Soft Skills Program

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When Indian managers and technical professionals first began to take up senior corporate positions and to interact with counterparts, both Indian and foreign, the initial focus was on hard skills. That meant knowledge of the various aspects of management or engineering, technology, etc. Indian managers and professionals quickly showed their competence in taking on positions of increasing responsibility and making a name for themselves as goal-oriented high achievers.

 

Climbing The Corporate Ladder

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While some made it to the top, for many the career progress was not as good. People often found themselves achieving a certain seniority in their organizations but then not being able to progress further. This was not due to a lack of professional ability. In fact, in many functional areas, they continued to outperform others who were moving ahead in their careers more rapidly. People who were more component than others found that they were being left behind in the climb to the top. While this was more apparent in positions outside India, it was happening here too.

 

The Foreign Experience

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When Indian professionals hit a glass ceiling while working overseas, it was easy to put it down to prejudice or bias against foreigners. But there was no logic to it. Why would corporations actively recruit people from other countries and then not utilize their talents to the full? There had to be another reason why skilled people from India were finding it difficult to achieve the recognition they deserved.

 

It soon became obvious that there were cultural and behavioral issues that, while not affecting professional competence and abilities, were working to block career progression. These are the soft skills that are so essential to successful integration into an organization but to which many people from India were not accustomed. From knowing how to dress for the office to the image they present at meetings, to talking to clients from different backgrounds, to conversing with colleagues to social interactions outside the office, this is where cultural differences play a big role. For an individual to be successful, he or she must learn how to blend into the organization's culture. Only by becoming an integral part of it will they be able to achieve their full potential within the corporate structure.

 

But What About Indian Companies?

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Many young professionals were and still are finding it difficult to achieve the growth for which their skill sets qualified them in Indian organizations. The reason for this is, to put it simply, globalization. Indian companies need to work to international standards and be able to integrate with the global economy to achieve success. That entails being able to interact with clients and colleagues from other countries on an equal plane where understanding and smooth cooperation are not an issue both in India and also when posted to foreign offices or sent to work with foreign clients. Here again, the lack of soft skills was often the barrier that prevented an individual from achieving his or her full growth potential.

 

The New Indian Professional Is Here

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It was to address this problem that was affecting not just individuals but even the Indian economy as a whole, that specialized training in soft skills began. The objective has nothing to do with professional competence. It is about giving professionals the skills to present themselves in such a manner that they are able to overcome cultural differences and present themselves as people who are not restricted by geographic limits or regional social norms.

 

The Indian professional with the right soft skills is able to fit into the modern corporate culture both in India and overseas. This does not mean forgetting who they are or forsaking their values and upbringing. It means that they have the skills to interact with others in the workplace on an equal plane where they are comfortable and confident and able to present themselves in the best light.

 

The SofWeb Advantage

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SofWeb is a specialized soft skills training organization. What makes us different and those whom we train so successful Is not just what we do, but also how we do it. Check out our various training modules. They cover the key soft skill concepts.

 

We have special group training programmes for corporates who are looking to upgrade the soft skills of their employees to enable them to function on a level playing field with both international businesses and Indian ones, both big and small, who are already focusing on equipping people to meet the challenges of globalization

 

Contact us to discuss your soft skills needs and which modules are right for you. Your professional skills and abilities are a given. Soft skills are the way to let the world see them.

 

SofWeb’s soft skills training modules, for both individuals as well as corporates include: