Galgotias College of Engineering and Technology

1, Knowledge Park II, Greater Noida – 201 306 (UP) India

Soft Skills (BAS205)

Work- place skills)

CO5: Students will be able build up personal traits that will make the transition from institution to workplace smoother and help them to excel in their

jobs.

Contents: Leadership qualities; Impact, Communication skills for Leaders: Listening and Responding; Mental health at work place: Managing Stress; Techniques:

Application of 4 A’s; Avoid; Alter; Access; Adapt.

Concept: As you know leadership has been defined by various people but after reading this subsection you will come to know definition of leadership defined by

various people. Leadership has been defined by different people as mentioned below:

1. Leadership is often regarded as the important modifier of organizational behaviour.

2. Leadership has double meaning: To lead means to be in advance, to be prominent. To guide others, to be head of an organization, to hold, to command.

According to Allen: "Leadership is the activity to persuade people to coordinate and co-operate in the achievement of a common objective."

La-Plere: "Leadership is a behaviour that affects the behaviour of other people, than their behaviour affects that of the leader."

Mazumdar: "The leadership is one who has authority and power."

Sckler Hudson: "Leadership always involves attempts on the part of leader to effect the behaviour of a follower in situation. Leadership is defined as influencing and

energizing people to work together with common effort to achieve the common purpose."

Chester I Bernard: "Leadership is the quality of the behaviour of individuals whereby they guide people or their activities in an organized effort."

George Terry: "The activity of influencing people to strive willingly for group objectivee." Robert, T. Irvlng, RW. & Fred, M.: "~nhteqnmonal influence exercised

in a situation and directed, through the communication process, towards the attainment of specialized goal."

Harold, K.: "Leadership is influencing people to follow the achievement of a common goal."

Ralph, Stogdlll: "The Process of influencing the activities and efforts of an organized group towards goal setting and achievement."

Hersy, P. and Blanchard, K.H.: "The process of influencing the activities of an individual or a group in efforts towards goal achievement in a given situation."
Paul Plgors: "It is a process of mutual stimulation, which by successful interplay of relevant individual difference, controls human energy in pursuit of common

cause."

Leadership qualities are as follow:

a) Leaders are made, not born Leadership is not inherited and there is no single type of personality or set of traits that make a leader. A person can learn the things that

are most important in successful leadership.

b) Leadership is a set of functions, not the role of an individual Leadership is thus defined as the performance of functions which help a group to achieve its objectives.

They refer less to the "leader" of a group and more to "The leadership functions" in a group. - Different situations require different patterns of leadership functions. -

Leadership functions are more effectively performed when they are distributed within the group.

c) Leader ship and Management

Leadership is a concept and is distinct from formal, informal organizations and hierarchical arrangements.

Characteristics or Qualities

Now you will learn about the basic characteristics of a leader. We are sure that you remember the basic characteristics of leader. Being a Nurse leader you should have

the following characteristics, which are listed down, and then you can provide good patient care and make judgement to organize patient care. The leader must have

following characteristics:

 Enthusiasm: Enthusiasm is the inspiration for the work and goal achievement.

 Courage: The second important characteristic is the ability to face the new problems all the time.

 Self-confidence: means that the leader knows what she/he can do and can not do. Shehe sets immediate and realistic goals.

 Integrity: A leader keeps his/her promises made to those over her/him and those under him/her.

 Friendliness: Friendliness means basic interest to respect people as individuals.

 Ability to give and get co-operation: The leader must know that in order to get cooperation she/he must be prepared to extend cooperation.

 Ability to maintain standards and performance: A leader knows every job in his/ her area of department. He sets the standards of performance, and

explains to the employees what is expected of them.

 Ability to make sound decision: .The leader avoids snap judgement. His/her decision are based on facts.

 Ability to select and develop personnel: He/she sees that employees are properly trained and know what is expected of them.

 Perceived occupational level: effective leaders perceive higher occupational and organizational levels. The managers and leaders must have high

aspirational goal. The goals, however must be realistic keeping in view their abilities and their motivational drives.

 Individuality: Effective leaders must have a desire for self-realization, which is achieved through creative activities, through independence of ideas and

low conformity. Leaders should be flexible, not very strict who are conformists, submissive, dependent on their supervisors for decision-making, show

poor individuality and are thus less effective in their roles as leaders.
  Leader must be adaptive: Any leader must be perceptive of the situation in which he is operating, since there are always internal and external forces

directing and influencing changes in the organization. The effective leader is always aware of these changes and is able to adapt to these changes and

technology.

 Initiative: Initiative is the result of one's motivational orientation as well as cognitive organization. In other words, the manager must be willing to take

action and also must have the ability to think of various alternatives.

 Intelligence: Leader as compared to their subordinates are usually more intelligent. It is necessary that the leader must have imagination, the ability to

think of several ideas, alternatives to solve a problem and the ability to foresee future problems and consequences.

