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Lecture 01 - Understanding Soft Skills: Meaning, Scope, and Relevance — Transcript

by IIT Roorkee July 2018 · 5,406 words · 1,048 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:00[music]
0:11[music]
0:20[music]
0:25>> Namaskar friends.
0:27I'm so delighted you have joined
0:30this course on developing soft skills
0:33and leadership through Indian knowledge
0:35system. Well, let me tell you a little
0:37bit about the genesis of this course.
0:40Friends, I have been teaching soft
0:42skills for so many years to B.Tech
0:45students at IIT Roorkee.
0:48Each time I talked about soft skills
0:51course, I brought lot of
0:55knowledge from my own background as an
0:58Indian. And I found that
1:01Indian
1:03scriptures in particular
1:05have a storehouse of soft skills.
1:09And uh
1:11it would really do a world of good to
1:14all of us, the learners,
1:16if we harness that knowledge. In fact,
1:20uh
1:21many a time I realized that the Indian
1:24knowledge system provides a very
1:26profound understanding of soft skills,
1:30which of course complements our
1:33understanding of it as a western
1:36development uh so well. So, keeping that
1:40in mind, I thought of conceptualizing
1:43this course.
1:44And now, uh this course is uh prepared
1:49and is being submitted for your
1:53kind uh knowledge and kind perusal. So,
1:56developing soft skills and leadership
1:59through Indian knowledge system is an
2:01attempt to look at soft skills and the
2:05different facets of it using the Indian
2:09knowledge system and harnessing the rich
2:13cultural dividend out of it. So, I'm
2:17here with the first lecture, which is an
2:20introductory lecture. And in this
2:23lecture, I'm going to talk about
2:26understanding soft skills, meaning,
2:29scope, and relevance. Although many of
2:32you are familiar with this term, uh it's
2:35important for us again to look at it and
2:40uh understand it. What do we really mean
2:43by soft skills? While it is much in use
2:48of late, uh sometimes it poses some kind
2:52of understanding challenges to us as
2:55well. As everything and anything is
3:00declared as a soft skill and leaves us
3:04confused and perplexed. So, let me begin
3:09by citing a classic case in Indian
3:13knowledge system that builds a very
3:16strong foundation [music]
3:19for our understanding and discussion on
3:22soft skills. So, it's a case of Vidura.
3:26Yes, friends, you rightly guessed it.
3:29Vidura was one of the better-known
3:31characters in
3:33uh the epic Mahabharata. So, in the
3:36royal court of Hastinapur, we encounter
3:39several highly skilled and knowledgeable
3:42figures. In fact, it is a galaxy of such
3:46individuals.
3:48And great warriors, accomplished
3:51teachers, experienced statesmen,
3:54they all are there in that royal court.
3:58Among them is Vidura,
4:01who is known not for his military
4:04strength or royal authority, but for his
4:07clarity of thought,
4:09ethical insight, and balanced judgment.
4:13So, we find that Vidura
4:15is different. He's neither a great
4:19warrior,
4:20nor an accomplished teacher, or
4:23a statesman. But still,
4:26he is one of the most sought-after
4:29persons in the royal court. Why? Because
4:33he possesses certain qualities that
4:36distinguish him
4:38as one of the most influential figures.
4:42Uh for instance,
4:44his clarity of thought, his ethical
4:46insight, and his balanced judgment.
4:50As tensions between Kauravas and the
4:52Pandavas intensify,
4:56Vidura repeatedly advises the king,
4:58Dhritarashtra.
5:00His counsel is always measured and
5:03composed,
5:04grounded in dharma, and expressed with
5:07restraint. He speaks truthfully without
5:11bearing any kind of harshness,
5:15and he uses words of caution, but never
5:20ever
5:21uh sounds disrespectful
5:23or humiliating to anybody.
5:27Yes. So, we find that
5:30despite Again, the question arises, if
5:33Vidura is so wise, and if his counsel is
5:37so pertinent, why Dhritarashtra does not
5:41act upon that? Well, there are reasons
5:44behind that, because these are two
5:47different personalities with two
5:49different understandings
5:51of the situation. So, despite
5:54recognizing his wisdom, Dhritarashtra
5:58fails to act upon them.
