ‘soft skills’ as the “desired qualities which are required for certain forms of employment that are not dependent on the acquired knowledge”. These skills include common sense and the ability of an individual to deal with other people in the surroundings, that too by keeping a positive and a flexible attitude. Soft skills will enable you to satisfactorily navigate your work, and achieve desired goals on time.

Why do you need soft skills at the workplace?

Soft skills are required at the workplace right from the beginning to break the ice, that is the interview. Here, your manager, through certain questions, will judge you on various parameters. This will include your positive attitude, enthusiasm and determination towards your work. The way you answer all their queries will assure them of your personality traits, which will include your communication and social skills too. To check whether you are competitive enough and will able to manage all your operations properly.

Top soft skills which will guarantee your success are:

1. Communication Skills

Have you ever come across a person at an eminent position and lacking communication skills? Probably not. This is what we would like you to emphasize on. At the workplace, each one of us is expected to interact with our colleagues, clients, vendors and customers. To maintain a clear flow of communication and avoid disruption, it is important to learn and practice the art of good communication skills. So that even an assertive ‘no’ will be heard as a polite gesture.

2. Listening Skills

‘To be a powerful leader, you must be a good listener’ – isn’t this statement true? Yes, of course. A person who carefully listens to the ideas of others is a most empathetic person. Persons like these have all the qualities of becoming a good manager. These individuals must never be taken for granted, as these good listeners show their keen interest in order to accomplish their task and assigned projects on time. After all, listening is the best way to collaborate, share information, and learn.

3. Responsibility

A person who believes in fulfilling his roles and responsibilities on time is a kind of an employee every firm requires. This involves not only being accountable when things go really well, but also when things go as not planned. Coming across your mistakes and learning out of it, without putting blame on other co-workers, clearly marks the sign of maturity, and skills like these must always be encouraged for a healthy work environment.

4. Teamwork

Whether its a corporate project or a targeted goal stated by your firm, the vital quality of a true leader is taking his team along with him. This can be done by inculcating the sense of belonging in your workforce. Solid team members who strongly believe in moving ahead are the people, who need to be preserved like that of a treasure.

5. A Quick Problem Solver

Doing a job for long hours is not an easy task, as one has to cross all the hurdles. Sometimes, situations turns out to be unexpectedly worsen. During that time your boss might ask you “Do you have some solution to this problem”. Your response over here, can twist and turn your career, as the innovative and creative solution you will suggest will leave an everlasting impact on your boss.

6. Body Language

By Body Language we not only mean the way you dress up yourself or carry yourself at your workplace. But it also means the kind of confidence you possess. Moreover, your knowledge and skills over here will guarantee your success. If you will be confident enough than your supervisors, clients or employees will surely believe in what you wish to convey.

7. Strong Work Ethics

Ethics like these will never be taught to you, while you are in the school. Soft skills are usually inbuilt, as this includes being punctual, doing your work on time, and recognising this fact that your job is more than punching in or out, it means a responsibility which need to be carried out wholeheartedly.

Confused Between Soft skills and Hard Skills ? Here is the solution.

Soft Skills	Hard Skills
Plays dominant role in all jobs	Isn’t required prominently for all sorts of employments
Emotional	Technical
Can’t be learned easily, mostly inbuilt	Can be learned through specific training
Will determine your success	Not always required

Therefore, a person in today’s world will only be successful if they will do smart work, rather than doing only hard work.