APPLICATION OF SOFT SKILLS

CONCEPT OF HARD SKILLS & SOFT SKILLS

HARD SKILLS
 Hard skills are the individual‟s specific abilities, technical skill to perform a given task.
Also termed as occupational skills. These are usually acquired through academic
curriculum that can be learned and perfected over period of time.
 For example in nursing hard skills refers to the technical/procedural skills that nurse
learns through training/demonstration and real life ward setting.

SOFT SKILLS:
 Soft skills are life skills, which are behaviors used appropriately and responsibly in the
management of personal affairs.
 They are a set of human skills acquired via teaching or direct experience, that are used to
handle problems and questions commonly encountered in daily human life.
 Soft skills associated with a cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication,
language, personal habits, friendliness, managing people, leadership, etc. that
characterize relationships with other people.

Definition

WHO defines soft skills as “The abilities for adaptive and positive behaviors that enable
individuals to deal with the demands and challenges of everyday life ”

“Soft skills are interpersonal qualities and person attributes that one possesses” (Heckman &
Kautz)

Characteristics of Soft skills

1. Soft skills are a combination of interpersonal people skills, social skills, communication
skills, character traits, attitudes, career attributes and emotional intelligence quotient
(EQ).
2. Soft skills are related with insights, emotions, feelings, gut-instinct and an inner knowing.
3. Soft skills distinguish how a person interact in his or her relationship with others.
4. Soft skills complement hard skills to enhance an individual's relationships, job
performance and career prospects.
5. Soft skills differ from field to field, mostly due to different career attributes requirement
1
Page

though the basic people and social skills remain the same.
Importance of soft skills:

1. Soft skills are very important as they help:

- To handle interpersonal relations
- To take appropriate decisions
- To communicate effectively
- To have good
2. Soft skills are essential for those entering the working world
3. The skills most demanded by today„s employers are soft skills such as the ability to work
with others, to communicate effectively, to demonstrate initiative and self-direction, to
solve problems, and to demonstrate a positive work ethic.
4. Soft skills describe career attributes that individuals should possess, such as team skills,
communication skills, ethics, time-management skills, and an appreciation for diversity.

Types of Soft skills

S.No Types Skills

1 Foundation skills - Ability to maintain eye contact
- Maintain appropriate personal space
- understand gestures and facial expressions
2 Communicative Skills - Ability to practice active listening skill and
respond.
- Ability to present clearly and confidently
3 Critical Thinking and Problem - Ability to find ideas and look for Alternative
Solving Skills solutions.
- Ability to identify and analyze problems
4 Team Work - Ability to build a good rapport
- Ability to recognize and respect other„s
attitude, behavior and beliefs.
5 Life-Long Learning & Information - Ability to find and manage relevant
Management Skill information from various sources.
- Ability to receive new ideas performs
2

autonomy learning.
Page
 6 Ethics, Moral & Professional skills - Ability to understand the economy crisis,
environment and social cultural aspects
professionally.

7 Entrepreneurship - Ability to build, explore and seek business

skill opportunities and job.
- Ability to be self-employed.
8 Problem Solving skills - Ability to analyze make problem solving
decisions.
9 Leadership skill - Knowledge of the basic theories of
leadership.
- Ability to lead a project.

Visual skills & Aural Skills

Visual skills

Visual skills perform the roles of both hard skills and soft skills simultaneously.

They are hard skills when used from completing physical or manual procedures. They become
soft skills for developing interactions and relationships.

 Hard skills of visual skills providing help in several physical activities such as Standing
erect,maitaing balance, push and pull, hand eye coordination, to bend, to reach, to lift, to
walk etc.
 Soft skills of visual skills help in focusing ,nonverbal communication, eye contact, to
show sympathy & empathy,concentration,care,to show love and affection etc

Uses of Visual Skills

1. Improve efficiency of perceiving size,shape,position,colour,dimensions, and movements
2. Useful in judging patient and other
3. Useful in initiating and maintaining relationship
4. Help in develop social habits, maintain social etiquettes
5. Are useful in searching, identifying, differentiating and generalizing the nursing demands
3

6. Are helpful in identifying potentially dangerous behaviors

Page
 7. Helpful in identifying faulty or abnormal functioning of medical instruments, to read the
date of expiry of medication, number etc
8. These are essential skills for information extraction
9. Visual skills have integral role in the preparation of documents, case reports and
proposals and management of files.
10. These are basic elements of communication and help to receive, process and deliver
information

Aural skills

- Aural skills are essential components of the mastery of hard and soft skills.
- Aural skills become hard skills as they facilitate diagnostic and clinical skills in
nursing. They become soft skills when nurturing smart qualities in nursing

Aural skills have 2 components

- Aural awareness (hearing) : hearing involves the perception of sound using the
ears
- Aural meaning (listening): listening is based upon giving attention to the sound
being perceived. Listening involves more than just hearing. It complex
psychological process involving interpreting and understanding.
Listening involve 4 psychological processes
1. Sensation
2. Attention
3. Perception
4. Memory

Uses of Listening skills

- Important tool for obtaining information
- Help to determine type of intervention needed
- Build up positive attitude
- Serve as support system for carrying and responding patient concern
- Help to understand what other person says and feels and to
4

communication that understanding back

Page

- Helps in handling resistance or anger in other

 Essential soft skills for nurses/ Importance of Soft skills in nursing

1 Team work Teamwork in nursing is important. It allows nursing staff to improve

how they communicate with each other, doctors and other medical
professionals. When a team of nurses can work together well, their
ability to care for patients improves. This skill is also beneficial to each
nurse's career.
2 Leadership The ability to inspire, influence and motivate nursing staff and other
health care workers to work together to achieve their highest potential
and collective organizational goals.
3 Communication skills For nurses, good communication in healthcare means approaching
every patient interaction with the intention to understand the patient's
concerns, experiences, and opinions.
4 Flexibility The flexibility in nursing allows for work in a variety of settings and
units to explore different work conditions.
5 Problem Solving & These Increases the quality of care given to patients and improves
Critical thinking outcomes. It helps nurses fulfill their duties of advocating for patient
safety, and helps everyone on the medical team function at their best.
6 Time Management Good time management leads to improved efficiency and productivity,
less stress, and more success in life.
7 Work ethics Ethical guidelines help nurses work through difficult situations and
provide them with a moral compass to do their jobs fairly e.g
Accountability, Justice, Non maleficence,
Autonomy,Beneficence,Fidelity,Veracity
8 Confidence Self-confidence is a key component of effective clinical performance.
It affects competence to perform and is sustained by constant practice
of quality
9 Empathy Empathy helps nurses build a trusting connection with those in their
care by focusing on the patient‟s point of view. T
10 Professionalism It enables the nurse to provide high standard of practice and care at all
times
11 Adaptability Nurses should readily accept the introduction and implementation of
new procedures and techniques.
5
Page
 COMMUNICATION SKILLS

The word "communication" is derived from the Latin word „communist‟, which means
„common‟. It is a process of exchange of facts, ideas, and opinions. In other words, it is the
transmission and interacting of facts, ideas; opinions, feelings or attitudes.

Definition:

Oxford Dictionary defines communication as, ―‟the transfer or conveying of meaning‟

Leland Brown: "Communication is the transmission and interchange of facts, ideas, feelings, or
course of action.

“Communication is a process of sharing or exchange of ideas, information, knowledge, attitude

or feeling among two or more persons through certain signs and symbols or language- as you
may call it”

Importance of Communication

- Communication helps to spread knowledge and information among people.

- Communication makes it easier and faster to contact with people around the world
- Communication is the foundation of all human relationship
- Communicating helps people to express their ideas and feelings, and it, at the same time,
helps us to understand emotion and thoughts of the others.

Types of Communication

1. Oral or Verbal Communication

2. Written Communication
3. Electronic Communication
4. Non-Verbal.
1. Oral or Verbal Communication
Oral communication is transfer of information from sender to receiver by means of
verbal and visual aid. Examples of oral communication include presentations,
speeches, discussions, etc.
Though the message is conveyed through words, most of the times oral
6

communication is effectively carried out with the help of non-verbal communication

Page

like body language and tone modulations.

 Oral communication is also at times mixed with visual aid to help establish the
conveyed message in a clear manner.
Components Of verbal communication
1) Sounds
2) Words
3) Language
4) Speech.

Verbal Communication Skills

- Advising others regarding an appropriate course of action.

- Assertiveness.
- Conveying feedback
- Disciplining patient/student direct and respectful manner.
- Giving credit to others.
- Recognizing and countering objections
2. Written Communication
Any form of communication which is written and documented from the sender to the
receiver is known as written communication. Examples of written communication
include letters, memos, research papers, reports, etc.
To ensure an effective written communication form, it is a must to follow
completeness, clarity and correctness.
3. Nonverbal Communications
Nonverbal communication is the process of sending and receiving messages without
using words, either spoken or written.
It include Body language, Movement, Posture, Gestures, Space,
Paralanguage(talking speed, pitch, intonation, volume and more), Facial expressions,
eye contact,tocuch etc.
4. E-Communication
Electronic communication is any form of communication that's broadcast,
transmitted, stored or viewed using electronic media, such as computers, phones,
email and video. Electronic communications helps us to combine numerous media -
text, graphics Sound, video, etc. - into a single message
7
Page
Communication process/component of communication

The basic elements of communication are

1. Sender
2. Receiver
3. Message
4. Channel
5. Medium
6. Feedback.

1. Sender
Sender is the person who send a message to others. The sender receives a stimulus,
perceives it, generates an idea and encodes that idea into a message
2. Receiver
Receiver receives the message from the sender and decodes it. The receiver understands
the message and expresses that to the receiver in the form of feedback.
3. Message
It is the coded content. It is the piece of information or expression that moves from the
sender to the receiver. This can be a greeting, an order, information, instruction and so
on.
4. Channel
It is the pathway the sender uses to send a message to the receiver. It can be formal or
informal
5. Medium
It is the carrier of the message. The medium used by the sender will depend on sender
and receiver„s mutual convenience and requirement. It can be oral, written, audio-visual,
electronic etc…
8
Page
 6. Feed back
This is the reply or reaction of the receiver towards the message sent by the sender. It is
vital for the success of communication process. Without feedback, it is difficult to assess
the impact of the message sent.

Levels of Communication

1. Interpersonal Communication- It is the communication that occurs between two

people.
2. Group Communication- It occurs among more than two people, generally in a small
group
3. Organizational Communication- It generally involves large groups working together in
such a way as to accomplish complex, ambitious tasks.
4. Public Communication- This type of communication is intended to help the
organization to reach out to its public to achieve its external communication goals.

Barriers to Effective Communication

9
Page
Physical barriers Physiological barriers
Internal structure of the It is due to sensory deprivation
organization and layout of office,
machines and equipment‟s creates
physical barriers in communication.
e.g Distance,Noise, Light

Cultural Barriers Interpersonal Barriers

Every culture has its symbol of Gesturs,movements,facial expressions and appearance
behavior. If these symbols are not
understand by an individual then
they are barriers of communication

Overcoming Communication Barriers

1. Clarify Ideas before Communication

2. Use of Simple Language
3. Reduction and elimination of noise levels
4. Communicate According to the Need of the Receiver
5. Consult Others before Communication
6. Make communication goal oriented
7. Be Aware of Language, Tone and Content of Message
8. Active Listening
9. Convey Things of Help and Value to the Listener
10. Emotional State: During communication one should make effective use of body
language. He/she should not show their emotions while communication as the receiver
might misinterpret the message being delivered.
11. Ensure Proper Feedback
12. Avoid Information Overload
13. Proper Media Selection
10
Page
Importance of communication in Nursing

- It generates trust between nurse and the patient

- It provides professional satisfaction and improve patient well being
- It helps to promote managerial skills and provides a basis for leadership action
- It is back bone over various aspects of patient care such as establishing relationship with
patient, assessing patient problem, counselling, providing health education, taking
informed consent etc.
- It provide a means of coordination with health care team members and fosters successful
collaboration at work place
- It is an essential element in patient safety and quality hospital care
- It affects the entire spectrum of what a nurse does and whom she interacts with including
the patient experience.

