Personality Development PDF

SHIVAJI UNIVERSITY, KOLHAPUR B.A., B. Com. and B. Sc. and other under Graduate Degree Programme (For Sem II) Choice Based Credit System Skill Development Course (Non-Credit Course) Self Instructional Material (SIM)...

SHIVAJI UNIVERSITY, KOLHAPUR B.A., B. Com. and B. Sc. and other under Graduate Degree Programme (For Sem II) Choice Based Credit System Skill Development Course (Non-Credit Course) Self Instructional Material (SIM) PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT SKILL (To be implemented from Part - I Second Term of 2018-19)  SHIVAJI UNIVERSITY, KOLHAPUR SYLLABUS FOR PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT SKILLS AS PER CBCS INTRODUCED FROM JUNE, 2018 B.A., B.COM. AND B.SC. PART-I, SEMESTER-II Objectives:  To understand the scope of personality and its development.  To develop core skills for development of self.  To cultivate interpersonal skills for successful life. Syllabus: UNIT I: Self-Development Skills 1.1. Introduction to Personality 1.2. Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence 1.3. Thinking and Problem Solving Skills 1.4. Stress Management 1.5. SWOT Analysis and Goal-Setting UNIT II: Interpersonal Skills 2.1. Hard Skills and Soft Skills 2.2. Effective Communication 2.3. Skills for successful interview 2.4. Leadership 2.5. Social Empathy Unit I: Self Development Skills 1.1. Introduction to Personality In daily life, you have either listened or spoken statements like following: ‘Sushant seems to be crazy’ ‘Ramola is short-tempered’ ‘Papa is open minded’ ‘Clerk was helpful’ The words highlighted are adjectives to describe the personality of persons. We use many such adjectives frequently but if we are asked to define personality, interestingly, many of us are not able to do it. These descriptions are sometimes accurate and sometimes result in loose talks, gossips and misunderstandings. So let’s know more about personality. What is PERSONALITY? Personality is the word derived from Latin word ‘Persona’. It literally means ‘Mask’. While describing personality, common man use the word ‘mask’ in negative way. But in reality, it speaks about the roles people play in life. These roles when overpowers you, they hide your true ‘Self’ but if you are aware of their boundaries, they will add to your personality. Many experts from psychology have studied personality in depth and put different theories of personality. Following are the major findings which help us to understand this concept. Points to be kept in mind to understand the concept of personality:  Personality is A Style of Life. It speaks about UNIQUENESS of individual. Every individual has HIS/HER OWN PERSONALITY!  Outer appearance, colour of skin and physical characteristics have very limited value in understanding personality  Personality is an ORGANIZED aspect of person which is consistently observed at different times and across similar situations. It is relatively permanent.  Attitudes, beliefs, strong habits, consistently shown motivations form major part of personality.  Responses given in specific situations don’t give much information about personality  Take into account Social and Situational contexts before interpreting one’s behaviour and label his/her personality.   There is nothing like ‘Universal Ideal Personality Characteristics’. The situations, cultures and contexts determine the importance of these characteristics. Not just the traits but how you translate them into behaviour is very important. It is generally observed that people organize their personality characteristics or traits hierarchically in order of their importance in life. Gordon Allport, a Harvard University Psychologist, has described this hierarchy with three levels. Cardinal Traits Central Traits Secondary Traits Figure: Allport’s Hierarchy of Personality Traits  Cardinal traits: These are those personality characteristics which dominate the whole life of an individual. They shape individual’s orientation towards life and society. They are the master controller of the behaviour. Very few people have cardinal traits. Also the number of these cardinal traits are only one or two. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar has exhibited rationalism as his cardinal trait. Throughout his life he tried to give justice to all, fought against inhuman practices in Indian society. We are really fortunate that such a rationalist is the Principal Architect of Indian Constitution.  Central traits: They come next in the hierarchy. Though not as powerful as cardinal traits, they are basic building blocks of personality for normal people. Their number varies from 6 to 12. We can describe persons with these consistently visible  characteristics easily. For example, Radha is kind, hard worker, cool, supportive. Another example is Aamir Khan is perfectionist, intelligent, thoughtful, strategist, reserved and disciplined  Secondary traits: They are put at the bottom of the hierarchy by Allport. They are plentiful and not consistently observed like central traits. They are exhibited only under specific circumstances. These traits are less helpful in understanding personality. Our attitudes, preferences, interests can be put under this category. Sometimes we show them, sometimes we hide them and sometimes we even act exactly opposite to them. For example, a cool person behaves aggressively when provoked by someone. A bold person may experience stage fear. 1.2. Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence “I’m worthy of love!” “Believe In Yourself!” “The strongest factor for success is self Esteem. Believing you can do it, believing you deserve it, believing you will get it!!” “Your Faith in your English Vinglish abilities makes you Movie(2012) Shridevi respect yourself. Such starrer movie about Kind of Love and self esteem & self respect yourself is self confidence. esteem”. High self-esteem Low self-esteem 1.Gives you the courage to try new things and the 1.Makes you feel excluded and disconnected power to believe in yourself. from society. 2.Makes you optimistic./Builds optimism. 2. Makes you want to surrender your individuality 3.Helps to resolve your problems and help others. and conform to stereotypes. 4. Self motivated./Encourages self motivation. 3.Makes you feel you can’t handle life’s 5. Helps to understand the strengths & challenges/inferior. weaknesses. 4.Leads to depression, destructive behavior, 6. Helps to enjoy interacting/interaction with eating disorders or alcohol/drug abuse. others. 10 Tips to deal with Low self Esteem 1. Every day, write down something you like about yourself- skills, traits, looks etc. Start living with what you have in your hand now. 2. Throughout the day, keep writing down your feelings as and when you feel them. 3. Become aware of your negativity- Notice the incidences when you become negative every day. Train yourself to behave positively in those situations. 