Communication Skills of Good Leader:

While communication skills are important for everyone, leaders and managers perhaps need them even more. These skills are general interpersonal skills, not specific

to leadership, but successful leaders tend to show high levels of skill when communicating.

Good leaders tend to be extremely good listeners, able to listen actively and elicit information by good questioning. They are also likely to show high levels of

assertiveness, which enables them to make their point without aggression, but firmly. They know how to build rapport quickly and effectively, to develop good, strong

relationships with others, whether peers or subordinates. These skills come together to help to build charisma, that quality of ‘brightness’ which makes people want to

follow a leader.

Leaders also need to know how to give others their views on personal performance in a way that will be constructive rather than destructive, and also hear others’

opinions of them. See our page on Giving and Receiving Feedback for more.

They are usually very good at effective speaking, equally skilled at getting their point across in a formal presentation or Board meeting, or in an informal meeting or

casual corridor conversation. They have also honed their ability to communicate in difficult situations, usually by practice over time.

Listening:

Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process.

Listening is a key to all effective communication. Without the ability to listen effectively, messages are easily misunderstood. As a result, communication breaks down

and the sender of the message can easily become frustrated or irritated.

If there is one communication skill you should aim to master, then listening is it.

Listening is so important that many top employers provide listening skills training for their employees. This is not surprising when you consider that good listening

skills can lead to better customer satisfaction, greater productivity with fewer mistakes, and increased sharing of information that in turn can lead to more creative and

innovative work.

Many successful leaders and entrepreneurs credit their success to effective listening skills. Richard Branson frequently quotes listening as one of the main factors

behind the success of Virgin.

For our purposes, we will define effective feedback as that which is clearly heard, understood and accepted. Those are the areas that are within your power. You have

no control over whether the recipient chooses to act upon your feedback, so let’s put that to one side.

So how can you make sure that your feedback is effective?

Develop your feedback skills by using these few rules, and you’ll soon find that you’re much more effective.

1. Feedback should be about behaviour not personality

The first, and probably the most important rule of feedback is to remember that you are making no comment on what type of person they are, or what they believe or

value. You are only commenting on how they behaved. Do not be tempted to discuss aspects of personality, intelligence or anything else. Only behaviour.

2. Feedback should describe the effect of the person’s behaviour on you

After all, you do not know the effect on anyone or anything else. You only know how it made you feel or what you thought. Presenting feedback as your opinion makes

it much easier for the recipient to hear and accept it, even if you are giving negative feedback. After all, they have no control over how you felt, any more than you have

any control over their intention. This approach is a blame-free one, which is therefore much more acceptable.

Mental health at work place: Managing Stress

Work or employment for people with mental disorders is a topic that their families know only too well. Nothing is more stabilizing than work, and no medicine,

psychotherapy or living facility can replace it. Work not only offers a secure livelihood but also provides self-affirmation which, in turn, leads to strengthening self-

esteem. Further, work brings benefits such as long-term social contact, structured daily regimens and most importantly, a feeling of worth. Work is an important part of

social integration.

Stress is the way human beings react both physically and mentally to changes, events, and situations in their lives. People experience stress in different ways and for

different reasons. The reaction is based on your perception of an event or situation. If you view a situation negatively, you will likely feel distressed—overwhelmed,

oppressed, or out of control. Distress is the more familiar form of stress. The other form, eustress, results from a “positive” view of an event or situation, which is why

it is also called “good stress.” Eustress helps you rise to a challenge and can be an antidote to boredom because it engages focused energy. That energy can easily turn

to distress, however, if something causes you to view the situation as unmanageable or out of control. Many people regard public speaking or airplane flights as very

stressful—causing physical reactions such as an increased heart rate and a loss of appetite—while others look forward to the event. It’s often a question of perception:

A positive stressor for one person can be a negative stressor for another.

Stress is a fact of life, wherever you are and whatever you are doing. You cannot avoid stress, but you can learn to manage it so it doesn’t manage you. Changes in our

lives—such as going to college, getting married, changing jobs, or illness—are frequent sources of stress. Keep in mind that changes that cause stress can also benefit

you. Moving away from home to attend college, for example, creates personal-development opportunities—new challenges, friends, and living arrangements. That is

why it’s important to know yourself and carefully consider the causes of stress. Learning to do this takes time, and although you cannot avoid stress, the good news is
that you can minimize the harmful effects of stress, such as depression or hypertension. The key is to develop an awareness of how you interpret, and react to,

circumstances. This awareness will help you develop coping techniques for managing stress. For example, as an Army platoon leader, managing stress will require

techniques that include an awareness of yourself and your Soldiers.

Causes of Stress

The most frequent reasons for “stressing out” fall into three main categories:

 The unsettling effects of change

 The feeling that an outside force is challenging or threatening you

 The feeling that you have lost personal control.