Communication skills
Verbal communication skills Non Verbal communications skills
Speaking skills : looking, noticing & listening Body language
etc Movement
Advising others regarding an appropriate course Posture
of action. Gestures
Assertiveness. Space
Conveying feedback Paralanguage(talking speed, pitch,
Disciplining patient/student direct and intonation, volume and more)
respectful manner. Facial expressions
Giving credit to others. eye contact, touch etc.
Recognizing and countering objections
11
Page
 INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

Interpersonal relationship (IPR) is an interaction between two or more people who communicate,
exchange their opinions and values.

Interpersonal relationship is a close association between two or more individuals with varying
duration. These relationships are formed in the context of family, work, neighborhood and other
social interactions.

Types of relationships

1. Social relationships.
2. Intimate relationships.
3. Therapeutic relationships.

1. Social Relationships: A social relationship can be defined as a Relationship that is

primarily initiated with the purpose of friendship, socialization, enjoyment or
accomplishing a task. Mutual needs are met during social interaction. For example,
participants share ideas, feelings and experiences. E.g. Relationship between friends,
relationship between individuals working in the same organization.
Friendship: Freely chosen association where individuals develop a common ground of
thinking & behaving when they enter into the relationship by including mutual love, trust,
respect & unconditional acceptance for each other.
Professional relationship: Individual working for the same organization are said to share
a professional relationship are called colleagues.

2. Intimate Relationships: An intimate relationship occurs between two individuals who

have an emotional commitment to each other. Those in an intimate relationship usually
react naturally with each other. Often the relationship is a partnership wherein each
member cares about the other's need for growth and satisfaction. E.g. marriage,
relationship between immediate family members.
Love: An in formalized intimate relationship characterized by passion, intimacy, trust &
12

respect is called love.

Page
 Marriage: Marriage is a formalize intimate relationship or a long-term relationship
where two individuals decide to enter into wedlock & stay together life-long after
knowing each other well.

3. Therapeutic Relationships: The therapeutic relationship between nurse and client

differs from both a social and an intimate relationship in that the nurse maximizes inner
communication skills, understanding of human behavior and personal strengths, in order
to enhance the client's growth. The focus of the relationship is on the client's ideas,
experiences and feelings.

Difference between therapeutic and social/ intimate Relationship

Therapeutic Social/ intimate Relationship

1. Planned 1. Occurs with mutual interests
2. It help the patient 2. It satisfy the needs of one another
3. Limited duration 3. Long duration
4. Nurse is accountable to achieve goal 4. Both the members are responsible and accountable
5. No emotional or personal attachment 5. Personal/emotional attachment and interest involved
6. Terminated with planning and generally 6. May be terminate or continue
discussed with patient advance

Purposes of Interpersonal Relationship

I. Interpersonal relationship for an Individual

1. Personal growth & development – a good interpersonal relationship actively and
continually facilitates personal growth and development of people
2. Source of enjoyment – for some individual, an interpersonal relationship can be a source
of enjoyment as it helps them unwind, relax and maximize the fun.
3. Sense of security – An interpersonal relationship helps in boosting an individual‟s self-
esteem and sense of security during relationship with others.
4. Context of understanding – an interpersonal relationship help us better understand what
13

someone says in a given context.

Page
 5. Interpersonal needs – an interpersonal relationship helps individuals in expressing and
meeting interpersonal needs.
6. Establishing personal identity – the main reason for developing interpersonal
relationships is to establish an identity. The roles we play in our relationships help us in
establishing an identity.

II. Interpersonal relationship for Nurses

1. Building a positive functional multidisciplinary team – A hospital is a complex system

where many people work together for a common purpose. Interpersonal relationships
help nurses in building a positive functional multidisciplinary team both personally and
professionally.
2. Improving intra-and/or inter-team communication, coordination & cooperation –which is
very important for functioning efficiently.
3. Building mutual understanding & cooperation – to accomplish their personal and
professional tasks more efficiently.
4. Understanding self – interpersonal relations not only help understand other but also help
in understanding oneself more effectively and efficiently..
5. Improved decision making & problem solving- interpersonal relationships help nurses in
taking right decision and solve problems effectively.

III. Interpersonal relationship for patients

1. Developing a sense of security & comfort–good interpersonal relations help patients and
their families develop a sense of non-threatening feelings in hospitals and also develop a
sense of security and comfort during their stay in hospital.
2. Fostering trust & cooperation – trust is a key factor in personal, social and professional
function. This plays an important role in seeking the cooperation of patients and their
families in health care practices.
3. Facilitating communication – Interpersonal relationships are essential to foster
communication between patients, family and the health care team.
4. Improving socialization–Interpersonal relationships acts as a tool for improving
14

socialization between the patients admitted in hospital or health care facilities.