4. Sometimes looking objectively at yourself and your situation can make you feel more positive. 5. Converse with yourself. Why are you feeling this way? How can you make yourself feel better with non- destructive ways? 6. Stop judging or criticizing yourself as well as others. 7. Practice meditation for minimum15 minutes a day. Meditation means doing something with total engrossment that relives you of all your inner anxiety and you feel relaxed. 8. Learn to let it all go- Practice detachment from the things you’re upset with. 9. Be an active participant in your life- Don’t allow emotions to control you, instead, you control your emotions.  Self Confidence “Self Confidence is merely a belief that you can successfully perform a desired activity. It’s an important trait to posses”. Do’s for boosting self-confidence Don’ts for boosting Self- Confidence. Set challenging and realistic goals. Don’t be a critic of yourself. Stay positive – believe in yourself. Don’t expect to be successful at the first Practice thinking and acting with conviction. attempt. Learn from your mistakes. Don’t be afraid of seeking help. Be competitive. Don’t posses negative thoughts. Get to know yourself. Don’t feel inferior. Live with principles. Empower yourself with knowledge. Have a high aim “Never underestimate what’s inside you that make you special. Believe in yourself- even when no one else believes in you.” 1.3. Thinking and Problem Solving Skills When we enter into real world, we often find that bookish answers which are based on memorization during school days won’t work. Solving real life problem is always harder than answering question in examinations. They require higher-order thinking skills. The great educationist Benjamin Bloom has explained six different types of thinking. He also ranked them in order of complexity which is popularly known as Bloom’s Taxonomy which is given in Figure 1. The simplest type of thinking is related with ‘Knowledge’ (see at bottom) and the most complex type of thinking is ‘Creating” (see at the top). The in- between types in order of ascending difficulty are Understanding, Application, Analysis and Evaluation. Figure 1: The Bloom’s Taxonomy of Thinking We can understand easily that in school years, we have practiced the lower level skills, particularly ‘Knowledge’ to succeed in examinations. It may have resulted in better grades but on field, they have limited value. The successful career demands higher level thinking skills. They help you to move from lower to upper level of management and leading positions during career growth. Following Table gives features of Six Levels of Thinking in brief. Efforts Type of required Description Example Thinking for Acquisition  Most primitive and  During school days, Priyanka basic level of human memorized chemical reactions thinking. through repeating them loudly in Level I:  Use of repetition order to get marks in examination. KNOW Very Easy and mugging up in She was not able to clear their (REMEMBER order to remember meanings when asked in class. AND RECALL) the information  A baby mimics familiar dance steps without understanding the context.  Use of explanation  Through reading with to clarify concepts. comprehension, Priyanka Level II:  Focus is on understood that Chlorine (Cl) Easy UNDERSTAND understanding ‘WHY’ destroys Ozone (O3) by releasing  Gives meaning to O2 and thereby causes Ozone the information Layer Depletion.  Applying and  Priyanka went into laboratory experimenting the and conducted experiments with learned material in chloroflurocarban (CFC) gases and practice. collected O2 from different Level III: Somewhat  Important for skill chemical reactions. APPLY Difficult development  Helpful in getting confidence over one’s knowledge  Examining  Satish analysed the tax structure relationship among of India and prepared a chart different parts of big showing the difference between structure direct taxes and indirect taxes. Level IV: Moderately  Recognizing  He also understood the ANALYZE Difficult similarities and separation of power of central and differences between state governments to make concepts and learned taxation laws. material.  He understood that goods and services tax (GST) is an indirect tax  and both centre and states can levy them.  Making own  Satish favoured GST system for judgment after India because it will help to assessment of integrate Indian economy. This information single indirect tax structure will Level V: Highly  Criticizing an idea boost economy in long run. EVALUATE Difficult  Deciding the value  At the same time, he felt that the of a thing, data or an decision to implement it was idea after detailed hasty. scrutiny  Overall, he takes positive stand on GST regime.  Putting parts or  Prasoon Pandey has become an pieces together to icon in creative advertising field. create new thing, He has firmly established different idea or product brands in the minds of million  Reorganize parts or people through new ideas. pieces innovatively Following are few examples.  Leads to patents ‘Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye’ tagline for and copyrights Cadbury. Level VI: Most  Highly demanded in ‘Ye Fevicol ka jod hai, tutega nahi’ CREATE Difficult the world of for Fevicol competition ‘Dimag ki batti jala de’ for Center  Helpful in bringing Fresh Disruptive Technology  Makes the parson ‘Exceptional’ in organization Table 1: Features of Six Levels of Thinking in Bloom Taxonomy The Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking: All levels of thinking narrated above are not mutually exclusive but connected with each other. Broadly speaking, the first five levels of thinking can be grouped under ‘Critical Thinking Abilities’ while the level six can be described as ‘Creative Thinking Ability’. Following are few important guidelines to develop these skills. Tips for Critical Thinking:  Critical thinking allows you to ask right question at right time to comprehend problem, data and decisions. To develop this ability, remember the following tips:  Be open and serious to take into account different points of view before making any argument.  Support your argument by giving right, reliable and enough data. Opinion has not much value in critical thinking  Study the views which contradict your argument and don’t hesitate to admit the loopholes in your judgement.  Find out your own biases and prejudices which interfere in building the capacity to think objectively and logically.  