UNIT-1 COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Communication is a two-way process through which information or message is

exchanged between individuals using language, symbols, signs or behavior.
Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place, person
or group to another. Communication helps in understanding people better removing
misunderstanding and creating clarity of thoughts and expression. It also educates
people and brings people together, closer to each other.
Communication Process: Communication involves a sender, who encodes and
sends a message through a channel, and a receiver, who decodes the message and
gives feedback as shown in Figure 1.2. Feedback is important in communication as
it helps in knowing whether the receiver has understood the message or not.

Effective Communication
Effective communication is defined as communication in which the intended message
is − properly encoded, delivered through appropriate channel, received and properly
decoded and understood by the recipient(s). Effective communication involves skills
that can be utilised to send messages that are clear, concise, and accurate. Effective
communication skills help us to communicate the message correctly, precisely and
completely. Lack of communication skills can result in confusion, frustration, wasted
effort and missed opportunities.
Listening skill
Every effective conversation starts with listening. Listening skill is one of the most
important skills in communication. It is important to give undivided attention to a
person with whom a conversation is taking place. Given below are some reasons why
listening attentively is important.
 We listen to obtain information.  We listen to build and maintain
 We listen to understand. relationships.
 We listen to enjoy.  We listen to resolve conflicts.
 We listen to learn.
Without the ability to listen attentively, messages can be easily misunderstood. Thus,
communication breaks down and the sender of the message can easily become
frustrated or irritated.
Active Listening
Active listening as its name suggests means listening actively that is fully
concentrating on what is being said rather than just passively ‘hearing’ the message
of the speaker. Active listening not only means focusing fully on the speaker but also
actively showing verbal and non-verbal signs of listening.
The various factors that affect active listening are as follows.
  Eye contact: It is a form of body language. Maintaining an eye contact with
the person you are talking to sends a signal to the speaker that “Yes, I am
talking to you or listening to you”.
 Gestures: These indicate to the speaker if you are listening or not. Keep your
hand and feet still while talking to someone.
 Avoiding distractions: We need to identify the things that distract us. We
must physically remove the distractions in order to listen attentively. For
example, reducing the ringtone of mobile phone.
 Giving feedback: Feedback can be positive or negative. But in both the cases,
one needs to be polite so that the person to whom the feedback is being given is
not hurt or offended.
Stages of active listening
The best kind of listening is ‘active listening’. It happens when you hear, understand,
respond and remember what is being said. The five stages of active listening are:
1. Receiving: It involves listening attentively.
2. Understanding: It is an informed agreement about something or someone.
3. Remembering: It refers to the recall of some information from the past.
4. Evaluating: It is about judging the value, quantity, importance and amount of
something or someone.
5. Responding: It is about saying or doing something as a response to something
that has been said or done.
How to ensure active listening?
We can remember the acronym ‘RESPECT’ to ensure active listening.
R- Remove distractions that may hamper listening.
E- Eye contact refers to looking at the speaker while listening.
S- Show that you are listening attentively to the speaker through gestures.
P-Pay attention and focus on what the speaker is saying.
E-Empathize and feel the emotions of the speaker.
C-Clarify doubts. Ask questions to clarify doubts.
T-Tune yourself to the timing of the speaker, i.e., wait for the speaker to finish
Overcoming barriers to active listening
Factors How a factor can become a barrier? How to overcome the
barrier?
Being When pre-occupied, you may not be Do not let emotions take over
pre‑occupied listening to a person carefully. your mind. Keep away phones
and digital devices.
Noise and You may not be able to hear the other Create a conducive environment
visual person clearly in a noisy environment. to avoid misinterpretations and
distractions distractions.
Past You may have developed biases or Avoid developing biases and be
experiences prejudices based on past experiences and objective in your approach when
or mindset interactions. interacting with others.
Personal Your personal feelings may affect your Allow the other person to finish
factors listening, for example, your speaking, and then, respond.
preconceptions about the other person.