Managing Stress : As noted in the Introduction, you can learn to manage stress. The first step is understanding yourself better—how you react in different situations,

what causes you stress, and how you behave when you feel stressed. Once you’ve done that, take the following steps:

Set priorities. Use the time-management tips you learned in Section 1. Make a To-Do list. Decide what is really important to get done today, and what can wait. This

helps you to know that you are working on your most immediate priorities, and you don’t have the stress of trying to remember what you should be doing.

Practice facing stressful moments. Think about the event or situation you expect to face and rehearse your reactions. Find ways to practice dealing with the challenge.

If you know that speaking in front of a group frightens you, practice doing it, perhaps with a trusted friend or fellow student. If the pressure of taking tests causes you to

freeze up, buy some practice tests at the school bookstore or online and work with them when there are no time pressures.

Examine your expectations. Try to set realistic goals. It’s good to push yourself to achieve, but make sure your expectations are realistic. Watch out for perfectionism.

Be satisfied with doing the best you can. Nobody’s perfect—not you, not your fellow Cadet, nobody. Allow people the liberty to make mistakes, and remember that

mistakes can be a good teacher.

Live a healthy lifestyle. Get plenty of exercise. Eat healthy foods. Allow time for rest and relaxation. Find a relaxation technique that works for you—prayer, yoga,

meditation, or breathing exercises. Look for the humor in life, and enjoy yourself.

Learn to accept change as a part of life. Nothing stays the same. Develop a support system of friends and relatives you can talk to when needed. Believe in yourself

and your potential. Remember that many people from disadvantaged backgrounds have gone on to enjoy great success in life.

At the same time, avoid those activities that promise release from stress while actually adding to it. Drinking alcohol (despite what all those TV commercials imply),

drinking caffeine, smoking, using narcotics (including marijuana), and overeating all add to the body’s stress in addition to their other harmful effects.

Here are some other strategies for dealing with stress:

 Schedule time for vacation, breaks in your routine, hobbies, and fun activities.

 Try to arrange for uninterrupted time to accomplish tasks that need your concentration. Arrange some leisure time during which you can do things that you

really enjoy.
  Avoid scheduling too many appointments, meetings, and classes back-to-back. Allow breaks to catch your breath. Take a few slow, deep breaths whenever

you feel stressed. Breathe from the abdomen and, as you exhale, silently say to yourself, “I feel calm.”

 Become an expert at managing your time. Read books, view videos, and attend seminars on time management. Once you cut down on time wasters, you’ll

find more time to recharge yourself.

 Learn to say “no.” Setting limits can minimize stress. Spend time on your main responsibilities and priorities rather than allowing other people’s priorities

or needs to dictate how you spend your time.

 Exercise regularly to reduce muscle tension and promote a sense of well-being.

 Tap into your support network. Family, friends, and social groups can help when dealing with stressful events.

Techniques: Application of 4 A’s; Avoid; Alter; Access; Adapt.

While stress is an automatic response from your nervous system, some stressors arise at predictable times—your commute to work, a meeting with your boss, or family

gatherings, for example. When handling such predictable stressors, you can either change the situation or change your reaction. When deciding which option to choose

in any given scenario, it’s helpful to think of the four A's: avoid, alter, adapt, or accept.

Avoid unnecessary stress

It’s not healthy to avoid a stressful situation that needs to be addressed, but you may be surprised by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

 Learn how to say "no." Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, taking on more than you can handle is a surefire

recipe for stress.

 Distinguish between the "shoulds" and the "musts" and, when possible, say "no" to taking on too much.

 Avoid people who stress you out. If someone consistently causes stress in your life, limit the amount of time you spend with that person, or end the

relationship.

 Take control of your environment. If the evening news makes you anxious, turn off the TV. If traffic makes you tense, take a longer but less-traveled

route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore do your grocery shopping online.

 Pare down your to-do list. Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate, drop tasks that aren’t truly

necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.

Alter the situation

If you can't avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life.

 Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or someone is bothering you, be more assertive and communicate your concerns in an open

and respectful way. If you've got an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home, say up front that you only have five minutes to talk. If you

don't voice your feelings, resentment will build and the stress will increase.

 Be willing to compromise. When you ask someone to change their behavior, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little,

you'll have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.

pursuits, daily responsibilities and downtime.

Adapt to the stressor

If you can't change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.

 Reframe problems. Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to

pause and regroup, listen to your favourite radio station, or enjoy some alone time.

 Look at the big picture. Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A

year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.

 Adjust your standards. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set reasonable

standards for yourself and others, and learn to be okay with “good enough.”

 Practice gratitude. When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive

qualities and gifts. This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective.

Accept the things you can't change

Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can’t prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases,

the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it’s easier than railing against a situation you can’t

change.

 Don't try to control the uncontrollable. Many things in life are beyond our control—particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out

over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.

 Look for the upside. When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a

stressfulsituation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.

 Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from

negative energy by forgiving and moving on.

 Share your feelings. Expressing what you’re going through can be very cathartic, even if there’s nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation. Talk to

a trusted friend or make an appointment with a therapist.