Keep your arguments issue based only and try to avoid attack on personal characteristics of others. Tips for Creative Thinking: Creative thinking, when applied successfully, brings ‘Aha!’ experience with great joy. But it is equally true that such experiences are rare. To develop this ability, use the following tips:  Keep childlike curiosity alive with immense energy to gather new information  Make a habit of ‘rearranging known things’ or ‘putting altogether new thing’ to create new possibilities and options and give them a try.  Show the courage to ask questions to yourself again and again to find out more innovative and effective solution.  Avoid rigid thinking that there exist ‘one best or right’ answer for the problem. Be flexible and accept that life is full of possibilities. There exist many solutions to a problem and all may be best and right different life contexts.  Don’t see functions of people and instruments in fixed way. Think of new ways to utilize them. The tyre of a car though used primarily for wheels, may be used in many other ways which are innovative one. Same thing is true in most of the cases. You should cultivate habit of looking old in new ways.  Keep patience during incubation process. Don’t expect quick results. Every new idea starts with trial and error and initial failures should be seen as learning experience. Enjoy this uncertainty. Remember that ‘Knowing something is not working’ is also a knowledge. 1.4. Stress Management Dear Stress!! Let’s Break Up!! Stress, by definition, is the inability to cope with a threat (real or imagined) to your well- being, which results in a series of responses and adaptations by your body. Stress Types Eustress (+ve Stress) Types of Stresses Distress ( -ve stress) Stress less (No stress) Mostly we use stress word as Distress. The following are the common signs of stress. Common signs of stress Physical Signs:  Appetite- increase or decrease  Sleep – increase or decrease  Breathless  Nervous twitches  Nausea  Muscular tension  headaches  Trembling  Dry mouth Emotional Signs:  Sense of failure  Tearful  Loss of Confidence  Isolated  Withdrawn  Low self –esteem  Clumsy  Irrational  Inability to concentrate  Loss of interest How to deal with stress 1. Eat well-balanced meals. 2. Get enough sleep. 3. Exercise daily. Relax your body by tensing relaxing. 4. Take deep breaths slowly count to 10. 5. Take tea coffee break. 6. Talk to someone. 7. Accept that you cannot control everything. 8. Maintain to try a positive attitude. acknowledge your value, praise yourself when you do well. Accept compliments; Don’t deny them 9. Identify the stressor-attempt to change it, if unable to change it ,accept it; If unable to accept, move away. 10. Accepting your own feelings, let them out. Don’t deny them. 1.5. SWOT Analysis and Goal-Setting SWOT ANALYSIS Introduction SWOT is an acronym that stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Strengths describes what an individual excels at. Weaknesses refers to the areas where an individual need to improve. Opportunities refers to where the individual is best suited for whereas threats refers to the external factor that hinder individual efforts to succeed. SWOT analysis is a foundational assessment model for understanding strengths and Weaknesses and for identifying both the opportunities and threats that a person or organization face. Personal SWOT analysis can be immensely helpful for the personal development. Whether you are looking for a new job or trying to climb the corporate ladder or working on your life goals, Personal SWOT analysis can help you achieve your goals. Strengths and weaknesses are frequently internally related as one has a direct influence on them. We can influence them by spending time and energy. On the other hand, opportunities and threats are external factors on which one has less influence. It is thus obvious that strengths and weaknesses are favourable factors whereas opportunities and threats are unfavourable factors in terms of achieving your objective. How to do SWOT Analysis To conduct the personal SWOT analysis, create a table divided into four columns as shown below. Next, list all of your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in corresponding quadrant. Ask yourself the questions on each of the four areas being examined. Answer honestly as it is very crucial for proper SWOT analysis. The following tips may help you for doing this. Strengths: List all your strengths even the ones which have been dormant for a while. ► How are you different unique and special? ► What are you good at naturally? ► What skills you worked to develop? ►What are your talents or natural born gifts? ►How strong is your network or connections? ►What do other people see as your strengths? ► What values and ethics set you apart from your peers? Weaknesses: This part examines the area in which you should improve. List all of your weaknesses in corresponding quadrant. ► What are your negative work habits and traits? ► Does any part of your education or training needs improving? ►What would other people see as your weaknesses? ►Where can you improve? ► What are you afraid to do most or likely to avoid? Opportunities: Look at the external factors that you can take advantage of to pursue your goals and dreams. ► What is the state of the economy? ► Is there a new technology in your area? ► Is there a new demand for a skill or trait you possess? ► Look at your strengths and ask yourself if they open any opportunities. ► Look at your weaknesses and ask yourself if you could open up opportunities by eliminating these weaknesses Threats: This part consists the external factors that can jeopardize your success. ► Do your weaknesses inhibit your ability to rise in your life? ► What is the biggest external danger to achieve your goals? ► Is there a strong competition for the types of jobs for which you are most suited? ► Are there any new professional standards you can't meet? ► Is there any new technology, education or certification requirement that will improve your progress? Once you have filled the information in each matrix, there are two ways to analyse the information and build a strategy; matching or converting. Matching means connecting two of the categories to determine the course of actions. For example, matching strengths to opportunities shows where to be aggressive and take action. On the other hand, matching weaknesses to threats exposes those areas you should work on or situations to avoid and let you know where to be more defensive. To convert is to change negatives into positives. In other word, converting your weaknesses into strengths or threats into opportunities. This can be done by growing skills set or education or finding a creative way to feature a weakness as strength. Once the personal SWOT analysis is completed, it is crucial to follow through the insights that you have uncovered during the analysis. __________________________________________________________________________ Goal setting Goal setting is the process of deciding what you want to accomplish and designing a plan to achieve the result you desire. Setting goals is a great way to give yourself direction, focus and motivation. Whether your goals are big or small, the first step in achieving them is deciding what they are! Types of Goals: There are different types of goals depending upon time and topic. Time based goals are associated with time scale and are categorized as either long-term or short-term. Long-term goals are achieved over time as a person completes the stages of their life. People set long-term goals for themselves by envisioning what they want to be doing and where they want to be five to twenty years from the present. Long term goals consist of family, lifestyle, career, and retirement goals. Short-term goals are ones that a person will achieve in the near future, typically in less than one year. Short-term goals are often, but not always, steppingstones on the way to achieving long-term goals. Topic based goals can be personal, professional, career, and financial. They are typically classified as Academic , Carrier, Financial, Physical, Social, Spiritual and Personal goals. Strategy for Goal Setting: Setting goals is a great way to give yourself direction, focus and motivation. Whether your goals are big or small, the first step in achieving them is deciding what they are! Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time Bound) goals. Specific help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do. Specific is the what, why, and how of your goal. The “what” section is an outline of what you are going to do. The “why” section covers why it is important for you to do this at this time. The “How” relates to action plan that you are going to follow for achieving your goal. Measurable: Goals should always be measurable. If we do not set our goals in measurable terms, it is very difficult to assess whether we have achieved them. Attainable: Make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set. If you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only demoralize yourself and erode your confidence. Relevant: Goals should be relevant to the direction you want your life and career to take. By keeping goals aligned with this, you'll develop the focus you need to get ahead and do what you want. Time Bound: Set a timeframe for the goal: for next week, in three months, by the end of the competition season, etc. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards. If you don’t set a time, the commitment is too vague. Action plan to achieve your goals: 1. Define your goal. Use SMART goal strategy and define your goal. Remember, you need to make your goal specific and realistic. This means that your goal should be achievable, measurable and have an end point. 2. Set sub-goals. A challenge to reaching goals is that often the due date is so far away that many people put off taking action until it’s too late. Instead, looking at the amount of time you have and the goal you want to reach, create sub-goals that move you toward the big goal. 3. Determine What Needs to Happen to Reach Your Goals. During this step, get specific on what it takes to reach your sub and big goals within the time frame. 4. Decide What Actions Are Required to Reach Your Goals. Identify What tasks/actions you need to reach your sub and big goals. 5. Put Your Actions Into a Schedule. Put those tasks required to achieve your goals into your schedule by making a daily plan. These are the tasks you do each day to generate the prospects and leads. 6.Follow Through Strictly execute your schedule. Keep track of your accomplishments and results. Goal setting Tips ► Identify the area that you want to write the goal (academic, personal, etc…) ► Evaluate past and present achievement to consider the extent to which the goal is realistic and action-oriented ► State what you want to accomplish. ► Describe how to measure the goal. ► Include a specific completion date (timely). ► Evaluate you goal statement is it really a SMART goal. ► If necessary, make modifications to your goal statement. UNIT II: Interpersonal Skills 2.1. HARD SKILLS AND SOFT SKILLS: Suppose Ramesh and Suresh are well known doctors who properly diagnose and prescribe medicines for different diseases. Looking at their attitudes and personalities, Ramesh is arrogant, short-tempered and bad listener. He believes that there is no place for emotions while treating patients. On the contrary, Suresh show empathy and kindness towards patients. He makes them calm, relieves their pressure, discusses and clears their irrational doubts and develops rapport with patients. Who will you think will be more successful and effective in long run? You are right - Dr. Suresh! He exhibited both hard and soft skills while Ramesh has hard skill only. Hard skills are base which keeps you in market while soft skills make you a STAR PERFORMER! 2.1.1. HARD SKILLS AND SOFT SKILLS: WHAT THEY ARE? Hard Skills are the skills related to knowledge and expertise in technical and professional areas. They are commonly regarded as ‘Technical Skills’ which are domain- specific. They are predominantly learned through formal education (school and higher education), skill training programs, basic to advance level courses, job apprenticeships, online courses etc. They are considered as a necessary requirement for getting any job. On the other hand, Soft Skills are related to attitude and personality carried out in interpersonal and behavioral areas. Commonly known as ‘Non-Technical Skills’ which are required in every domain of life. They are not specifically taught in schools and colleges. They are generally learned through introspection, observation, trial and error, following a role model etc. Nowadays, soft-skill training programmes are also available online. Soft skills make you a STAR performer in organization. Figure1: Iceberg Model of Hard v/s Soft Skills  The ICEBERG MODEL describes the characteristics of hard skills and soft skills aptly. We can see that the hard skills are easily observed by others like the tip of iceberg above sea level while soft skills are not observed easily and lie beneath the surface in the form of ATTITUDE. For effective delivery of knowledge and technical skills, you require proper attitude with interpersonal and social skills. Both hard skills and soft skills are important for successful and effective career. 