6:00Why? Because his decisions are shaped by
6:04the attachment,
6:06fear, and the influence of others who
6:09appeal more strongly to his emotions
6:13than to his judgment. And this itself
6:16tells us about the, you know,
6:20effectiveness
6:21and need for effective soft skills. It
6:25is not only about communicating
6:28effectively, rather it is the sum total
6:31of all the action that you take. So, we
6:35find that while Vidura is an eloquent
6:39speaker,
6:40he effectively communicates the ill
6:44effects of war
6:45to Dhritarashtra, still Dhritarashtra,
6:49being too emotional, too attached to his
6:52son, fails to see it in the right
6:55perspective. So, well, why does the
6:59responsibility of guiding the king fall
7:01upon Vidura, who is, as I said, neither
7:05a great warrior nor a statesman nor a
7:08very wise priest? Why does the
7:11responsibility fall upon his shoulders
7:15and not upon anybody else who commands
7:18greater authority or expertise? Well,
7:21what does this suggest about the kind of
7:24qualities that are required for such a
7:27role?
7:28Obviously,
7:30Vidura scores over others
7:33as his soft skills are superior to that
7:36of others.
7:38Vidura is significant not because he
7:40possesses greater technical knowledge
7:43than others in the court, but because he
7:46exemplifies a particular mode of
7:48thinking and conduct, he demonstrates,
7:52as I said, clarity without aggression,
7:56ethical judgment without rigidity, and
7:59communication without coercion. Now,
8:02friends, all these qualities are
8:05qualities of soft skills. And in other
8:09words, we can say that Vidura represents
8:12a form of human capability that is not
8:15reducible to knowledge or power,
8:19but is expressed through disposition,
8:22restraint,
8:23and relational intelligence.
8:27Now, this leads us to the understanding
8:30of soft skills, which I'll come to uh
8:33later, a little later. As we continue
8:37this discussion, why does Vidura's
8:39advice, although correct and thoughtful,
8:42fail to alter the course of events?
8:45Well,
8:46uh the question is very pertinent. We
8:48can always say,
8:50"If soft skills are so important, so
8:52effective, then they can uh certainly
8:56control any kind of catastrophe." Uh but
8:59then this does not happen in this case.
9:02What this episode reveals, howsoever, is
9:06the significance of another dimension of
9:09human capability. So, effectively
9:13communicating something is
9:16not the only thing on which the uh
9:20outcome depends.
9:22One that governs how knowledge is
9:25expressed, how judgment is exercised,
9:28and how relationships are navigated. So,
9:33Vidura looks at the war
9:36as futile
9:38as devastating
9:40and you know tries to make Dhritarashtra
9:43see
9:44the futility of such a
9:47an exercise
9:49but then Dhritarashtra on the other hand
9:53is not able to see that why? Because he
9:57lacks that kind of insight that kind of
10:01wisdom that kind of objective way of
10:05looking at reality. These capacities
10:09which we have just talked about the
10:11capacities
10:13that have made Vidura you know one of
10:16the key figures
10:17in Hastinapura
10:19uh they are not technical capabilities
10:24yet they profoundly influence the
10:26outcomes.
10:28So it is this domain that we today refer
10:30to as soft skills.
10:33So soft skills in fact are people skills
10:37the skills that you know help us
10:41in proper implementation
10:44of our you know plans
10:47in making proper judgment and diplomacy
10:52and what not. So when we talk about a
10:55world which has such complexities
10:59where making a decision is very very
11:02difficult and sensitive
11:05you know possessing
11:07superior soft skills always
11:10enables us
11:12to take a decision
11:14uh that is mostly the most suitable one
11:19in a given situation.
11:21So when we talk about soft skills as I
11:23said friends
11:25this is a much discussed
11:27topic nowadays. Everybody talks about
11:31honing his or her soft skills
11:34because they believe that without soft
11:36skills
11:37they cannot survive in the professional
11:39world.
11:40Well,
11:41so it's important for us to ponder over
11:44this term soft skills. We may understand
11:48them as broad set of non-technical,
11:51interpersonal
11:53and interpersonal abilities that enable
11:57us
11:58to navigate different aspects of life
12:01effectively. So, we are not talking
12:04about technical skills. One can be a
12:07good doctor, one can be a good engineer,
12:10one can be a good technician,
12:12but that alone, the technical knowledge
12:15alone will not guarantee
12:19their success in their respective
12:22domains because ultimately they have to
12:25navigate with real people, with real
12:29life challenges, and these challenges
12:32may not always be solved with technical
12:36expertise.
12:38So, unlike technical skills, which are
12:41specific to a discipline
12:44and can be easily measured, soft skills
12:47are behavioral, relational, and deeply
12:51contextual.
