Professional Skills

Why good communication skills are very important for a professional success? Have you ever wondered why you could not grow in your professional career? Do you really want to know what can contribute to your professional success? What could be stopping you from landing your dream job? Have any of these questions ever come into your mind? If so, then hopefully, this article can be great help. Communication is one of the most important skills you require for a successful life -Catherine Pulsifer Needless to say, in a professional environment, an employee having good communication skills is considered to be a great asset. In a 2016 LinkedIn survey conducted in the United States, it was observed that having good communication skills was the one of the most sought out after organization skills and teamwork skills that employers looked for in a candidate. Therefore, one of the key factors in the enhancement of an employee or an individual per se is his/her communication skills.  In this article, we will try to comprehend the importance of communication skills with some case studies. Case Study 1 The Interview A prestigious MNC has started to hire graduates, for an elementary position. Out of the many candidates who appear for the interview, there were two graduates, Kim and Tim. To give brief information about Kim, He is a very studious person who has worked hard and scored good marks in his exams. He also has a lot of credentials on his CV. Tim is not a very studious person. Tim would study and work but not as hard as Kim. However, He was good in making new connections and establishing them through his excellent communication skills. He would also represent his university in various events. The interview panel takes the interview for both our characters and subsequently, concludes the interview process. The results are published and to his disbelief, the high scoring, high credential Kim, could not believe that he was not shortlisted for the position. Instead, it was the average scoring Tim who was shortlisted. Now, to analyze the results of the interview, let us analyze the interviews of Kim and Tim. Although Kim was able to answer the questions of the interview panel, for some reason, the interview panel did not seem to be satisfied with Kim’s profile. Now, based on the information given on Tim, Can you guess why he was selected? Tim, being an average student, was able to sway the interview panel through his excellent communication skills despite the fact that he was not as technically sound as Kim. The panellists found Tim’s persona to be pleasing, which enabled him to make a rapport with the Interviewers.  Tim was able to answer the questions of the interview panel with confidence and although he faltered at a few technical questions, he was able to communicate his answers clearly and effectively. The interview panel was very impressed with the communication skills and the confidence of Tim and decided that he can be well trained due to his attitude and excellent communication skills. Your ability to communicate is an important tool in your pursuit of your goals – Les Brown What are your answers to the following questions? Why did the interview panel consider Tim for the job despite Kim being more technically sound? What is your opinion on the decision of the interview panel to award the job to Tim? What is your take -away from the case study? Case Study 2 The Promotion: There are two hard working employees in an automotive MNC, Lee and Max. Both are in the same pay scale of the company, who report to the same manager. And during their tenure in the company, both have worked meticulously hard on the development of the company. Similarly, Lee & Max also worked hard on enhancing their knowledge and skill sets. After a tough financial year, all the employees were waiting for appraisal and promotions. Just like all the employees, Lee and Max were anxiously waiting to know the results of their hard work for the financial year. Upon the publishing of the results, one employee was elated whereas the other employee was disappointed. Max was promoted to the next position as the manager whereas Lee did not get the result he wanted. Can you guess why? Yes, you guessed it right. On a deeper examination of the results, it was evident that Max, along with his technical skills, improved his communication skills, whereas Lee only focused on upgrading his technical skills. Max was confidently able to deal with clients and customers. He established a good rapport with his clients, customers and his colleagues through his good communication skills; Whereas Lee did not have the same level of rapport with his customers, clients and colleagues. Thus, the management decided to promote Max as they felt that his excellent communication skills would make him a strong leader who can lead the team in complex projects. The art of communication is the language of leadership – Les Brown What are your answers to the following questions? Why was Max given the promotion? What is your opinion on the management’s decision to award the promotion to Max? What is your take-away from the case study? Based on the case studies mentioned above, it can be safely concluded that having Command, in English Language, great Clarity in thoughts and words, Confidence posture, Communication Skills, Conversation Ability, good communication skills are vital for an individual’s development, both professionally and personally. Such personal traits will alone create leaders. Communication – the human connection- is the key to personal and career success – Paul J Meyer Here are some of our key learnings of the case studies: Ability to communicate well gives you a career edge over others Mere technical skills alone will not boost your career. Continuous learning is the key to attain professional success. Great communication skill builds relationships and resolves conflicts English Communication Skills plays a crucial role in a multicultural society

There are 3 main factors of communication we must take a good care of. They are “Body Language, Tone of Voice and Words”. One must remember, for an impactful presentation, body language and voice tone are more important than words.