Page
 5. Developing & maintaining positive feelings – interpersonal relations are necessary to
develop and maintain positive feelings. Furthermore, positive feelings between patients
have multidimensional benefits.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Interpersonal skills are the skills we use every day when we communicate and interact with other
people, both individually and in groups.
 Genuineness
 Respect
 Active listening
 Good communication
 Meaningful talk
 Accept criticism
 Friendliness
 Team work
 Open-mindedness
 Nonjudgmental approach
 Empathy

BARRIERS OF INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS:

1. Personal Barrier
2. Situational Barrier
3. Socio-cultural barrier
Personal Barrier Situational Barrier
Age Complex interactional settings
Gender:. Adverse environmental situations
Health & physical conditions Increased physical distance:
Physical disability Lack of time
Lack of honesty and trust:
Feelings of insecurity
Ineffective communication:
Shyness
15

Prejudice
Page

Distorted self-concept.
 Lack of flexibility:
Lack of respect for the rights of others:
Fear of rejection:
Pre-existing psychiatric/ personality
problems

Sociocultural Barriers: Psychological Barriers

Cultural diversity: traditions, customs and Lack of sensitivity
cultural belief Lack of basic communication skills
Ethnic diversity: ethnic, religious and Psychological skill
cultural differences
Social diversity: differences in social
norms and values
Language diversity:

Methods to overcome barriers of interpersonal relationships:

Strategies to overcome personal barriers:

1. In interpersonal relationships, gender differences must be given due consideration.

2. Honesty and trust must be maintained while establishing and building interpersonal
relationships.
3. Individuals involved in an interpersonal relationship must be compatible.
4. Individuals must try and adapt according to the others‟ background and try to be
compatible with their aims, attitudes and thought processes.
5. A sense of security must be ensured between the people involved in an interpersonal
relationship.
6. Effective communication is a key aspect of efficient interpersonal relationships. Clarity
of thought is also essential in interpersonal relationships.
7. Individuals involved in an interpersonal relationship must have a sound self-concept and
positive self-esteem.
16
Page
 8. Individuals must try and improve self-concept by minimizing the use of misperception
and selective interaction and evaluation of the other person. They must also avoid
selective self-evaluation and response evocation.
9. Flexibility in ideology and philosophy of the individuals in a relationship must be
ensured for a more effective adaption and the success of an interpersonal relationship.
10. A mutual sense of respect must be ensured by the people involved in a personal and
professional relationship.
11. Fear of rejection must be eliminated between the individuals involved in an interpersonal
relationship.
12. Skilled therapeutic communication is required to interact with individuals suffering from
psychiatric or personality problems.

Strategies to overcome situational barriers:

1. The interaction setting should be simple and familiar to the individuals and each
individual should make the other feel as important.
2. During interaction in adverse environmental situations or between individuals of diverse
territories and high densities, special care must be taken.
3. Even in organizations, individuals must spend quality time with their co-workers to
strengthen the bond between them.

Strategies to overcome sociocultural barriers:

 One can try to overcome the cultural diversity by trying to enhance the four primary
factors that decide the interaction pattern such as openness, trust, owing and risk to
experiment.
 In situations of social variations and make a sincere effort to adapt to these variations
with flexibility.
 Individuals must try to enhance interpersonal communication skills such as maintaining
good eye contact, appropriate body language and listening with patience
17
Page
 BUILDING RELATIONSHIP WITH PATIENT AND SOCIETY

The following elements/qualities help a nurse to build therapeutic relationship with the patient;

- Competence in knowledge and skills

- Competence in soft skills and communication skills
- Honesty
- Trust
- Empathy
- Confidentiality
- Respect and caring attitude

1. Competence in knowledge and skills:

It is the ability to perform activities effectively and efficiently. Nurses should have adequate
knowledge and skills in performing their roles and responsibilities.

2. Competence in soft skills and communication skills:

- To establish relationship with the patient and his care givers the nurses required
effective communication skills

- These skills include being aware of verbal and nonverbal cues of patients, active
listening to patient without interruption, giving information, non-judgmental
approach, clarifying information etc.

All these technique help to build trusting relationship with the patient.

3. Honesty

- Doing right thing in a right way, coming to work on time, not skipping on
patient care, admitting mistakes made, facing consequences, not gossiping
about patient and being true to one‟s belief.

- Nurses are expected to work with honesty and integrity to maintain patient
and public trust and uphold the reputation of the profession
18

-
Page
 4. Trust

Trust is main element of all interpersonal relationships. Some of the nursing activities which
facilitate trust are active listening, respecting, being honest, consistent in activities, having an
acceptable attitude. If patient develops trust they are more likely to share and disclose
information.

5. Empathy

It refers to nurse understanding of what the patient is experiencing from his own his own
perspective. This process allows the nurse to see the suffering from the patient‟s own point of
view without experiencing the emotional content.

6. Confidentiality

- Confidentiality is an important ethical principle in nursing. It is an important

legal and medical obligation that all health professionals are supposed to obey.
Matters regarding patients should not be disclosed to others at any cost.

- Keeping the patient information confidential include not speaking about

patient and his condition in public places. If the patient is certain that his
personal information is kept confidential he may be more forthcoming about
his problems.

7. Respect and caring attitude

In nursing these refer to introducing one self, calling the patient with his/her formal name,
treating the patient with dignity, at all times, preparing the patient before any procedure,
encouraging the patient to make choices regarding his care, spending appropriate time with
patient,heping and advising the patient to resolve his problems and demonstrating active
listening.
19
Page
 SURVIVAL STRATEGIES

Time Management

“Time is Money”- Benjamin Franklin

―Time management‖ is the process of organizing and planning how to divide our time between
specific activities.

There are two types of time:

1. Clock time 2. Real time.

In clock time, there are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day and 365
days in a year. All time passes equally. When someone turns 50, they are exactly 50 years old, no
more or no less.

In real time, all time is relative. Time flies or drags depending on what you're doing.

Time management‖ refers to the way that you organize and plan how long you spend on specific
activities.

Importance of time management/Benefits of time management

1. With Good time management a person can handle high pressures even in tight time.
2. Time management skills enables us to work smarter not harder – so that more work can
be done in less time.
3. Failing to manage your time damages your effectiveness and causes stress.

Successful time management leads to:

- Greater productivity and efficiency.

- Handle pressures in tight situations
- A better professional reputation.
- Less stress.
- Increased opportunities for growth and advancement.
- Greater opportunities to achieve important life and career goals.
20

- Makes the individual more organized and confident

Page

- Greater control over job responsibilities

 Failure in managing time results in:
- Missed deadlines.
- Increasing load of work
- Inefficient work flow.
- Poor work quality.
- A poor professional reputation and a stalled career.
- Higher stress levels.