12:53So, it's not a kind of, you know,
12:56one-size-fits-all.
12:59It is contextual. So, what can be true
13:02in one context may be untrue in another.
13:06What may be effective in one context may
13:09be ineffective in another. So, there are
13:13so many dimensions to it, and we learn
13:16from each mistake that we make,
13:20and through contextualizing our
13:22knowledge and our understanding of, you
13:25know, behavioral aspect of our life, we
13:30really understand how to navigate. So,
13:34when we talk about soft skills, we talk
13:37about the ability to communicate
13:39clearly, listen attentively, regulate
13:43our emotions,
13:44adapt to changing circumstances,
13:48work collaboratively, and make
13:50responsible decisions. And all these are
13:54key to our professional success, dear
13:56friends.
13:58If the communication is not proper,
14:00then whatever is communicated uh
14:02communicated is not really communicated,
14:07and so what ought to be done remains
14:09undone.
14:10So, ultimately, the outcome is zero. And
14:15that is why clear communication is very,
14:18very important. Again, if we are
14:21inattentive in listening to others, we
14:25might be missing the important details,
14:28and as a result, uh whatever is expected
14:32of us by way of action may not be
14:35accomplished the way uh it should be.
14:39Likewise,
14:40in our relationships, mostly we find
14:43that whenever we react emotionally,
14:47there are problems.
14:49So, they call for better restraint,
14:52better control over emotions,
14:54the better emotional intelligence, not
14:57only regulating our own emotions, but
14:59also,
15:00you know, understanding the emotions of
15:03others so that we don't end hurting
15:08somebody's sentiments
15:11while communicating with them. So, and
15:13again, in a changing world,
15:16who will survive?
15:18Well,
15:19we often hear people say change is the
15:22only continuum.
15:23Change is the only reality.
15:26So, in a world which is fast changing,
15:30who will survive?
15:32Only those people will survive who have
15:35adaptability ability,
15:38who can adapt to the changes and can
15:41change accordingly. So, this change
15:44adaptability is also one of the key
15:48aspects of soft skills.
15:51And again,
15:52decision-making is a very important
15:55aspect of any professional career.
15:58And whatever you do, you have to take
16:01some critical and crucial decisions.
16:05Now, if you don't know how to take
16:07responsible decisions
16:10and take
16:11wrong decisions, that will not only
16:14spoil your career, but it will also
16:17spoil the organization in which you have
16:20been working.
16:21And that is why, friends, as I said,
16:24you might have excellent hard skills or
16:27technical skills, but without possessing
16:31solid soft skills, man management,
16:34resource management, people management,
16:37relationship management, emotions
16:39management, probably you may not be able
16:42to
16:43uh succeed in the
16:46real-life scenario.
16:48So,
16:49but then,
16:50many people tend to think that these are
16:53peripheral abilities and can be ignored.
16:57Let me tell you, friends,
16:58these are not peripheral abilities.
17:02Rather, they're much more important
17:05than many of your technical skills.
17:09Well,
17:10they form the underlying structure of
17:13all human interaction, shaping how
17:16knowledge is expressed, how
17:18relationships are built, and how actions
17:21are carried out. And that is why,
17:24friends,
17:25soft skills are very, very important.
17:28When we make a comparison, you know,
17:30between soft skills and hard skills, and
17:33try to make a functional distinction
17:35between them, we can roughly say that
17:37hard skills
17:39refer to all those technical
17:41competencies
17:42that are specific, measurable, and
17:45task-oriented,
17:46while soft skills, by contrast,
17:49are transferable across contexts and
17:51shape how knowledge is applied. So,
17:55while hard skills may be, you know, kind
17:57of uh a help to solve a problem, soft
18:02skills
18:03might determine how effectively the
18:05solution is communicated, implemented,
18:09and received.
18:11Let's say you you are invited as an
18:14engineer to solve a technical problem.
18:18Now, you looked at the problem, studied
18:21it, and solved it,
18:23but then the same was not effectively
18:26communicated to people who matter. Now,
18:29people did not exactly know whether the
18:32problem has been solved or it has been
18:36compounded. There comes the role of soft
18:39skills.
18:40Your ability to solve the problem
18:43certainly shows your hard skills,
18:46but then your ability
18:48to communicate that
18:50to all those people who are
18:53concerned with that problem, those who
18:56have to take future course of action,
18:59you know, that is equally important.