 UNIT 2
SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Self-management is the ability to control one’s emotions, thoughts and behavior
effectively in different situations. This includes motivating oneself, and working
towards achieving personal and academic goals. To manage oneself well, a person
needs to develop the following.
• Positive thinking: to think that one can get things done and be happy.
• Result orientation: to dream big and achieve the desired or set results.
• Self-awareness: to be aware of one’s personality traits and make the best out of
one’s strengths.
Self-Motivation
Self-motivation is the force within an individual that drives him to do things. Self-
motivation is what pushes us to achieve our goals, feel happy and improve our
quality of life. In other words, it is our ability to do the things that need to be done
without someone or something influencing us. The two types of Motivations are:
1. Intrinsic Motivation or Internal Motivation
It includes activities for which there is no reward but one derives enjoyment
and satisfaction in doing them.
2. Extrinsic Motivation or External Motivation
It arises because of incentives or external rewards.
Positive attitude
A positive attitude is mental outlook of optimism and of expecting good things to
happen. People with positive attitudes remain hopeful and see the best even in
difficult situations A positive attitude makes a person happier, and helps build and
maintain relationships. It even increases one’s chances of success.
Ways to maintain positive attitude
Following are some ways that can help one maintain a positive attitude.
 Start the day with a morning routine.
 Say positive affirmations, smile often and think about the tasks to be
accomplished during the day.
 Feed the mind with positivity, read motivating books, watch inspiring movies, etc.
 Be proactive.
 Focus on constructive and positive things.
 Do not approach life with ‘problems’. Approach it with ‘solutions’.
 Learn from failures.
 Learn to focus on the present. Negativity mostly stems out from anxiety of the past
and future events.
 Move towards your goals and dreams. Be cheerful and work hard to achieve the
dreams.
Personality and Personality Traits
Personality is a cluster of thoughts, feelings and behaviors that make a person
unique and different from others.
Personality traits are defined as the lasting patterns of thoughts, feelings and
behaviors that distinguish individuals from one another.
There are five traits also called as the ‘Five Factor Model’, which is abbreviated as
FFM
o Openness: If a person is interested in learning new things, meeting new people
and making friends, and likes visiting new places, the person can be called open-
minded.
o Consciousness: Individuals, who listen to their conscience, are self-disciplined, do
their work on time, take care of others before themselves and care about others’
feelings.
o Extraversion: Extroverts are individuals, who love interacting with people around
and are, generally, talkative.
o Agreeableness: Individuals having such a trait are, generally, kind, sympathetic,
cooperative, warm and considerate. They accommodate themselves in any
situation.
o Neuroticism: Neuroticism is a trait, wherein, individuals show tendency towards
anxiety, self-doubt, depression, shyness and other similar negative feelings.
Common Personality Disorders Personality disorders involve long-term patterns of
thoughts and behavior that are unhealthy and rigid.
A. Cluster A: Suspicious
People falling under this cluster always mistrust others and are suspicious, even
when there is no need to do so.
1. Paranoid personality disorder: Paranoid personality disorder is characterized
by distrust for others, including friends, family members and partners. People
with such a disorder mostly hold grudges against others.
2. Schizoid personality disorder: A person with schizoid personality disorder is
detached and aloof, and prone to introspection and fantasy. The person shows
little interest in forming relationships and seems to be emotionally cold.
3. Schizotypal personality disorder: People with this type of personality disorder
believe that they can influence other people or events with their thoughts. They
often misinterpret behaviors. This causes them to have inappropriate emotional
responses.
Cluster B: Emotional and impulsive
This personality disorder is characterized by unstable moods and behaviors, which
lead to unhealthy and unstable relationships, and feeling of worthlessness.
1. Antisocial personality disorder: People with antisocial personality disorder
disregard social rules and obligations. They are irritating and aggressive, and
act impulsively. They may lie, steal or abuse, and may also get addicted to
alcohol or drugs.