2.1.2. HARD SKILLS VERSUS SOFT SKILLS: Following table highlights the differences between these skills. Hard Skills Soft Skills  These skills are area-specific related to  Soft skills are ‘Non-Technical Skills’ which knowledge and expertise in technical and are related to attitude and personality. They professional domains. are exercised during interpersonal and group interactions and are required in every  Left brain is more related to these analytical domain of life. and logical processes and the concept of  Right brain is more related to interpersonal ‘Intelligence’ is used to describe them. and creative processes and the concept of ‘Emotional Intelligence’ is used to describe  They are based on concrete rules, them. procedures and therefore remain intact  They are based on context of work though the working environment changes. environment which changes from time to time depending on organizational culture  These skills are generally learned through and expectations of colleagues. formal education (school and higher  These skills are not taught in schools and education). colleges. They are generally learned  We can measure them quantitatively with through trial and error, observation, the help of marks, grades, credits, introspection and self-reflection, following certificates, degrees as well as practical a role model etc. actions.  It is hard to measure these skills Examples: Typing skills, computer quantitatively. We can observe them programming, medical knowledge, qualitatively through interpersonal skills. engineering expertise, accounting and Many new tools and tests are also used to  auditing competency, writing skills, acting give feedback to employees for skills, skills in photography etc. improvement in these skills Examples: Etiquettes, active listening,  These skills are necessarily mentioned in job flexibility, effective communication, descriptions and postings. patience, teamwork, cooperative mindset, leadership, managing diversity, managing stress, working under pressure etc.  These skills are specially tested in interview as well as during apprenticeship or promotions with the help of observations done by seniors, colleagues and juniors. 2.1.3. WHY DO SOFT SKILLS MATTER? In the era of globalization, knowledge and technical skills (hard skills), though important, are not enough to move forward on career ladder. The job market is giving equal weightage to personality and attitude related skills (soft skills) of the aspirant. The words like teamwork, project leadership, mentoring, networking, coordinating are becoming the buzzwords in multi-cultural working conditions. Therefore, the ideal choice for employers is the candidate who exhibit both skills. The soft skills in particular have become important for higher level posts. It keeps organizational environment healthy and enhances productivity of team. The college life is the right period to experiment, practice and acquire these skills. Following are few important skills to be nurtured for prosperous career and life: 1. Effective Communication Communication is known to be fourth basic need of human being. It helps immensely in fulfilling our life aspirations irrespective of the fields we choose. During leading, it helps us to transfer ideas and instructions and thereby delegate authority to team members to the get the work done. But one must understand that giving sugar-coated talks or using flowery words are not considered effective in long run though they look attractive. The real criteria for effective communication is to listen carefully and conveying message to audience. Great communicators can regulate their voice, body language and style to explain complex issues in understandable language. They take special efforts on their ideas and tasks before telling it to colleagues. Their messages are clear, timely and with optimum number of words. Picture 1: Mahatma Gandhiji lifting sea-salt at Dandi, Gujrat in 1930 Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent civil disobedience Dandi Salt-Satyagraha in 1930 effectively conveyed the message to British government against their brutal taxation on salt. The symbol chosen was ‘Salt’, a daily requirement of every household, which have united all Indians. Gandhiji was a great communicator who pulled all sections of Indian society in freedom struggle. 2. Teamwork Most of our goals are not achievable without teamwork. To become a team member, one should go beyond one’s personal ambitions. One should leave selfishness and jealousy aside. The shared common goal should be a priority. Good team players understand needs and concerns of others. Even if there are strong differences of opinions, once the decision is made they carry their responsibility by heart. Picture 2: 2011 Cricket World-Cup Winner Indian team celebration with trophy.  The best example is the 2011 Cricket World-Cup Winner Indian team. Though the best batsman and Man of the Series in that tournament was Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni had come for batting ahead of him at the most crucial phase of the final match. Why? The answer was respecting Sachin Tendulkar’s advice! The advice sent through Sehwag to Dhoni (Captian) was: “If left-handed batsman on ground gets out then left-hander Yuvraj will go and if right-hander gets out Dhoni will go.” This experienced senior advice was followed and we know rest of the history! This was great teamwork. 3. Managing Diversity This is very crucial soft-skill required in multi-cultural work setup. The attitudes, values, thought processes are influenced by gender, education, culture etc. People come with this diversity. Converting this diversity into strength, you require a proper mindset. You should be tolerant, accommodative and cool headed. It particularly helps in solving problems which require innovative and creative solution. The new challenges are also faced effectively through valuing diversity in groups.. Picture 3: Diverse faiths exercised by Indians India is the most diverse country in the world. All types of diversities e.g. religious, social, cultural, geographic etc. are explicitly observed here. To become truly Indian, we have to learn to respect and connect with this diversity. Our constitutional values give us the roadmap for ‘Unity in Diversity’ 4. Ability to Work under Pressure: In this competitive world, the word ‘target’ is discussed everywhere. Through it, people constantly face variety of challenges which create pressures. If you are not able to absorb these shocks, it may lead to physical or psychological illness. It speaks about managing time, motivation and discipline. Thinking clearly and making proper decisions help us to organize well. Learning quickly from mistakes and leaving negative feelings aside as early as possible are another areas to look upon. If you successfully prioritize things and keep the stress in limit, you can flourish under stress. Picture 4: India Jawans helping citizens during heavy flood in North-East India The best example is the military personnel who work under tremendous pressure and still remain physically and mentally fit. It is interesting to see that as their pressure increases, their adaptability improves! 5. Flexibility: By nature, people become insecure when they have to change their habits, skills and values. But the current job market is full of innovations and changes. It you live in your ‘comfort zone’, you will become outdated soon. To succeed in life, you should learn new knowledge and update your skills. The flexibility allows you to adapt to new challenges. It throws your mind open and bring willingness to learn new things. Picture 5: Indian farmers using E-Choupal, a technological facility for Agriculture The age old traditional techniques in agriculture have made life of Indian farmers miserable. The government can’t help to solve this problem. Farmers have to adapt new ways of agriculture with the help of technology. Using E-Choupal platform to receive weather reports, learn better agriculture practices, order supplies and selling agriculture produce is one such way. The farmers in above picture are using this platform. They have shown flexibility in approach 2.2. Effective Communication What is communication? It is a process by which we interact with others so as to exchange or share ideas, opinions, thoughts, feelings, news and knowledge. As per the oxford dictionary, communication is exchanging information by speaking, writing or some other medium. Communication can be done orally or in writing or by way of body language eg. gestures, postures and facial expressions. What is effective communication? It is the ability to convey our thoughts and ideas to others clearly and precisely and with courtesy so as to get the desired results. It involves learning when to speak, what to speak, how to speak and in what manner. Need or importance of effective communication Effective communication is a skill which has to be nurtured and build upon over a period of time. We need to interact and express ourselves constantly, with various people, at various levels; thus it is important to develop the skill for our own personal as well as professional development. Effective communication leads to: 1. Clear understanding of the message 2. Increased power of persuasion or negotiation 3. Good decisions. 4. Good and long lasting personal relations. 5. Proper sharing of knowledge. 6. Increased confidence and sense of well-being. 7. Creating good first impression by projecting us as mature, confident, credible and competent. 8. Improved team-spirit. “ If you just communicate, you can get by, but if you communicate skillfully, you can work miracles.” -Jim Rohm 6 C’s of effective communication:  Completeness: Information conveyed should be complete in all respects so that there is dno scope for doubts. It eases decision making and also indirectly, influences the other party to give you the desired result.   Conciseness: It means communicating what you want to say in the least possible words and as simply as possible; such a message is more appealing and easy to comprehend.  Clarity: It means stating your goal or objective as clearly as possible with complete clarity of thoughts and ideas. There should be no place for ambiguity.  Correctness: All facts, figures, dates, diagrams and data should be mentioned correctly and if possible, chronologically.  Cohesiveness: The content of the message should be cohesive. Move from one point to another logically and smoothly. Do not jump from one point to another, as it deters easy understanding of the message.  Courtesy: Courtesy means being polite while communicating. Being respectful to others helps to strengthen bonds and avoid hostile situations. Skills for effective to communication: Linguistic skills Reading Emotional skills skills Skills for effective communication Body Listening Language skills and tone Linguistic skills: To communicate effectively, it is necessary to have good command over language. Appropriate use of words and sentences is necessary. Refresh your knowledge of grammar. Increase your vocabulary. Use simple and short sentences. Avoid jargons and highly technical terms. Develop good reading habits. Body language and oratory skills: A person’s body language conveys a lot more than what his /her words say. Body language and tone say a lot about your emotional state. Learn about good body language. Work on maintaining good posture and facial expressions. Maintain eye contact. Speak slowly, in a low and steady voice-it conveys confidence and authority. Learn about tone, pitch and intonation of voice. Listening skills: Learn to be a good listener. Give others a chance to speak. Do not interrupt. Hear what he/she has to say carefully and with interest. Make mental notes of important points or write them down. Comprehend, analyze and evaluate upon these points and then voice your views. Reading skills: Develop good reading habits. Read, comprehend, recollect and reflect. Take notes where needed. Use the information gained wisely. Learn to read between the lines that is try to understand the underlying meaning of what you read. Emotional Skills: Learn to deal with anger, stress and unpleasant situations with calm mind. Develop self esteem and positive outlook. Try not to be prejudiced and judgmental. Be socially active. Engage in hobbies. Exercise and meditate. 2.3. Skills for successful interview The job selection process, especially in India, usually comprises of the following rounds. ► A written test ► A group discussion ► Interview In this chapter, we are going to focus on skills for successful interview. A job interview is an interview that consisting of a conversation between a job aspirant and a representative of an employer which is conducted to assess whether the aspirant should be hired. Interviews are one of the most popularly used devices for employee selection. Types of Interviews: Employers conduct different types of job interviews, such as traditional job interview (you are interviewed by one of the representative of the company), behavioural interviews (how you have handled various job situations in the past), case interviews (giving you a business scenario and asking you to manage the situation), group interviews (to quickly pre-screen candidates for the job opening), phone and video interviews (interviews taken through phone or skype), second interviews (a more detailed interview that may last for a long time), and even interviews held during a lunch (to evaluate your social skills and to see if you can handle yourself gracefully under pressure). Every employer has a preferred style of conducting