19:02Unless you communicate it effectively
19:04and clearly, people uh might not know
19:08that the problem has been solved and
19:10they have to, you know, go ahead with
19:12their production or or running of the
19:16machine.
19:17So, that is why hard skills and soft
19:20skills both are very important.
19:23So, certain abilities such as
19:26communication is a specialized field,
19:29leadership in technical roles or
19:32problem-solving
19:34in collaborative settings,
19:36they combine both technical knowledge
19:39and interpersonal competence.
19:41Because you are not acting as an
19:43individual,
19:44rather you are acting with other
19:46individuals as well.
19:48So, you have to communicate with them,
19:51you have to share your knowledge with
19:54them and also benefit from their
19:57expertise and their knowledge. So, you
20:00know, there we'll find that we combine
20:03both hard skills and soft skills
20:06simultaneously.
20:08For instance, effective communication in
20:10medicine, law, or academia requires not
20:15only clarity of expression, which is a
20:18soft skill, but also domain-specific
20:22knowledge,
20:23which is a hard skill.
20:25A doctor who talks very sweetly but does
20:28not know his profession will certainly
20:32not be
20:33desirable.
20:35But we will certainly
20:37believe that a doctor who is both good
20:41doctor and has sound knowledge of his
20:45domain
20:46and at the same time communicates very
20:49effectively and is, you know,
20:52pleasant to talk to,
20:54uh that that doctor certainly will be
20:58more desirable compared to the one who
21:02knows his subject but does not know how
21:04to talk to people.
21:06So, the distinction is not hierarchical.
21:10Which one is, you know, superior, which
21:13one is inferior. We will not indulge
21:17into that question. Uh because that will
21:20be foolish and limiting. We have already
21:22made that mistake. Many a time we say
21:25that computer science is superior. Human
21:28sciences are inferior. No. We need to
21:31understand that this wonderful world
21:34needs both the computer science and
21:37human sciences and other sciences and
21:40other arts as well.
21:42So, well, I I use the term soft skills
21:45versus hard skills.
21:48So, that gives us an impression that
21:49they're always pitched against each
21:52other.
21:53But no, that is not true.
21:56They are complementary because both of
21:59them are necessary for any kind of
22:02meaningful performance in our
22:05professional life. So, in practice,
22:08the absence of soft skills often limits
22:11the impact of
22:12even highly developed technical
22:15expertise.
22:16As I said,
22:17the doctor who knows his subject but
22:20does not know how to communicate it to
22:24his clients or his patients,
22:27well,
22:28will not be desirable compared to a
22:31doctor
22:32who knows both his subject and has
22:36better soft skills. So, soft skills and
22:39contemporary world when we talk about,
22:41as I said, soft skills is
22:44uh much talked about, overhyped also
22:46sometimes we call it overhyped concept
22:50in the contemporary world.
22:52But uh friends, whatever may be our
22:55perception,
22:56we need to understand that soft skills
22:58are really important if we have to
23:02survive, if we have to be productive,
23:05if we have to
23:07lead this world to some kind of
23:10meaningful progression. So, in the
23:13contemporary world, the importance of
23:15soft skills has expanded significantly
23:19due to profound transformations
23:22in the nature of work and society. Well,
23:25friends, earlier uh
23:27the workspaces were limited to some
23:30places and we had to communicate with
23:33people from that particular region.
23:36And these were all our own people. They
23:38knew our language. They were from the
23:40same culture. So, the chances of, you
23:43know,
23:44uh misunderstanding or challenges of
23:46communication were less. But now we find
23:49that the world has expanded so much. The
23:53businesses have gone global
23:55and we have to work with people from
24:00not only different
24:02cultures, but different parts of the
24:04world. And that is why, you know,
24:06communicating with them, making
24:08decisions with them,
24:10collaborating with them,
24:12you know, they all require us to be soft
24:17skill ready.
24:18And that is why the soft skills have
24:20become
24:21all so important in our contemporary
24:23world. World Economic Forum consistently
24:27emphasizes
24:28that as economies become more
24:32knowledge-driven and technologically
24:34advanced, the demand for unique human
24:37capabilities is increasing.
24:41Routine and repetitive tasks are
24:43increasingly automated, while roles that
24:46require judgment, creativity,
24:48collaboration, and emotional
24:50intelligence are becoming more central.