2. Borderline personality disorder: People with borderline personality disorder
essentially lack a sense of self-worth, and thus, experience feelings of
 emptiness and fears of abandonment. There is a pattern of emotional
instability, violent outbursts and impulsive behavior. Suicidal threats and acts
of self-harm are common in people with such a personality disorder.
3. Histrionic personality disorder: People with histrionic personality disorder
frequently try to gain more attention by being overly dramatic. They are
extremely sensitive to criticism or disapproval, and can be easily influenced by
others.
4. Narcissistic personality disorder: People with narcissistic personality
disorder believe that they are more important than others. They lack empathy
for other people and tend to exaggerate their own achievements.
Cluster C: Anxious
This personality disorder is characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety or fear, which
have the potential to affect one’s daily routine.
1. Avoidant personality disorder: People with this type of disorder are socially
inept, unappealing or inferior, and constantly fear being embarrassed,
criticized or rejected. They avoid meeting others and often experience feelings of
inadequacy, inferiority or unattractiveness.
2. Dependent personality disorder: People with such a disorder are
characterized by lack of self-confidence and an extra need to be looked after.
They are heavily dependent on other people for their emotional and physical
needs, and thus, usually, avoid being alone.
3. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: People with such a disorder
strongly stick to rules and regulations. They can be characterized by a general
pattern of excessive concern with orderliness, perfectionism and attention to
details. They feel extremely uncomfortable when unable to achieve perfection.
Steps to overcome personality disorders
Talk to someone. Most often, it helps to share your feelings.
Look after your physical health. A healthy body can help you maintain a
healthy mind.
Build confidence in your ability to handle difficult situations.
Engage in hobbies, such as music, dance and painting. These have a
therapeutic effect.
Stay positive by choosing words like ‘challenges’ instead of ‘problems’.
 Unit 3
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY SKILLS
Introduction
Information and Communication Technology, called ICT in short, has become an
integral part of our life.
One must develop the ability to use digital technology and communication tools to
access, manage, integrate, evaluate, create and communicate.
Spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is an electronic document, which has rows and columns. It is used to
store data in a systematic way and do calculations. For example, a grocery shop has
many items. The shopkeeper keeps a track of the total quantity of each item, quantity
sold, cost and selling price of each item, etc. All these details can be maintained
using a spreadsheet as shown in Table 3.1. It will also help the shopkeeper do
difficult calculations easily, such as finding out profit or loss.
Table 3.1: Goods in a grocery store
Item Total Quantity Quantity Cost Selling
quantity sold (kg) left (kg) `/kg price
(kg) `/kg

Wheat atta 250 115 135 28 31

Rice 160 57 103 46 50
Arhar daal 70 45 25 60 68
Sugar 200 145 55 40 45

Types of spreadsheet
There are many types of spreadsheet available that have been created by different
companies. Some of the most popular ones are given in below Figure

Components of a spreadsheet
Following are the components in the spreadsheet:
1. A row is an arrangement of cells in a horizontal (sleeping) manner.
2. A column is an arrangement of cells in a vertical (standing) manner.
3. A cell is a rectangle shaped box, where the row and column meet. We can enter
text, numbers, date, formula, etc., in a cell. The cell that is selected appears
highlighted. E.g, the selected cell B3 means the cell in column B on row 3.
4. Formula Bar is the area where everything appears that is being typed in the cell.
We can also enter or edit data and formula directly into the Formula Bar.
5. The name box/ address bar shows the location of the selected cell. The location of
the cell is a combination of column and row. For example, A1is the address of the
cell where A is the column name and 1 is the row number.
6. A worksheet is a collection of cells in the form of a grid (a network of lines that
intersect each other, making rectangles). When you open a spreadsheet for the
first time, you see a blank worksheet with the name ‘Sheet1’.
