Question

Have a Group Discussion on the topic ‘The need of soft skills at workplace’. Use the following points.

(a) Written and verbal communication

(b) Ways of interacting with others

(c) Creative abilities

(d) Emotional intelligence

Answer 1

Moderator:	You’ve all been given a few minutes to think about your topic for today’s group discussion, which is ‘The need for soft skills at the workplace’. You may now begin the discussion. Who would like to start?
Julie:	We all like to excel at what we do, especially at our place of work. But to be able to do that, merely professional skills are not enough. Wherever we go, people skills are essential to be able to connect and communicate with those around us and especially so at our place of work.
Neha:	Well, that might be partly true; but I think one’s professional competencies cannot take a back seat. They will always be the key to your success at the work place.
Alok:	I would like to build on that point Neha. Though professional competencies are of prime importance, team work is what allows for smooth functioning as well as a noteworthy execution of plans and strategies. This is where soft skills come into play as they are a combination of our people skills and communication skills. Both of these are equally important to strengthen bonds and build stronger teams.
Milap:	Yes, the way we interact with others is of utmost importance. Soft skills also build our communications on so many levels. People with good soft skills are bound to have stronger verbal as well as written communication abilities as compared to others. This means that through their communication, they are able to influence others to agree with them, thereby succeeding at their workplace.
Aditya:	That is correct! I completely agree. In fact, someone who possesses soft skills is more likely to get a job done than someone who does not know how to work in harmony with other people. Everyone knows how to do their jobs, it is how we navigate ourselves through different situations at work is what truly defines the strength of our soft skills.
Neha:	Yes, that’s true. Also, speaking of bonding and relationships, emotions play a key role here. Emotional intelligence, which is the ability to understand, manage and reason with emotions, is equally essential to effectively engage with others.
Milap:	I couldn’t agree more. Emotional intelligence helps a person to understand a situation from a sensitised perspective. It is necessary to sympathise and empathise with people, so as to be able to deal with them accordingly.
Moderator:	All right, everyone. Your time’s nearly up. Would someone like to summarise this discussion?
Alok:	Keeping in mind everything that was said today, it would only be right to say that soft skills are the fundamental need of any workplace. A place of work calls for exchange of ideas and involves multiple interactions. In such a scenario, a robust foundation of soft skills only aids in building stronger bonds and deeper relationships. This, in turn, contributes positively to the growth and development of any organisation.