Effective time management/ Time management tips (guidelines) for individuals/ nurses/
students:

1. Assess current working practice: Assess your current state of working, describe
actionable observations about strengths and gaps in relation to the problems we are facing
and desired future state we want to achieve.
2. Objectives Setting: To start managing time effectively, we need to set goals. When we
know where we're going, we can prepare a road map for what exactly needs to be done,
and in what order.

Objectives should be SMART, that is: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and
Timed.

3. Prioritization: Prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency. For example, look at
your daily tasks and determine which are:
- Important and urgent: Do these tasks - URGENT NOT URGENT

right away.
IMPORTANT

DO PLAN
- Important but not urgent: Decide when to
do these tasks.
- Urgent but not important: Delegate these
NOT IMPORTANT

tasks if possible. DEELEGATE REMOVE/DO

- Not urgent and not important: Set these (ASSIGN IT LATER
OTHER)
aside to do later.
21
Page
 4. Managing Interruptions: Dealing with the uncontrollable or interruptions should be
acted smartly
5. Thinking ahead: We should acquire the habit of thinking ahead on the basis of
experience, data or events.
6. Set a time limit to complete a task
7. Be prepared to say ‘no’
8. Organize yourself: Have a routine activity schedule, write down the deadlines for
projects, or for tasks.
9. Remove non-essential tasks/activities: Removing non-essential tasks/activities frees up
more of your time to be spent on genuinely important things.
10. Follow check list
11. Spend right time for right activity
12. Make use of time reminders

Poor Time Management vs Highly Effective Time Management Skills

Poor Time Management Highly Effective Time Management Skills
- Poor workflow - Delegate Tasks
- Wasted time - Prioritize Work
- Loss of control : - Schedule Tasks
- Poor quality of work - Set up Deadlines
- Poor reputation - Deal with Stress Wisely
- Avoid Multitasking
- Start Early
- Take Regular Breaks
- Learn to Say No 22
Page
 STRESS-COPING STRATEGIES
Stress can be defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation.
Stress is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in
our lives. Everyone experiences stress to some degree.

Everyone has stress. Stress is body‟s response to a change or difficult situation. It is a

natural response.

The efforts to reduce, control or learn to tolerate the threats that lead to stress is known as
coping. It is problem solving process or strategy that used to manage the stress evoking
situations.

Types of coping strategies

2 type
1. Direct coping
2. Defensive coping
1. Direct coping
These are actions that person take to change uncomfortable situations

Important direct coping methods are;

a. Confrontation
It means facing stressful situations directly attempting to find solution or attain
goal
b. Compromise
It is way of deciding upon a more realistic alternative goal or solution
c. Withdrawal
It is avoiding a situation when other form of coping are not practical

If direct coping is too difficult or has failed, indirect (defensive) coping is used
23
Page
 2. Defensive coping
It include taking antianxiety medications, alcohol smoking and use of defense
mechanisms. Defense mechanisms such as denial, compensation, rationalization,
repression, regression etc.
Other type of coping are;
a. Preventive coping: It is stress management strategy which prepares person for
possible forthcoming stress events. E.g. preparation for job loss, retirement etc.
b. Anticipatory coping: It aims to avoid or minimize problems associated with
critical events occur in near future.
c. Proactive coping: These type coping motivate individual to meet challenges and
they react accordingly.
d. Reactive coping: It is problem –focused, emotion focused and stress management
strategy
Emotion focused-in this form of coping people try to manage their
emotions
Problem focused – it includes taking direct actions to solve problems as
well as changing or modifying the stressful problem or source of stress

Strategies to reduce stress

- Talk with someone about feelings- anger, sorrow and other emotions-even though it
may be difficult
- Don‟t hold yourself responsible for the disastrous event or be frustrated because you
feel that you cannot help directly in the rescue work
- Spend time with family
- Use existing supports group of family, friends and church
- Develop hobbies and personal interests enjoy nature and outings, go for walk in an
park, get away from routine life, relax when possible, love yourself by avoiding self-
criticism, praise and support. All these activities can be rewarding and satisfying
resulting in control and reduction of stress.
- Express intense emotion by crying, laughing etc.
24

- Physical activities like walking, aerobic exercises, climbing stairs, cycling, gardening,
Page

swimming, house work etc. reduce stress, improve mood and energy levels
- Yoga and stretching: even daily sessions of yoga and slow stretching in duration as
small as 5 to 10 minutes can promote relaxation and reduce stress
- Diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole garins,low fat dairy, lean meat, limited salt, sugar
and saturated fats intake acts as stress reducing agents
- Having adequate rest and sleep regulates mood and helps the individual to cope with
stressful situations
- Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation,
guided imagery etc. slows breathing and heart rate, lower blood pressure and balance
both body and mind

SURVIVAL STRATEGIES-RESILIENCE
The term resilience refer to the capacity of a person, organism or object to „bounce back‟
or recover after a stressful encounter.
Bounce back to a balanced state after facing major disruption in life or career. It does not
mean the individual is unaffected by the event or problem.

“Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy,
threats or even significant sources of stress” (American Psychological Association)

Factors contributing to Resilience

1. Biological factors
2. Psychological factors
3. Social factors
4. Cultural factors

1. Biological factors : this factors promote physical and mental health

These include
- Good physical and mental health
- Balanced diet
- Healthy life style practices
25
Page
 2. Psychological factors: These factors help to build a proper perspective of
the adverse situation, develop capacity to manage strong negative feelings
and impulses.
- Having realistic goals and ability to carry them out
- High self-esteem, self-confidence and self-efficiency
- Optimistic outlook and ability to adapt to change
- Adequate problem solving abilities
- Learning from past experiences
- Having high emotional intelligence
- Adaptive coping mechanisms
3. Social factors: These factors support the individual during times of distress
and aid in recovering from trauma or tragedy.
These include;
- Having adequate social relationship within and outside family
- Community resources
- Government policies, grants and programs
- Role models, mentors
4. Cultural factors: cultural parameter help an individual to develop coping
strategies and allow better adjustment with the adverse situation. It
include:
- Belief systems
- Cultural practices
- Ethnic identification
- Social class status
- Cultural background- tradition, values, language, customs and
norms

Types of Resilience

1. Personal resilience
26

2. Physical resilience
3. Psychological resilience
Page
 1. Personal resilience (Individual resilience) it involves behaviors, thoughts, and
actions that promote personal wellbeing and mental health. It refers to a person's
ability to withstand, adapt to, and recover from adversity.
2. Physical resilience: It is the ability to bounce back easily from physical stress,
illness or injury, which requires an extra set of skills above and beyond strength
training and physical fitness.
3. Psychological resilience: It is the ability of an individual to bounce back to a
previous state of normal functioning after experiencing pressure without negative
effect.