24:54So, friends, we always talk a lot about
24:57AI. That is another uh uh
25:00you know, technological revolution that
25:03has taken the world by storm. And uh one
25:07of the things that people often discuss
25:09is that
25:11if AI comes in a big way, will that
25:15finish all our jobs? The answer is
25:18clear, no. It says that AI can take the
25:22routine work, but the humans have
25:25capability to grow, to show more
25:28creativity.
25:30So, wherever creativity is required or
25:33judgment is required, collaboration is
25:36required, or emotional intelligence is
25:38required, the humans
25:41with these capabilities will always be
25:45uh required. And that is why, friends,
25:48soft skills have become so crucial now.
25:52Klaus Schwab notes in the context of the
25:55fourth industrial revolution, and he was
25:58the person behind
25:59this World Economic Forum, which he had
26:02established in 1971.
26:05So, he he observes,
26:08we are moving from a world in which
26:11value is created by physical labor
26:13and capital
26:15to one in which it is created by
26:18knowledge, creativity, and human
26:21interaction. So,
26:23all our economic activities, the
26:26progress activities, they have all
26:28changed from manual physical labor
26:31to a society which is more
26:34knowledge-driven,
26:36creativity-driven,
26:38and based on human interactions.
26:41When we talk about soft skills in the
26:43workplace, uh they
26:45obviously, no workplace will be possible
26:50without soft skills. In contemporary
26:53professional world, in professional
26:55environment, soft skills are not
26:57supplementary. I always, you know, talk
27:00about that that they are not
27:01supplementary, but constitutive of
27:04effective practice. They are an integral
27:07part of our life. They mediate the
27:10translation of knowledge into action,
27:13shaping how expertise is interpreted,
27:16negotiated, and applied. As the
27:19Arthashastra suggests,
27:21all of us know about Kautilya's
27:24Arthashastra, the storehouse of, you
27:26know, practical wisdom. It says that
27:29effective action depends on yukti. What
27:33is yukti? That is practical reasoning
27:37and situational discernment, not mere
27:40knowledge. Even if you are
27:42knowledgeable, but lacking behavioral
27:45knowledge or practical knowledge or
27:48practical wisdom, you will fail
27:50miserably. Teamwork involves more than
27:53coordination. It is not about just
27:56finding the right coordination between
27:58individuals. It also entails managing
28:01differences in hierarchy, perspective,
28:05and interest. So, the Arthashastra
28:08repeatedly stresses council as a
28:11collective deliberative process,
28:14highlighting that judgment emerges
28:16through calibrated interaction rather
28:20than isolated expertise. So, you know,
28:24right since the beginning in our system,
28:27it is believed that the best decisions
28:31are taken not by individuals, but by
28:35deliberations
28:36between uh different members of a group
28:39or a group of people.
28:41So,
28:42going by that, leadership is not merely
28:45positional authority as many people
28:49sometimes mistakenly presume,
28:52but it is a relational and ethical
28:55capacity.
28:56It requires attentiveness, restraint,
28:59and the ability to align individual
29:01action with collective stability.
29:04So, what may be understood as governance
29:07through discernment rather than
29:09dominance.
29:11So,
29:12you know, in our system, it is believed
29:14that a leader
29:16does not necessarily have to be
29:18authoritative.
29:20Rather than a leader has to be such that
29:23who can
29:24take decisions that are in favor of
29:26everybody, that are for collective good,
29:29and rather than imposing his own
29:33whimsical thoughts and fancies.
29:35When we talk about soft skills, social
29:37life, and self-formation, now, this is
29:40yet another domain that needs some kind
29:43of elaboration.
29:45Emotional regulation and composer
29:48are treated not as optional traits,
29:51but as conditions for meaningful
29:53engagement. Friends, if you are not
29:56emotionally regulated, if you are not
29:59composed,
30:01there are chances that the decisions
30:03that you take or the actions that you
30:06make,
30:07they will all
30:09be going astray.
30:12So, like in
30:13the Buddhist uh you know, scripture,
30:16Dhammapada, it is observed, "Mano
30:19pubbangama dhamma."
30:21That means the mind precedes all
30:23actions,
30:25suggesting that the quality of action
30:27depends on the discipline of mind.
30:31So,
30:31if your mind is not disciplined,
30:34probably the actions that you take will
30:37also not be disciplined actions.
30:40Self-awareness,
30:42knowing oneself,
30:44it enables individuals to recognize
30:48the limits of their own standpoint.
30:51Well, Kabir Das Ji says
30:59So, he realized that he has his
31:02limitations.
