Importance of soft skills in management education

The world is changing itself after Industrial Revolution 4.0. The industry has reshaped itself creating a massive need for skilled management graduates. The skill paradigm is also changing rapidly, there is a need for upskilling and reskilling of management graduates to meet the industry needs to deal with the current industry scenario. There is a pressing need to develop management graduates with excellent soft skills. The concept of “soft skills” has been used extensively since the year 1900. Since the introduction of the concept of employability, the concept of soft skills has been known as the area that is enhancing employability to a great extent. “Soft skills” are very catchy words used these days to draw attention to the very essential skills in corporates. Merely possessing hard skills, i.e. technical or domain knowledge will not help in getting a job. In the current industry paradigm, having soft skills is a prerequisite. According to research conducted by Thompson et al., soft skills are non-technical skills that include reasoning, interpersonal, and intrapersonal abilities that facilitate efficient performance. Appropriate soft skills assist B-school graduates in many areas. Some of them are mentioned below: Increase in overall efficiency A person with soft skills always stands out from the crowd. He is able to connect clearly with teams, developing clear communication. Soft skills form a strong foundation to enhance the overall performance of an individual. A person with excellent soft skills has the quality to work in teams, manage stress, and maintain a positive attitude. In this changing paradigm, it is paramount to understand the role of soft skills in creating impact in corporates. Collaboration is also one of the key soft skills that helps in developing relationships and working in teams. An intensive focus on soft skills can foster a culture of collaboration and teamwork among managers. Advanced articulation soft skills enable a person to seamlessly convey his or her message to one or multiple levels of the hierarchy. Management students who aspire to become managers or entrepreneurs need to learn the art of seamless communication in organizations. Soft skills help individuals enhance their self-expression. A well-expressed message is understood and well acted upon. Better Decision Making Skills Decision making skills are classified as one of the key soft skills that can assist management graduates in solving many problems during their academic tenure and within their careers. It is extremely important to take a decision that is well-informed and takes into account the current and future situation of an organization. Understanding the present goal and future goal while taking decisions will help the organization to achieve stability and earn profits. This is one of the soft skills that are important and will help B-school graduates to succeed. Increase in Professional Awareness: Reasons to Listen Whenever a B-school graduate has to face an interview with a top corporate, one of the primary requirements is professional awareness, now, the question is how to develop professional awareness. Is? If a B-school graduate has excellent listening skills, his business awareness will definitely be high. A good listener is able to absorb information in any academic or non-academic environment. This helps in increasing placement opportunities and good career opportunities benefiting B-school graduates.