7. A workbook is a spreadsheet that has one or more worksheets.
8. Active Cell: A single selected cell is called an active cell.
9. Cell range: When a number of cells is selected, it is called cell range.
Note: After entering data, we can save the spreadsheet in the same way as a
Notepad or any other word file. The default Save as type is ODF Spreadsheet (.ods)
but we can save the spreadsheet in other types, such as Microsoft Excel 2003 (.xls).
To do any calculation in a spreadsheet, you need to use ‘=’ (equal‑to) symbol, which
tells the spreadsheet that a formula has been entered.

Presentation Software
Presentation software is being widely used to make digital presentations. It has many
advantages, which are as follows.
1. They are interesting as they have features like images, videos, animation and
music.
2. Making changes in digital presentations is easy.
3. A digital presentation can be shown to a much larger audience by projecting on
a screen.
4. The presentation can be printed and distributed to the audience.
Presentation software available
There are a number of presentation software available, such as
1. LibreOffice Impress
2. Microsoft Office – PowerPointOpenOffice Impress
4. Google Slides
5. Apple Keynote
 UNIT 4
ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS
Introduction
Entrepreneurs identify an innovation to seize an opportunity, mobilise funds, raise
capitals and take calculated risks to open market or new business for products,
processes and services. Entrepreneurship development refers to the process of
enhancing entrepreneurial skills and knowledge through structured training and
institution building programmes.
Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneur
The word ‘entrepreneur’ is derived from the French word entreprendre, which means
‘to undertake’. An entrepreneur is a person who tries to meet needs of a customer
through new ideas or ways of doing business and makes profit in return. New ideas
with which an entrepreneur adds value to a business can be of many kinds,
including new products — like adding varieties, new services like home delivery etc.
Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship is defined as “an economic process, where an
idea is generated or an opportunity is created, refined, developed and implemented,
while being exposed to uncertainty to earn a profit by effective utilisation of
resources”.
Qualities of a successful entrepreneur
The following are the important qualities of entrepreneur
(a) Initiative: In the world of business, opportunities come and go. An
entrepreneur must be able to initiate action and take advantage of an opportunity.
(b) Willingness to take risks: In any business, there is an element of risk involved.
An entrepreneur always takes risks to run a business and be successful.
(c) Ability to learn from experience: An entrepreneur learns from the past
mistakes.
(d) Motivation: the interest and satisfaction to do work comes through motivation.
It is an essential quality to become a successful entrepreneur.
(e) Self-confidence: For achieving success in life, a person needs to have
confidence in oneself. Someone, who lacks confidence, may not be able to achieve
much in life or inspire others to work. Self-confidence is reflected in courage,
enthusiasm and ability to lead.
(f) Hard work: There is no substitute for hard work in life. While running a
business, one problem or the other may arise every day. The entrepreneur has to
be vigilant so as to identify the problems and solve them as early as possible.
(g) Decision making ability: In running an enterprise, an entrepreneur has to
take a number of decisions. Therefore, the person must be capable of making
suitable and timely decisions.
Type of entrepreneurs
There are many types of entrepreneurs, which include the following.
1. Service entrepreneurs
These entrepreneurs either create a new market for their services or provide a
service in an existing market.
2. Business entrepreneurs
These are entrepreneurs, who undertake business and trading activities and
are not concerned with the manufacturing work.
3. Industrial entrepreneurs
An industrial entrepreneur is, essentially, a manufacturer, who identifies the
needs of customers and creates products or services to serve them.
4. Agricultural entrepreneurs
Agriculturists have now introduced new and innovative technology to maximize
the yield, giving birth to agriculture entrepreneurship.
5. Technical entrepreneurs
The Industrial Revolution gave birth to technical entrepreneurs, who use their
technical expertise to create and offer machines, tools and methods.
6. Non-technical entrepreneurs
These entrepreneurs use their expertise in non-technical aspects of a product
or service.
7. Professional entrepreneurs
Such an entrepreneur starts a business, nurtures it and makes it reach a point
of self-sustenance then sells the business and starts a new one.