interviews for their hiring decision. Interview Process: The interview process is a multi-stage process. The interview process typically includes the following steps: writing a job description, posting a job, scheduling interviews, conducting preliminary interviews, conducting in-person interviews, following up with candidates, and finally making a recruitment. Constructs There have several attempts to identify which interview strategies or constructs can help employers’ to choose the best candidate. Two major categories viz job-relevant content and interviewee performance have been identified. The job relevant content includes general traits (such as mental ability, personality and interest, goals and values), experiential factors (such as education, training and experience) and core job elements (such as declarative knowledge, procedural skills and abilities). The interview performance has been primarily related to two major categories viz. social effectiveness skills and interpersonal presentation. Social effectiveness skills mainly involve impression management (Job aspirants attempt to make sure the interviewer forms a positive impression of him/her) and social skills (Job aspirants’ ability to adapt his/her behaviour according to the demands of the situation to positively influence the interviewer). The interpersonal management includes verbal expression (Pitch, rate and pauses during conversation) and non-verbal behaviour (Gaze, smile, hand movement and body orientation during interview). You should be successfully able to handle the interview considering aforementioned points. You should show the employer that, in addition to your sound technical qualifications and background, you are a good communicator, an organized, prepared, and logical thinker, and someone who would add value to the organization. How to successfully face the Interview: There are some easy steps that can significantly increase your chances of success at interviews. Prepare a good resume: Prepare a well-written resume by considering academic and professional achievements, skills, certifications, and other details that make the case for the job. It is usually the first contact between a company and candidate. Before the Interview: 1. Research the organization: Look up the company. Look up their competitors. Read their last annual report. Know that company backwards and forwards. Know their past, current role in the market, and their goals for the future. 2. Practice the Interview: Write down a list of possible questions that are usually asked in the Interviews. Then have a friend act as an interviewer and direct him/her to you in a practice interview situation. Here are some of the most common interview questions: a) Introduce yourself. b) What are your strengths and weaknesses? c) Tell me about your short term and long-term goals. d) What do you know about our company? e) Why do you want to work for our company? f) Why should we hire you? g) What do you consider to be your biggest professional achievement? h) What is your leadership style? i) How do your friends describe you? j) Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now? k) What are your hobbies? l) What are your salary expectations? Can you justify. m) Are you willing to relocate or travel? 3. Dress Professionally: The first impression you make on a potential employer is incredibly important. When you meet a potential employer for the first time, they immediately form an opinion of you based on what you're wearing and how you carry yourself. Dress in a manner that is professionally appropriate to the position for which you are applying. 4. Arrival: Try to arrive at the interview location 15 to 20 minutes before your scheduled interview time. Take some deep breaths, repeat an affirmative saying to yourself, like "I am competent and intelligent" or "this interview is going to go really well". During the Interview: 1. First impressions: Making first impressions take only a minute. Establishing rapport, direct and sustained eye contact, a firm handshake, a warm smile, good posture, and introducing yourself in a confident manner are important ingredients of making a good first impression. 2. Body Language: Use good posture, and look the interviewer right in the eye. Sit up straight. Never slouch. 3. Speak Clearly: Speak clearly and audibly. Don't mumble. It portrays a lack of confidence. 4. Listen Before Answering: Listen carefully to employer. Make sure you understand the question. If not, ask the interviewer to clarify it. Don't be afraid to take some time to think before answering. 5. Give Precise and brief Answers: Make your answer concise and to the point. Rambling tends to suggest that you really don't have the answer to the question(s) asked 6. Be Truthful: Be honest during the interviews. Don't lie when asked about something you haven't done. 7. Thank the Interviewer: Verbally thank the interviewer for taking the time to interview you, before leaving. Tips for Good Interview: ►Focus on presenting a positive, enthusiastic tone. ► If you are asked to describe a weakness, mention lessons learned, and steer away from negative descriptions. ► Think about three or four key points that you want to make about your personal characteristics, skills you have learned, and relevant experiences that demonstrate that you could perform the job well. ► Find specific, rather than general, examples from your experience that illustrate important points about yourself. ► When answering questions, focus on experiences that demonstrate flexibility, adaptability, responsibility, progress, achievement, creativity, initiative, and leadership. 2.4. Leadership What is Leadership The ability to guide a group of people or an organization with an aim to achieving goals and objectives can be termed as leadership. According to Keith Davis “it is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically. It is the human factor which binds a group together and motivates it towards goals.” Leadership is nothing but getting the best out of people by directing them, inspiring them, boosting their confidence and zeal to work and imbibing team spirit in them. Importance of good leadership Good leadership is important because it plays a very important role in making a group or organization successful in its aims and objectives. It can make people work willingly, efficiently and competently. It helps to communicate goals, vision and strategies to the group members effectively. It helps to give everyone a clear idea about individual tasks and responsibilities. It helps build team spirit and cohesiveness amongst the group. It motivates everyone to do their best. It ensures proper execution of the job at hand. Good leadership helps transform dreams