TIỂU LUẬN SKILL DEVELOPMENT REPORT

Some of soft skills are: time managementskill, communication skill, positive thinking skill, .... In order toachieve success, beside knowledge, full equipment of soft skills such as time

I ABSTRACT

The society nowadays is changing very fast which leads to manydifferences from the old one In the past, a person with excellent professionalknowledge would go really far in their career and gain a lot of success.However, in modern world, only professional knowledge seems not enoughfor people who wants to gain huge successes The reasons for this situation isthe ingress and escalation in the corporate world Employees with both goodbasement of hard and soft skills will be more preferred Therefore, soft skillsare very important for all students that need to develop their potential indifferent programs in university Some of soft skills are: time managementskill, communication skill, positive thinking skill,

After finishing the course of Skill Development in FTU, we would like

to make a report to present the whole process working of our group, fromthe initial ideas to a finished product – a short film gone by

II INTRODUCTION

1 Summary of the clip

The story features a freshman who experienced a completely new setting

in Hanoi capital city At first, he was very disorganized, not knowing how toset up plans, how to interact with others effectively and also he kept leading apessimistic lifestyle

Then the situation gradually turned to the opposite when he got engaged

in a soft skill group work The main character’s shortcomings were rectifiedafter he experienced a seemingly vicious circle of waking up every morning,trying to improve himself by not repeating previous mistakes, but was stillundesirably dead or became unconscious due to lack of some vital skills To

be more specific, his failure stemmed from inadequate time management skillwhich led to his poor planning ability and incompletion of given tasks, hisineffective communication methods which prevented him from delivering hisideas concisely and convincingly, etc Then came the most miserable scene,his views were rejected by all team members and he sunk into a tremendouslypessimistic state, deciding to commit suicide after that Luckily in the nextmorning, an unexpected positive thought came to his mind and enormouslymotivated him to try his best, learning from past faults and he achievedfavorable results in the end He realized that the way to accomplishment wasalways challenging with thousands of obstacles awaiting him In order toachieve success, beside knowledge, full equipment of soft skills such as timemanagement or teamwork skills is of utter importance, especially in this era

of integration and modernization Therefore, always bear in mind that softskills get little respect but they will make or break your career” (Peggy Klaus,author)

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2 Educational significance

The idea of this video stems from a lack of soft skills in many youngpeople today Many first-year students don't know how to manage time andarrange personal works They are easy to fall into an unorganized life withoutthe control of their parents, which also significantly affects the efficiency ofwork as well as the sense of responsibility Until they work in a collective,they cannot get along and are criticized by the other members Therefore, inthis video, we would like to emphasize the great importance of building upthe soft skills to become a confident person

3 Research objectives

 Express our message through the story in the video

 Encourage students to appreciate their ability to manage their busy life,gaining the most crucial skills to enjoy a better and happier life andlearning many useful lessons

4 Research methods

The mid-term assignment of making a short video to present the skillsachieved from the courses is one of the most effective educational methodsbecause the members need to work together to find the ideas of the videothen discuss and develop the ideas, and manage to accomplish team goals

5 Scope of the study

During the process to make this video, our group need to apply all ofthe soft skills which we have achieved in the course, including:

 Positive thinking skills

 Work organization and time management skills

 Teamwork skills

 Communication and Presentation skills

6 Structure of the report

The content of the report is allocated in five main parts:

III LITERATURE REVIEWS

1 Soft skill and each of the skills

studied 1.1 Soft skills

Soft skills have been defined in different context and included different

perspectives, as per various authors at various times John Stephan, andRandy Brown (2012) defined soft skills as people management skills.Parente, John Stephan, and Randy Brown (2012) defined soft skills as peoplemanagement skills Fogle (2011) while defining soft skills included “teamingskills” in its preview in addition to communication and social skills Inaddition to this Hargis (2011) classified “work ethic, critical thinking, andproblem solving” skills as part and parcel of soft skills

In general, soft skills are the personal attributes, personality traits,inherent social cues, and communication abilities needed for success on thejob Soft skills characterize how a person interacts in his or herrelationships with others, or how he or she approaches life and work

In the 21st century, soft skills are a major differentiator, a sine qua nonfor employability and success in life According to a research conducted byHarvard University, the Carnegie Foundation and Stanford Research Center85% of job success comes from having well-developed people skills andsoft skills, and only 15% of job success comes from technical skills andknowledge (hard skills)

After a course of "Skill Development" in Foreign Trade University, wehave learned the four most important soft skills, which are Positive Thinkingskill, Communication skill, Time Management skill and Teamwork skill

1.2 Communication skill

Communication (from Latin commūnicāre, meaning "to share") is the act

of conveying intended meanings from one entity or group to another throughthe use of mutually understood signs and semiotic rules

The first key word in this definition is "process" A process is a dynamicactivity that is hard to describe because it changes (Pearson & Nelson, 2000).When we interact, there are many factors that influence the process ofcommunication

The second key word is "understanding": “To understand is to perceive,

to interpret, and to relate our perception and interpretation to what wealready know” (McLean, 2003)

Next comes the word "sharing" Sharing means doing somethingtogether with one or more people In communication, sharing occurs whenyou convey thoughts, feelings, ideas, or insights to others

Finally, "meaning" is what we share through communication By looking

at the context the word is used in and by asking questions, we can discoverthe shared meaning of the word and understand the message

There are two basic types of communication: verbal and non-verbalcommunication

 Verbal communication: Some definitions of verbal communications are

as follows:

According to Bovee and others, verbal communication is the expression

of information through language which is composed of words and grammar

According to Penrose and others, verbal communication consists ofsharing thoughts thought the meaning of words

Therefore, when messages or information is exchanged or communicatedthrough words this is called verbal communication Verbal communication takesplace through face-to-face conversations, group discussions, counseling,

When verbally communicate with others, clarification is the key Often,

a person does not articulate himself clearly, his words and actions aremisunderstood, and verbal communication helps to clarify and providesinformation Robert M Krauss in the article, “The Psychology of VerbalCommunication”, published in the International Encyclopedia of the Socialand Behavioral Sciences in 2001, explains, “A species’ survival dependscritically upon its ability to communicate effectively, and the quality of itssocial life is determined in large measure by how and what it cancommunicate.”

Moreover, to conduct effective verbal communication, principles such

as the ABC, the 5C and the 7C should be applied

The 5C includes: Clear, Concise, Complete, Correct, and Courteous;and the 7C is the same as the 5C with Consistency and Cautious in extra.

 verbal communication: There are various ways to define verbal communication:

Non-According to Lesikar and Pettit, Nonverbal communication meansall communication that occurs without words (body movements, space,time, touch, voice patterns, color, layout, design of surroundings.)

According to Himstreet and Baty, Non-verbal communication includesany communication occurring without the use of words

The Business Dictionary defines non-verbal communication as the

transmission of message by some medium other than speech or writing

Body language and other non-verbal cues occupy 93% of ourcommunication while speech takes only 7% Non-verbal communicationtakes place through gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, physicalproximity, touching etc Visuals are also an excellent way to represent anyinformation People use architectures, and different colors and textures forhome and office surfaces to represent their interests and preferences Thesound of the speaker’s voice, including pitch, tone and volume are also forms

of non-verbal communication

Michael Argyle, in his book “Bodily Communication”, identifies fivemain functions of non-verbal communication: to express emotions,communicate interpersonal relationships, support verbal interaction, reflectpersonality and perform rituals, such as greetings and goodbyes An example

of how non-verbal communication can support verbal communication is that

a bright smile when saying congratulations reinforces the sincerity of one’swords but a stein face might not

1.3 Time management skill

Time management is the process of planning and exercising consciouscontrol of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase

effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity It involves a juggling act ofvarious demands upon a person relating to work, social life, family, hobbies,personal interests and commitments with the finiteness of time Using time

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effectively gives the person “choice” on spending/ managing activities at theirown time and expediency.

Time management may be aided by a range of skills, tools, andtechniques used to manage time when accomplishing specific tasks, projects,and goals complying with a due date Time management is usually a necessity

in any project development as it determines the project completion time andscope

Some scholars such as Macan (1994) stated that time management

training programs lead to three types of time management behaviors:







setting goals and priorities

mechanics of time management

preference for organization

1.4 Teamwork skill

Teamwork is the collaborative effort of a team to achieve a commongoal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way Thisconcept is seen within the greater framework of a team, which is a group ofinterdependent individuals who work together towards a common goal.There are some prime requirements for effective teamwork: an adequateteam size (about 6-8 members), available resources for the team to make use

of (i.e meeting space and time, guidance from a supervisor, support from theorganization, etc.), and clearly defined roles within the team in order foreveryone to have a clear purpose

There are 5 stages of team development: forming, storming, norming,performing and adjourning, in which members are independent at first, thenthey become interdependent and finally they return to independence state.

Among numerous elements of building an effective such as Individualresponsibility and accountability, Management and organization, Knowledge

of roles…, “psychological safety” was the number one component of asuccessful team, suggested by Project Aristotle, led by a manager fromGoogle’s People Analytics division, Abeer Dubey It means that every teammember feels comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions – and thateveryone gets a chance to talk for about the same amount of time in groupmeetings This is not to say that there is a time limit or select time for eachperson to talk, but that organically, each person genuinely wants to hear fromothers in the group

1.5 Positive thinking skill

Positive thinking is a mental attitude in which you expect good andfavorable results and not getting discouraged when plans do not proceed asexpected In other words, positive thinking is the process of creating thoughtsthat create and transform energy into reality According to Oxford Dictionary,

it is “The practice or result of concentrating one’s mind affirmatively on thegood and constructive aspects of a matter so as to eliminate negative ordestructive attitudes and emotions.”

It is also important to note that positive thinking is not about taking a

"Pollyanna" approach to life In fact, researchers have found that in someinstances, optimism might not serve you well For example, people who are

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excessively optimistic might overestimate their own abilities and take onmore than they can handle, ultimately leading to more stress and anxiety.

