Need of Soft Skills

“We are hired for our technical skills, but fired for the lack of soft skills.”

Shiv Khera, founder of Qualified Learning Systems Inc. USA and a motivational speaker tells Viren Naidu why a candidate high on EQ today has an edge over the rest

Why is in India Inc today a lot of emphasis laid on being high on Emotional Quotient (EQ) as opposed to Intelligence Quotient (IQ)? According to some estimates, it took a hundred years in the nineteenth century for knowledge to double itself whereas today, it is doubling every year and researches indicate that around 60-90 per cent of the business fails within the first five years. Technology and technicians can always be purchased with money. But the wealthiest person in the world must build and create relationships. The people and organizations that are most likely to succeed are the ones who have people skills. Experts believe that today 90 per cent of graduates are unemployed. They gave the certifications, but the right attitude and values are missing. What we
    are referring to is ‘EQ’. There is too much emphasis given to IQ. What is intelligence? Intelligence is the ability to be a quick learner and that’s all! Is intelligence a parameter to measure judgment? Probably not. Somebody could be highly intelligent but could have very poor judgment skills.
    How can EQ competencies help achieve workplace success? Emotional Intelligence helps a person improve their skills and unlock their true potential. Those are the qualities that help a person not only survive, but also thrive in the fast moving business environment. Through EQ, one understands more clearly what motivates us. We are able to more accurately identify and understand emotions and what drives them, which leads to interactive experiences. The ability to understand and control emotions is a valuable foundation to relationships. It equips us with self-discipline and an ability to deal with others appropriately. It influences our communication and relationship and also impacts our behavior personally, professionally and socially. There was a study conducted by a life insurance company, which concluded that optimistic people sold 37 per cent more policies in first two years than the pessimistic people. And we know why!
    In order to be high on EQ, what skills should a person stay equipped with? Emotional awareness, empathy, interpersonal relations for stress-handling, problem-solving and decision-making skills, etc are vital. EQ is strongly connected to self-esteem. Self-esteem is the way we feel about ourselves. People with a high self-esteem are humble. They take pride in performance, accept responsibility and maintain integrity. They are both good leaders and great followers and the reverse is just as true. When we feel good, the world looks nice, productivity rises and relationships are a lot better and the reverse is just as true. 

Source: TOI Ascent 23rd Mar 2011