and goals into reality. “A good leader inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader” --John Quincy Adams“ Leadership styles The style of leadership adopted reflects the person’s thinking, personal attitudes, philosophy and personality. However, the leadership style adopted depends not only on the leaders own persona, but also ion the situation to be dealt with, and he nature of the other members of the group. If a person wishes to grow and develop as a leader, he or she may have to change their basic style of leadership from time to time, depending on the given situation. Most commonly found leadership styles are- Autocratic leadership- This leadership style is authoritative. Members of the group are expected to only follow the given directions regarding the job to be performed, the way and time to complete the job. This leadership style creates negative impact and is not appreciated.Thus it is not recommended. Democratic leadership- In this leadership style, opportunity is given to group members to be a part of the decision making process. This is why members cooperate with the leaders wholeheartedly in execution of the decision taken. This leadership style is widely used. Laissez-faire leadership-. Laissez-faire literally means ‘let them do’. It is also called ‘free hand’ leadership. Leaders give full freedom to other members of the group to do their job in their own way without any intervention. This leadership style builds trust but critical growth of the organization can be affected. Bureaucratic leadership-This leadership style ‘goes by the books’ that is, these leaders work strictly as per prevalent policies and rules. They might turn down even good ideas, if they are not within the prevalent rules or practices. This leaves little scope to innovate or try out new ideas and can affect achievement of goals. Transformational leadership-This leadership style encourages group members to work and think out of their comfort zone.It motivates others to stretch themselves to the maximum limit. This promotes growth of every individual in the group and the group as a whole. Transactional leadership-This leadership style establishes duties and responsibilities of each members of the group.It may use incentive programs to motivate the group members. Essentials of effective leadership are as follows: Confidence: Effective leadership is not possible without confidence. Only a confident leader can get people to follow him willingly. Only confident leaders can think for themselves and deal with difficult situations effectively. To be confident, one needs to be well organized. However overconfidence can lead to arrogance, leading to mistrust and unwillingness to work. Delegation: A good leader must know how to delegate effectively. Delegating the right job to the right person along with right amount of authority and responsibility will allow the leader time to focus on more important issues. Inability to delegate wisely leads to mistrust and unnecessary delays. Transparency: Good leadership uses transparency in all its activities. It can be attained through effective communication, sound decision making, healthy debating and reaching a consensus. People know exactly why and how a decision has been taken and how it will affect them. It builds trust among the group members and assures that they will give their best. Communication skills: Effective leadership has good communication skills and is able to inspire members to pursue the group’s goals. They can connect to their group members easily. Good decision making: Good leaders always weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. However once a decision is made they do not go back on it. The leader remains committed and consistent with the decision taken.  Honesty and integrity: An effective leadership is honest to itself. It holds itself responsible for its mistakes and does not play blame game. It is always willing to learn from failures. Instead of getting upset, it analyses the reasons thereof and tries to eliminate them. Self awareness: An effective leader is always aware of his strengths and weaknesses. He uses his strengths wisely and works on his weaknesses. They never shy away from asking for help to overcome their weaknesses. Team builder: An effective leader is a team builder. He understands that the group performs best when its members have different personalities and styles, as this expands the group’s perspective. He can easily emphasize with his group members and take criticism in his stride. He creates likable persona, making others comfortable. Visionary: Leadership cannot be effective without vision. The leader must have the capability to see the larger picture and not only small specific tasks. He must be creative, innovative, passionate towards his work and be able to think out of the box. To be a visionary, he must have deep knowledge about all aspects related to the working of the organization, the customers, rivals, competitors, government policies and issues affecting the society. Tips for effective leadership  Be realistic  Understand your strengths and use them  Find your weaknesses and work on them  Keep group before self  Be transparent in all you do  Stress on perfection  Celebrate success  Take blame for failures  Finish what you start  Do not give up 2.5. Social Empathy Stepping in other’s shoes!! Empathy is being aware of and Sharing another person’s feelings, experiences and emotions. Source- www.inspire.com Empathy is one of the components of Emotional Intelligence (EI). Intelligence Quotient (IQ) helps us to resolve problems, to make the calculations or to process information & Emotional Quotient (EQ) allows us to be more creative and use our emotions to resolve our problems. We can define EQ as the ability to; 1. Recognize, understand and manage our own emotions. 2. Recognize, understand and influence the emotions of others. 5 factors of Emotional Intelligence: 1. Self-Awareness - ability to assess own strengths / weaknesses. 2. Self-Regulation - Ability to comfortable with 5 factors of E.I. change. 3. Self Motivation- Ability to motive self, remain optimistic. 4. Empathy - Ability to understand the feeling of others. 5. Social skills- Ability to manage relationships. Empathy is the highest form of Emotional intelligence. Watch on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369 There are 5 steps towards showing empathy in any situation. 1. Watch, listen- How is the person asking, what is the person suffering from? 3. Imagine- How would you feel in same situation? 2. Show you care –let the person know how you care through your actions, words. Test your ability to empathize by measuring it on this link. https://psychology-tools.com/empathy-quotient/