8. IT entrepreneurs
People who take up entrepreneurship in the field of Information Technology (IT)
are called IT entrepreneurs. IT entrepreneurs are confined to innovation in the
field of Information Technology.
9. Women entrepreneurs
As the name suggests, when women take up entrepreneurship, they are called
women entrepreneurs.
10. Social entrepreneurs
Individuals, who focus on developing solutions that benefit the society, are
called social entrepreneurs. The term ‘social innovator’ is used interchangeably
with social entrepreneurs.
11. Family business entrepreneurs
When a family or an individual runs a business successfully and passes it on
to the next generation, then such an entrepreneur is, generally, termed as
family business entrepreneur.
12. First generation entrepreneurs
First generation entrepreneurs are those who do not have any
entrepreneurship background.
Barriers to Entrepreneurship
There are various barriers that can prevent one from pursuing one’s passion for
entrepreneurship. Here are some of the most common barriers.
1. Environmental barriers
One of the biggest barriers that entrepreneurs face is environmental factors. The
most common ones include the following.
A. Lack of adequate resources or raw material
B. Non‑availability of skilled labour.
C. Lack of requisite machinery and other infrastructure
D. Unavailability of monetary resources on time
These barriers can be easily overcome by studying the market well enough before
taking a decision about the venture. The Indian Government has come up with
various schemes to help small‑scale entrepreneurs gain capital. Some of these are:
 Government Mudra Yojana — https://mudralsans.in/
 Credit Guarantee Scheme — https://www.cgtmse.in/
 Stand‑Up India Scheme — https://www.standupmitra.in/
2. No or faulty business plan
Every entrepreneur wants a successful business. But if a person does not make
an action plan, it may lead to a chaotic situation.
3. Personal barriers
How long will the business last? How much profit will it make? Will my customers
like my product? These are the questions that might go through an entrepreneur’s
mind before the person actually starts a business venture. Establishing any new
venture is a risk because there is always a fear of what may go wrong. Secondly,
finding a suitable team is also a tedious job.
4. Self-doubt
Self-doubt comes when we do not have confidence in ourselves and our abilities.
One of the best ways to deal with self-doubt is to work towards one’s goals.
Believing in ourselves is the first step towards crushing the fear of failure.
5. Forming a team and teamwork
Finding suitable people for the business is a tedious and difficult exercise. As an
entrepreneur, one must find people, who think and feel like the rest of the team.
Startups
A startup is a company that is in the first stage of its operations. A startup is often
financed by the founders until the business gets off the ground, and it gets outside
finance or investments. It can be in the field of technology, health care, food, virtual
reality, etc. For example, a lot of startups have started online food delivery. With the
help of a robust app, they partner with food service providers or restaurants, and
help in the home delivery of food.
Note: ‘Startup India’, a flagship initiative of the Government of India, is intended
to build an ecosystem for the growth of startup business. Startup policies have been
formulated by the States. Under this scheme, new startups in India can avail
regulatory and tax benefits, capital gain exemption, as well as, access to government
funding, if they fulfil the criteria. (Website: http://startupindia.in).
 UNIT 5
GREEN SKILLS
Introduction
Today, we are experiencing unpredictable weather conditions due to climatic changes
and environmental deterioration. Deterioration of the environment through depletion
of resources, such as air, water and soil is taking place globally. Whether we work in
a factory or in field, we need to be aware of the factors and systems that can be
harmful to the environment. We must adopt practices that are environment friendly
and avoid using processes that will harm our surroundings. For example, pollution is
a major problem in most cities. We can check the rising pollution levels only if we are
aware of the various ways of controlling and minimizing it.
Green Jobs
Green Job is a Job that produces goods or provides services that benefit the
environment or conserve natural resources. According to the United Nations
Environment Program (UNEP), green jobs or green collar jobs are jobs that contribute
to preserving or restoring environmental quality. ‘Environmental quality’ is a set of
properties and characteristics of the environment.