Development of Resilience

Tips to develop resilience

- Build a perception
- Leverage strength
- Be positive
- Be proactive
- Be hopeful
- Be realistic
- Focus on progress
- Stay connected
- Care for self
- Make each day meaningful
- Learn from the past
27
Page
 SURVIVAL STRATEGIES-WORK BALANCE
Work-life balance is the state where a person chooses to equally prioritize the demands of
work and career and the demands of their personal life.

Importance of work life balance in Nursing

Individual
- Develops self esteem
- Maintains psychological well being
- Helps in attaining contentment
- Helps to achieve harmony between work and life with minimum role conflict
Organizational benefits
- Reduced absenteeism
- Increased productivity
- Retention of skilled staff leading to reduction in training costs
- Reduced staff turn over
- Greater interest shown by skilled personnel to join the organization
- Continuous support from the employees

Strategies to maintain work life balance

Individual strategies
- Assess the job areas that are most demanding
- While working on night shift pay special attention to rest and relaxation
- Build self-care activities in daily routine and practice relaxation techniques
- Talk to friends, family or counselor to overcome stressors
- Be flexible at work place and at home
- Accept that everything cannot be changed
- Learn to delegate work
- Do not feel guilty while seeking assistance at work
- Feel free to decline politely
28

Organizational strategies
Page

- Reduce long working hours

 - Allow flexible working hours where permissible
- Provide part time jobs with less hours and fewer shifts
- Make job sharing arrangements
- Provide access to child care
- Offer programs for employees to return to work after extended leave

Workplace rules for a happy life

- Trust no one but respect everyone

- Never carry office gossips back home
- Enter office on time and leave on time
- Never make relationship at workplace
- Expect nothing
- Never rush for your position
- Avoid taking everything on your ego

PRESENTATION SKILLS

A presentation is a means of communication which can be adapted to various speaking

situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team.

A presentation is the process of presenting a topic to an audience.

Importance of Presentation

- Presentation is Important for Individual Success in the workplace

- Presentations are Important for Business Success
- Presentations are Important for Stress Reduction
- Presentation Skills are Important for Time Management
- Presentation Skills are Important for Leadership
- Presentation skills are Important for Public Image & Opinion

Essential components/elements of Presentation

29

1. Plan
Page

2. Prepare
3. Practice
4. Present
1. Plan
Planning your presentation means thinking ahead about important aspects of it. The
important aspects of your presentation include the following:
- Objectives
- Audience
- Content
- Organization
- Visuals
- Setting
- Delivery
2. Prepare
Preparation is the single most important part of making a successful presentation.
Following points must keep in mind while preparing::
- Structure
- Prompt
- Visual aids
- Voice
- Appearance
- Style
3. Practice
- Rehearse all points what you prepare.
- Rehearse with all visual aids and handouts.
- Practice again and to manage time.
- Rehearse in front of mirror or a friend.
4. Present
- Make a strong start. Make a strong start.
- Engage the audience in first 2-3 minutes.
30

- Show your passion through movements and gestures

Page

- Make an eye contact.

 - Don‟t forget to smile as well, unless your topic is very grim.

When actually making your presentation, there are many factors of which you
must be aware, some of which are mastered only as a result of practice. These
include the following:

- Facial expression
- Pace
- Voice (intonation, inflection, pronunciation)
- Body movements (posture, gestures, moving about)
- Use of a pointer (classic wooden pointer or laser)
- Roles (in the event of multiple presenters)

Motivational Skills

Motivational skills can be defined as actions or strategies that elicit a desired behavior or
response from a stakeholder.

INTRINSIC VS. EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION

Intrinsic motivation is the type of motivation whose influence comes from within the person. It
means that you do something for a sense of personal satisfaction as that is rewarding enough.

For example, you may enjoy helping others because it makes you happy. It can also be referred
to as self-motivation.

Extrinsic motivation depends on external factors. It means that you do something based on
what you will receive out of it.

You may work harder because you will receive an incentive such as an award, a bonus, attention,
or a promotion.

MOTIVATIONAL SKILLS

Goal-setting skills: Goal-setting refers to ability to achieve the results you desire for your future.
31

Its value is usually intrinsic.

Page
Communication skills. You can communicate well if you can exchange information with other
people without confusion. Good communication skills enable you to listen to other people‟s
contributions. And when you hear people out, you make them feel respected and important.

Leadership skills. Leadership skills include the ability to influence and guide individuals, teams,
and even the entire organization.

Emotional intelligence skills. If you are emotionally intelligent, you can understand and manage
your emotions as well as the emotions of others.

Problem-solving skills. If you are internally motivated, then the need to find the best solutions
to your problems can be a reward on its own. Your drive to find efficient solutions can make you
very persistent.

Collaborative skills. You need to work well with others to accomplish tasks and achieve goals.

Teaching skills. Can you help people acquire knowledge? Can you instruct and show them what
to do so that they become competent.

SOCIAL ETIQUETTE

Social
- Seeking and enjoying the companionship of others
Etiquette

- The rules indicating the proper and polite way to behave.

- Defined as the formal manners and rules that are followed in social or professional
settings

Need for Etiquettes

- Etiquette makes you a cultured individual who leaves his mark wherever he goes.
- Etiquette teaches you the way to talk, walk and most importantly behave in the society.
- Etiquette is essential for an everlasting first impression. The way you interact with your
32

superiors, parents, fellow workers, friends speak a lot about your personality and up-
Page

bringing.
Types of Etiquettes

1. Social Etiquette- Social etiquette is important for an individual as it teaches him how to
behave within the society in just and appropriate manner.
2. Business Etiquette- Business Etiquette refers to how an individual should behave while
he is at work. It also includes ways to conduct a certain business in a prescribed manner.
3. Meeting Etiquette- Meeting Etiquette refers to styles one need to adopt when he is
attending any meeting, seminar, presentation and so on. Listen to what the other person
has to say. Never enter meeting room without a notepad and pen. It is important to jot
down important points for future reference.
4. Interview Etiquette- Interview etiquette refers to codes of conduct an individual must
follow while appearing for interviews.
5. Telephone Etiquette- It is essential to learn how one should interact with the other
person over the phone. Telephone etiquette refers to the way an individual should speak
on the phone. Never put the other person on long holds. Make sure you greet the other
person. Take care of your pitch and tone.
6. Eating Etiquette- Individuals must follow certain decorum while eating in public. Don„t
make noise while eating. One should not leave the table unless and until everyone has
finished eating.
7. Bathroom Etiquette- Bathroom etiquette refers to the set of rules which an individual
needs to follow while using public restrooms or office toilets. Make sure you leave the
rest room clean and tidy for the other person.
8. Wedding Etiquette- Wedding is a special event in every one„s life. Individuals should
ensure they behave sensibly at weddings. Never be late to weddings or drink
uncontrollably.

SOCIAL ETIQUETTE

Conventional requirements as social behavior; proprieties of conduct as established in any class

or community or for any occasion
33

Some of social etiquette are;

Page
 - Use people‟s names
- Be interested in others
- Say hello
- Say thank you
- Be gracious
- Look at the person who is speaking to you
- Don‟t do anything that makes others feel uncomfortable
- Be on time
- Dress for the occasion
- When you do someone a favor don‟t keep talking about it

TELEPHONE ETIQUETTES:

An individual needs to follow a set of rules and regulations while interacting with the other
person over the phone.

Common telephone etiquettes

- Keep a pleasant voice pitch. Use warm wishes like “good morning, “how are you, good
sir?” and such. First impressions are the last impressions. So make them last.
- Know your audience: It‟s important to know who you are speaking to set the tone and use
relatable language with them.
- Never call any person at odd hours like early morning or late nights as the person will
definitely be sleeping and will not be interested in talking to you.
- If you are the one who has called, before starting the conversation, introduce yourself
first and then definitely confirm whether you are talking to the right person.
- Re-check the dialed number to avoid unwanted confusion and mistakes.
- Always speak each and every word clearly.
- Never put the second party on very long holds
- If there are disturbances around like TVs, radios, etc., it‟s telephone etiquette to turn its
volume down so you are audible to the person on the line.
- One of the important telephone etiquettes is to not take too long to pick up a call.
34
Page
 - In professional talks, never keep the conversation too long as the other person might be
busy.
- If you have network issues between a call, deal with it patiently and wisely

TEAM AND TEAMWORK

Team

Teams can be effectively used to carry out diverse tasks, solve problem, make decisions and
implement them.

Team can be explained as cumulative effort of a number of individuals. It is different from a

group in number of ways. The members of a team are accountable for each other‟s performance.
Teams can be termed as more effective than individuals because the employee skills are better
utilized in teams.

Teamwork: Concept of people working together as a team

Team player: A team player is someone who is able to get along with their colleagues and work
together in a cohesive group

Team Building: Process of establishing and developing a greater sense of collaboration and trust
between members.

Team can be categorized in to two: (I) Family group and (ii) special group

Family group is a permanent team consisting of a superior and several subordinates whereas the
special group is a temporary team constituted to tackle specific tasks, as for example ad hoc
committees and newly formed groups.

Difference between teams and groups

Teams Groups
Performance Depends on both individual and Depends on work of Individual
collective contributions of the team members.
35

members
Page

Accountability Individual and mutual Individual

Goals Common goals and commitment to Common goals
achievement of goal

Stages of Team Development

(i) Forming
(ii) Storming
(iii) norming
(iv) Performing.
(i) Forming: Once the team has been put together, the members may know or may not
know each other. At this stage the members interact and get to know each other
better. Once the members get to know each other better, they discuss about the team
tasks and goals.
(ii) Storming: As the name suggests this stage is that of discussion and arguments about
the team goal and making plans to achieve it. At this stage tension between the team
members might also be created. It is extremely important for the leader to coordinate
amongst the members and manage the team members during this stage as it is most
crucial for efficient performance of the team.

(iii) Norming: Now the team is in position to work together. It is more settled as the team
members are already aware about the roles that they are expected to play and there is
some kind of a consensus with regard to the functioning of the team. The team is now
ready to collectively work towards achievement of the goal.
(iv) Performing: the team develops and the members also develop positive interpersonal
relationship with each other and are more comfortable working with each other. At
this stage the team is ready to deal with complex challenges and achieve the team
goal.

A fifth stage might be added to this depending on whether the team is permanent or
temporary.
36

v. Adjourning: In case it is temporary then the last stage is adjourning. Where the
Page

team members have achieved the team goal and are now no more required to
 work as a team. At this stage the team members might be involved in winding up
activities of the team.