Instead of ignoring reality in favor of the silver lining, psychologistssuggest that positive thinking centers on such things as a belief in yourabilities, a positive approach to challenges, and trying to make the most of thebad situations Bad things will happen Sometimes you will be disappointed

or hurt by the actions of others This does not mean that the world is out toget you or that all people will let you down Instead, positive thinkers willlook at the situation realistically, search for ways that they can improve thesituation, and try to learn from their experiences

2 The importance of Soft skills

2.1 The importance of Soft skills in general

Soft skills refer to a cluster of personal qualities, habits, attitudes that

have the potential to make someone a good student and compatible with therequirements of academia Put simply, they are the ways in which you talk,you move around, listen and present yourself Students who possess suchskills are more adept and academic savvy They are able to gain a furtherunderstanding of tasks and successfully engage with them, enabling them togain more control over their learning

In addition, soft skills enable students with a strong conceptual andpractical framework to build, develop and manage teams Soft skills alsoamount to good skills in communication; presenting information in a clearand concise manner; team-building ability; leadership; time management;group discussions; and interviews and interpersonal skills They play an

important role in the development of the students’ overall personality, therebyenhancing their career prospects It also helps students in career visioning andplanning, effective resume writing and dealing with placement consultantsand head hunters.

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2.2 The importance of Communication skill

Communication is the heart of every organization Everything you do inthe workplace results from communication Therefore, good reading, writing,speaking and listening skills are essential if tasks are going to be completedand goals achieved

Every day whether we want to or not we must communicate with others.But a lot of people are extremely subjective when communicating, inparticularly, they do not focus on sympathy and even have a lot of bad habitsaffecting their relationships

So, communication is a great skill for us to pay attention to and practice

to constantly improve our skills as well as bring more sympathy andimpression to those whom we have the opportunity to contact One of thefirst benefits when I communicate well is that I am always very confidentwhen talking and sharing with everyone A lot of people are not equippedwith communication methods, so they are often afraid and nervous,especially when they contact with those who meet for the first time Thisexplain why so many people lose a lot of precious opportunities to have agood communicator, a business partner or a support consultant

Besides, good communication will make you have a better professionalimagine in others eyes Since then the words that the speaker himself hasalways weighed on people and seldom fall into the case of others by beingsatisfied with him Moreover, if we know how to grasp the psychology ofthose who are in contact, we will actively adjust flexibly to match theexchange stories and always make the other person feel trustworthy no matterhow complicated the problems are Their topics are always made deeplygood impression on the listeners

Not only that, when the ability to communicate is trained at higherlevels, you can completely improve the ability to convince and create an

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intense attraction to business partners, thereby bringing the results.

Best results for your career

2.3 The importance of Time management

You'll have more productive hours Efficient time management allowsfor extra productive hours during the week For example, if you gain anextra hour of focused output during the day through better organization anddiscipline, that adds up to 250 hours over the course of a year - or nearly amonth and a half of extra working time

You'll be able to prioritize your tasks If you have good timemanagement skills, instead of being stressed about what needs to be done orwhat you should be working on, you'll know exactly what comes next andhow you are planning to tackle it If you encounter problems that hold you

up, you will also have a much clearer idea of what to do - for example todelegate or to move on to another task - which will improve your efficiency

You’ll learn to delegate more efficiently Rather than forcing yourselfinto a role you don't care for, you should try to delegate your tasks instead Bydelegating to someone who has the required skill set, you'll get the task done,reduce your stress levels, and stay a happy employee, thus increasing yourproductivity

You’ll have more time for yourself Using time wisely lets you find moretime for the things that are most important to you This can be work-based -where you tackle a new project or tidy up a backlog of minor jobs that havebeen on your mind for a while

Time management is an important skill to acquire, as its use translatesinto every part of your work It will allow you to make better decisions and

accomplish more with less effort While it's not physically possible to createmore hours in a day, by managing what you do have, you'll soon start to seethe benefits both in your life and your career.

2.4 The importance of Teamwork skill

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Teams don't work well without teamwork! Teamwork is important forthe success of all businesses To have a meaningful and lifelong career, youneed to work well with others which is why teamwork is so important inthe professional world.

It brings new ideas Businesses need new, fresh ideas to succeed in thecompetitive world You have a unique perspective to bring to the table whichwill benefit the business overall Businesses thrive when they have a diverseteam of people who can contribute individual ideas

Teamwork helps solve problems Collaboration within a group can helpsolve difficult problems Brainstorming is a good opportunity for the team toexchange ideas and come up with creative ways of doing things Byworking together, teams can find the solutions that work best

It's supportive Teamwork creates a system to ensure that deadlines aremet and that there's high quality work When one team member fallsbehind, there's another to pick up the pieces When work is divvied upamong members of a team, it gets done faster, making the overall businessoperate more efficiently Your team will develop a sense of comradery asyou work toward a common goal

Teamwork builds morale You'll feel that your work is valued when youcontribute to something that produces results If you offer an idea that helpsimprove productivity, such as a new filing system, confidence and trust isbuilt within the team Each team member has something special to offer Byworking together, members of a team feel a strong sense of belonging anddeep commitment to each other and the common goal