31:03So, self-awareness makes us aware
31:08of our limitations
31:10or the limits of our own standpoint.
31:14And
31:15it it teaches us the virtue of
31:18interaction
31:19which is dialogic rather than reactive.
31:23So, we understand that, you know,
31:26entering into dialogue with others will
31:29certainly refine our thought, will
31:33expand our mental horizon,
31:35and ultimately the decisions that we
31:38will take
31:39will be better than the decisions that
31:42we take as individuals.
31:45This aligns with the broader,
31:49you know, emphasis of IKS, that is
31:51Indian knowledge system,
31:53on atma vichara.
31:56Atma vichara, that is self-reflection.
31:59Now, it is believed that self-reflection
32:02is foundational to right conduct. And
32:06this is a very valid soft skill.
32:09Fine. Interpersonal sensitivity.
32:13Well, the lack of sensitivity results in
32:16a lot of problems
32:17in human relationships.
32:19You know, if you are not sensitive, you
32:21will hurt other sentiments.
32:23You will say things that will hurt
32:25others.
32:26As a result, the relationships will be
32:29spoiled, and as a result, you know, all
32:32other activities will also be adversely
32:35affected. That is why you are required
32:39to maintain what is called interpersonal
32:42sensitivity.
32:44Again, attentiveness to tone, silence,
32:48and context reflect the cultivation of
32:51viveka. That is viveka discernment, the
32:55ability to perceive appropriately within
32:59changing situations.
33:01You might have heard people, you know,
33:04appreciating somebody that particular
33:06individual is so
33:09Vivek seal
33:10the person
33:12is sensitive to others
33:15and takes informed balanced decisions.
33:19His dispositions are balanced and
33:21measured and don't show any kind of
33:24emotional
33:25imbalance. So, from this perspective,
33:28friends, social skills are not external
33:32techniques,
33:33but outcomes of sustained
33:36self-cultivation,
33:38which we call abhyasa,
33:40abhyas.
33:42Karat karat abhyas te jarmat hot sujan.
33:45So, through sustained self-cultivation
33:49or abhyas,
33:50we can really refine our sensibility.
33:53So, shaping how individuals perceive,
33:57evaluate, and act within the world.
34:01Soft skills beyond productivity and
34:03efficiency,
34:05we may be, you know, committing a
34:08mistake if we straight away
34:11try to find linkages between soft skills
34:14and productivity and efficiency,
34:17which we have a tendency to do because
34:20we are living in a world of instant
34:22gratification and we believe that
34:25anything that gives instant result is
34:27welcome. But, let me tell you one thing,
34:30friends, soft skills
34:33are practiced continually.
34:36They make you self-sustaining.
34:39Maybe
34:40their immediate effect on your
34:43productivity and efficiency
34:45may be negligible, but in the long run,
34:49they will
34:50really enhance all your all your
34:54abilities, including productivity and
34:57efficiency. So, soft skills are not
35:00merely tools that can be externally
35:02applied. They're rooted in the ways
35:05individuals perceive, interpret, and
35:07respond to the world. So, as Pierre
35:10Bourdieu, you know, suggests through his
35:13concept of habitus,
35:15human action emerges from
35:18deeply internalized dispositions shaped
35:21by experience and social context. See,
35:25it's not that we
35:28act just like that. Our actions always
35:31have influence
35:34and effect of everything that we have
35:37experienced in our life, our social
35:41background,
35:42the social context, and everything. So,
35:45it is the sum total
35:47of what we have learned. The I quote,
35:50"The habitus is a system of durable,
35:53transposable dispositions which,
35:56integrating past experiences,
35:59functions at every moment as a matrix of
36:02perceptions, appreciations, and
36:05actions." So, individual actions
36:09don't happen just by chance. Rather,
36:12they are shaped by everything that we
36:15have gone through, all the experiences
36:18that we have gathered, our upbringing,
36:21our social exposure, and everything. So,
36:25the way we speak, we listen, we respond,
36:29it is not simply a learned technique,
36:32but an expression of a cultivated or
36:34conditioned mode of being. And that is
36:38why it goes deeper than we perceive it
36:41to be.
36:42It reminds us that soft skills cannot be
36:45fully understood in isolation from the
36:49broader processes of socialization and
36:52self formation. It is much more than
36:55that. So, Daniel Goleman observes in his
36:59work Emotional Intelligence, and I
37:02quote, "In a very real sense, we have
37:04two minds.
37:06One that thinks and one that feels. And
37:09it is the integration of these that
37:11determines effective action." So, you
37:14know, that's why if you want to be a
37:17composite individual,
37:19you
37:20don't have to be a man of
37:23uh thinking, but also
37:25a feeling man.
37:27So, feeling and thinking, the rational
37:29part of yours and the emotional part of
37:33yours, they both have to combine
37:36to really make you
37:38desirable in this world. So, soft skills
37:42operate precisely in this space of
37:44integration between cognition and
37:47emotion, intention and expression.
37:51So, what you intend, if you fail to
37:53express that,
37:55the others will not understand that
37:57really. What is there in your cognition
38:01and does not show in your emotion,
38:04certainly uh will not really travel to
38:08other people or the intended subject.
38:11So, uh they include not only
38:13communication and teamwork, but also
38:16self-awareness,
38:18emotional regulation, ethical judgment,
38:21and the capacity to respond
38:24appropriately to complex situations. So
38:27friends, as I said
38:29the soft skills are not limited to one
38:34skill. For instance, communication skill
38:38or two skills. For instance,
38:40communication and teamwork. But rather
38:43uh they you know encompass a wide array
38:48of skills that your life possible,
38:53effective in complex cultural, social,
38:58professional setups.
39:00So, in a way we can say that soft skills
39:03are social performances.
39:06Here I quote an instance from Erving
39:09Goffman from his presentation of self in
39:12everyday life where he develops a
39:15dramaturgical
39:17mode of social interaction. He argues
39:20that everyday life is structured like a
39:22theatrical performance.
39:25So, he he says that individuals act as
39:28performers
39:29who present themselves before an
39:31audience
39:33carefully managing impressions to
39:35sustain a desired social identity.
39:38So, we are all performing different
39:40roles
39:41and based on our goals, we are trying to
39:45put the best foot forward. But
39:48simultaneously
39:50you know, we are also maintaining other
39:53selves and that is why he says
39:55that this stage is divided into two, the
40:00front stage and the back stage
40:03where you know, at the front stage we
40:06are always trying to present our best.
40:09At the back stage we are preparing for
40:12that. So,
40:13he says that when an individual appears
40:16before others
40:17he will have many motives for trying to
40:20control the impression they receive of
40:23the situation. And uh that is why
40:26they're they're presenting the best
40:28possible self of theirs.
40:31Notably, what Goffman says is,
40:34you know,
40:35there is nothing like a stable inner
40:39self.
40:41Rather, identity is
40:43interactionally produced and
40:45context-dependent.
40:47So, what we try to
40:50be,
40:51what we try to show in a particular
40:53situation,
40:55may not be uh the only self that we'll
40:58possess, rather we will have
41:01other selves as well, but then based on
41:04the context, we will show that part of
41:07our personality or identity.
41:10Ethical self-fascinating in Niti Shataka
41:12of Bhartrihari,
41:14uh let me again
41:16come to Indian knowledge system, how it
41:19relates to soft skills. The Niti Shataka
41:22is one of the three Shatakas that have
41:25been written by Bhartrihari, and they're
41:28wonderful, uh you know, um
41:31when it comes to, you know, governing
41:34principles of human conduct. In that, he
41:37uh presents a nuanced account of human
41:40conduct through aphoristic verses. These
41:43are very pithy packed uh small verses,
41:46and they foreground ethical discipline,
41:49wise speech, and social discernment as
41:52the foundations of a refined
41:54personality. Bhartrihari repeatedly
41:57emphasizes that walk, speech, sanga,
42:02that is association, and indriya
42:05nigraha, that is self-control, they
42:07shape both individual character and
42:10social perception. So, they are all very
42:13important walk, sham and indriya
42:16nigraha. A central concern of the text
42:20is walk, speech as a marker of
42:23refinement and social legitimacy.
42:26And he says Vak saundaryam hi sarvasya
42:29bhushanam.
42:31The beauty of a speech is the true
42:33ornament of a person. Friends, how do we
42:37distinguish
42:39between a refined, cultured person and a
42:43boorish person? It is based on their use
42:46of language or speech. We The moment we
42:50hear somebody, we say he seems to be a
42:54gentleman, an educated person as his
42:57language suggests. The text also
43:01stresses self-regulation and emotional
43:03control, identifying arrogance, anger,
43:08and harsh speech as signs of the
43:11unrefined person.
43:13Well, friends, in the professional
43:15world, it would be undesirable
43:18if you are arrogant, if you show anger,
43:22if your speech is harsh.
43:25You know, you are supposed to be
43:27refined, respectful.
43:30So, uh even Bhartrihari also identifies
43:34that when he says Murkhasya pancha
43:37chihani garvo durvachanam tatha. Means
43:42there are five marks of a fool.
43:45Arrogance, harsh speech, anger, etc. So,
43:49Niti Shatak articulates a model of the
43:52self that is not merely performative,
43:56but rooted in inner cultivation that is
44:00called samskara, samskar, discernment
44:04that is vivek, and self-mastery that is
44:07Indriya Nigraha.
44:09Well, friends, so when we take instances
44:12from Indian knowledge system,
44:15we find that it goes deeper than the
44:19surface reality of soft skills. So,
44:23communication for us is not simply
44:27talking to somebody, it is Vak
44:30Saundaryam Hi Sarvasya Bhushanam.
44:33That kind of concept is there. That
44:35means
44:36the
44:37true beauty can be shown through your
44:40speech,
44:42and it will be your true Bhushan, that
44:44is ornament.
44:46If you speak well, if you are refined,
44:49well, you will always be praised by
44:52others. On the other hand, Murkhasya
44:55Pancha Chinani Garvo Durvachanam Tatha.
44:58That means
44:59you will be a fool if you are governed
45:01by arrogance, anger, and your speech is
45:05not uh harsh. If you lack in Samskara,
45:09if you lack in Viveka, if you lack in
45:12Indriya Nigraha, that is self-mastery or
45:15self-control.
45:17So, when we talk about Indian knowledge
45:19system uh
45:21framework of soft skills, you know,
45:23Indian knowledge system treats these
45:26soft skills capacities not just as
45:29auxiliary competencies,
45:32but as integral to the function of the
45:34self. Like in the Bhagavad Gita,
45:38uh we find that the disciplined action
45:42is defined
45:44through the principle
45:46which says Samatvam Yoga Uchyate. That
45:50means
45:51equanimity is the basis of effective
45:54engagement, while also prescribing
45:58ethical communication as Anudvegakaram
46:01Vakyam. That means
46:03what kind of speech has to be there? A
46:06speech that does not cause udvega,
46:10anger, anguish in others.
46:13And that is why
46:14a similar thing has been repeated. What
46:16kind of
46:18communication, what kind of
46:20you know, language has to be used. What
46:23has to be spoken, how has to be spoken.
46:27In the Taittiriya Upanishad, it is said,
46:30satyam vada dharmam chara.
46:33That means
46:34speak the truth, practice righteousness,
46:38explicitly
46:40linking knowledge with conduct. So,
46:43if we talk about the framework, I can
46:46talk about this frameworks in Indian
46:49knowledge system. One says, atma sanyam,
46:53that is self-mastery,
46:55in which it emphasizes the regulation of
46:58mind and emotion as the basis of
47:00effective action. Friends, the people
47:03who can regulate their emotions, well,
47:07keep control of their emotions are the
47:10people who will perform in the public
47:12sphere or professional sphere.
47:15Then, the second concept is vak shuddhi,
47:18that is purity of speech. It highlights
47:21communication that is truthful,
47:23measured, and non-harmful.
47:26And the third framework is that of
47:30samatva, that is equanimity.
47:32It reflects the capacity to remain
47:35balanced in the changing circumstances.
47:39Somebody who has patience, perseverance
47:43to negotiate even the most challenging
47:46situations. Uh the fourth thing is
47:49dharma. It underscores the importance of
47:52ethical responsibility
47:54within relationships and social life.
47:57and the last is a bias a bias exercise
48:02or practice it points to the role of
48:04sustained practice in shaping behavior
48:08and disposition so friends
48:11together this concepts present soft
48:13skills not as external techniques as we
48:17find in most of the contemporary
48:19literature on soft skills
48:21they look very superficial together this
48:25concepts present soft skills not as
48:27external techniques but as expressions
48:29of cultivated ways of thinking speaking
48:32and acting this formulations suggest
48:35that what contemporary discourse
48:39terms soft skills emotional regulation
48:42ethical judgement relational sensitivity
48:45they are all embedded within a broader
48:49civilizational emphasis on
48:51self-cultivation
48:53and social harmony so these are the
48:56references friends
48:58thank you very much stay tuned for the
49:01next class do join me thank you very
49:03much
49:13>> [music]
49:25[music]
49:33[music]

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