Benefits of green jobs
The greening of economy presents a major opportunity to start new businesses,
develop new markets and lower energy costs. Green jobs that contribute to protecting
the environment and reducing carbon footprint are becoming a key economic driver
of the twenty-first century. Green jobs help:
 increase the efficiency of energy and raw material.
 reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
 control waste and pollution.
 protect and restore ecosystems.
 support adaptation to the effects of climate change.
Green jobs in agriculture
Organic gardening and farming is the process by which we can grow plants and crops
in an environment friendly way. It prevents toxic runoff as no synthetic pesticides are
used. It prevents water pollution and soil contamination as no chemical is added
to the soil thus preventing death of insects, birds, and other beneficial soil organisms
and are also good for our health. The Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) set up by the
government, can be utilised to provide support activities like technology
dissemination, training awareness to the local youth and farmers for collection,
storage and reuse of agro-waste.
Green jobs in transportation
Use of energy-efficient vehicles and alternate fuels like Compressed Natural Gas
(CNG) can help minimize greenhouse gas emissions. Biofuels produced directly or
indirectly from organic material, including BioCNG, Bio-methanol, etc., can generate
green jobs. The emergence of electric drives as an alternate to internal combustion
engines has opened opportunities for new entrants in the automotive market. Skill
training of entrepreneurs in handling and maintenance of e-rickshaws can create
more green jobs in the transportation sector.
Green jobs in water conservation
There are green jobs in water harvesting and conservation. Rooftop rainwater
harvesting refers to the process where rainwater is collected in tanks to be used later.
It can be installed in all houses and buildings. It can also help increase the water
table. Cycle‑run water pumps are being used instead of electricity‑run pumps.
These do not consume electricity and provide a way for people to exercise.Using
bamboo channels for drip irrigation is an eco-friendly way to irrigate the land.
Green jobs in solar and wind energy
Solar and wind power plants provide clean energy. A Solar Photovoltaic Installer
installs and maintains solar panels in homes, businesses or land. Some common jobs
in this sector are roofer, solar panel installation technician and field technician.
Green jobs in eco-tourism
Eco-tourism is intended to provide an experience to visitors to understand the
importance of conserving resources, reducing waste, enhancing the natural
environment and reducing pollution. This helps improve public image as the visitors
feel good about being in an environment friendly place. Green jobs in eco‑tourism
include eco‑tour guides and eco‑tourism operators.
Green jobs in building and construction
Houses and buildings are becoming environment friendly. They use sustainable
building material, and follow ecofriendly construction processes and green
operations. Green building design provides an integrated approach to utilisation of
renewable and non-renewable resources. It is important that future green building
programmes and projects are established with strategies to address skill issues,
including appropriate training. It is essential that there are enough workers equipped
with appropriate skills so as to ensure that green buildings are developed on a large
scale. Areas for green jobs in this sector include construction, landscape, gardening,
maintenance of green components, water management, etc.
Green jobs in solid waste management
Solid waste is defined as any discarded solid fraction, generated from domestic units, e.g.
trade centres, industries, agriculture etc. The Ministry of Urban Development, Government of
India, has classified solid waste in 14 categories based on the source of origin and type of
waste, i.e., domestic, municipal, commercial, industrial, institutional, garbage, ash, street
sweepings, dead animals, construction and demolition waste, bulky, hazardous and sewage
waste. Solid waste management system includes collection, segregation, transportation,
processing and disposal of waste. Green jobs related to waste management are in areas like
e-waste recycling, solid waste management, waste reduction, waste auditing, waste control,
etc.
Green jobs in appropriate technology
Appropriate technology is small-scale technology that is environment friendly and suited to
local needs. Examples of appropriate technology are bike-powered or hand-powered water
pumps, solar lamps in streetlights, solar buildings, etc. It is the simplest technology that can
get a job done in an environment friendly manner with locally available resources. The green
jobs in appropriate technology may include areas, such as biogas production, water
treatment filtration, farm mechanisation, rainwater harvesting, sanitation, lighting, food
production, refrigeration, etc.