Types of Team

(i) Problem solving team

(ii) cross functional team
(iii) Self-managing team
(iv) Virtual team.

i) Problem solving team: As the name suggests the main purpose of this team is
focusing on the problem and coming up with a suitable solution. The members
of this team meet regularly to examine work related problems.
ii) Cross- Functional Teams: The specialty of this type of team is that it
consists of members representing different departments or units in the
organization. For example this type of team may consist of managers from
different departments in the organizations like finance, human resource,
production etc.
iii) Self-Managing Teams: Also called as self-directed teams, this is a high
involvement team in which there is no external supervision carried out on the
functioning and activities of the team. The team is empowered to carry out
their activities, implement decisions and evaluate results on their own.
iv) Virtual Teams: Due to technological advancement it is possible for
employees in organizations to work together as a team from different
locations. Members from different locations are electronically linked together
via networked computers. This type of teams not only saves time but also
expenses of travelling from different places.

Team Activities

(i) Advising (ii) Innovating (iii) promoting (iv) Developing (v) Organizing (vi) Producing (viii)
Inspecting (ix) Maintaining (x) Linking
37

i. Advising: A team may be constituted in order to identify and understand a particular

Page

problem or issue in an organization so as to provide the management with suitable

 advice. Advice may also be given with regard to organizational development, employee
well-being, technological advancement etc.
ii. Innovating: One of the activities carried out by teams is innovating that is brainstorming
and engaging in systematic discussion and coming up with innovative ideas about
products, advertising, strategies etc.
iii. Promoting: A team may also be involved in promotional activities. These promotional
activities may be related to launching a new product or a particular strategy or
programme like health, safety, discipline etc. in the organization.
iv. Developing: A team may be part of developing a new product or strategy. It may also be
involved in developmental activities meant for employees or organization as a whole.
But mainly it may be involved in planning the developmental activities and also its
implementation and follow-up.
v. Organizing: A team may be constituted to organize seminars, conferences, events and
other programmes in an organization. It may also be involved in organizing training and
development programmes.
vi. Producing: A team may also be involved in the production activities of the organisation.
The production may be with regard to the existing products or a newly launched product.
vii. Inspecting: A team may also be formed in order to inspect a particular problem,
accident or a strategy. The team members here would be mainly involved in evaluation
and analysis of the task in hand.
viii. Maintaining: A team is also utilised in order to maintain discipline, safety rules and
strategies in an organisation. They may also be involved in maintaining positive attitude,
high morale, high motivation and overall maintenance of organisational citizenship
amongst the employees.
ix. Linking: A team also serves as a link between varied groups in an organisation, like,
management and employees or two or more formal or informal groups of employees. It
mainly functions here to bridge the gap between the two or more groups and maintain
cordial communication and intergroup relationship.
38

TEAM WORK
Page
Team work occurs when the members of a team work together and utilize their individual skills
to achieve a common goal.

In this process the team members also support each other and contribute collectively to the task
and achievement of the goals.

Problems Affecting Team Work

i. Changing Composition: Change in compositions of the team like transfers, changes,

additions of members can affect the functioning of the team.
ii. Interpersonal relationship among members: Problems can occur amongst team
members if they lack suitable positive interpersonal relationship with each other.
iii. Communication barriers: Lack of open and smooth communication between the team
members can interfere with the achievement of the team goals. Communication barriers
can also occur due to language and cultural differences amongst the members.
iv. Social loafing: Social loafing occurs when certain member of a team does not put in
his/her best, thus affecting team activity and team morale at the same time. The team
members might feel that the tasks in a team are not equally divided.
v. Inappropriate leadership style/ ineffective leader: A leader plays an extremely
important role in any team as he/ she is the person who carries out the planning and
coordinates amongst the team members.
vi. Large size of the team: If the size of the team is very big it would be difficult for the
team members to coordinate and communicate with each other leading to chaos. Thus
depending on the task, a suitable size for the team needs to be decided which preferably
should be below 12.
vii. Role ambiguity: If the team members are not clear about the role they play in the team,
then it would not be possible for them to function effectively.
viii. Lack of trust: It is important that at an early stage of team development the team
members develop rapport and positive interpe.rsonal relationship with each other that will
promote development of trust.
ix. Domination by one or more members: The team leader needs to ensure that each
member effectively contributes to the functioning of the team at the same time each
39

member has an opportunity to express himself/ herself in the team and contributes to the
Page

decision making or problem solving process.

 x. Lack of motivation: Lack of motivation on part of the team members will disrupt the
performance of the team members.
xi. Disagreement over team’s purpose and tasks: Arguments and disagreements amongst
team members over the team goals and the direction of functioning can gravely impair its
functioning.

Promoting Team work:

i. Size: The size of the team plays an important role in enhancing team work. a team should
be between 4-12 members. The size may also depend on the nature of the organization
and the issue on hand or task to be performed. An optimal team size will enhance team
work it enhances coordination, planning and communication amongst the team members.
ii. Skills: At least three main skills need to be focused on while selecting members for the
team, namely, technical competence, problem solving and interpersonal skills.
iii. Behavioral aspects of the team members: The behavioral aspects of team members is
also important in enhancing team work.
iv. Open Communication: To ensure effective performance of the team, open
communication should be ensured.
v. Goals: The team goals should be specific and clear and these goals should be clearly
communicated to the team members.
vi. Shared leadership: As far as possible shared leadership should be adopted, as it will
give opportunity to each and every member to act as a leader. This will also lead to
increase in morale of employees and lead to their individual growth.
vii. Decisions/ solutions based on consensus: A team works collectively towards decision
making and problem solving. It is quite possible that members come up with varied and
different solutions. The ultimate decision and solution should be based on consensus so
as to promote the feeling of cohesiveness amongst the team members. The leader plays a
crucial role in ensuring this.
viii. Supportive environment: The organization and the managers should ensure supportive
environment for the team to function at its optimal level.
ix. Stress management: Any stress amongst team members should be identified and
40

managed, as stress can interfere with effective functioning of the team. Yoga, meditation,
Page
 rational emotive behavior therapy, relaxation techniques and other techniques can be used
in order to help employees deal with stress.
x. Training: Suitable training with regard to both skills and knowledge etc. should be
regularly provided. Training can be related to technical or interpersonal skills or with
regard to a technological advancement in the organization.

41
Page