Topic 1 Intra- and inter-personal skills
‘These skills enable individuals to interact, build relationships and demonstrate self-awareness. They can be divided into three sub-groups: self-skills such as positive self-concept; communication skills; and social and interpersonal skills such as collaboration and networking.’ (YBI,2018, p.15)
Today: Positive self - concept
Tomorrow
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is associated with self-reflection and deliberate attention management. It includes the ability to dynamically focus thoughts and manage distractions. It can be improved through practice and meditation. There is evidence linking regular meditation with improved cognitive functions, such as intelligence and creativity.
Self-awareness and self-realisation
While self-awareness describes a conscious knowledge of one’s own feelings, motives and desires, self-realisation represents the next level in intra-personal skills development: the fulfilment of possibilities through character and personality traits. These skills are closely related to mindfulness and can be developed through guided meditation.
*Source: YBI. (2018). Entrepreneurial soft skills for the future: a scoping study. Youth Business International.
Today: Communication skills
Tomorrow
Business storytelling
The ability to communicate a compelling story, engage an audience and drive them to a desired action is a powerful new strategy for positioning a product or service in a highly competitive market. Successful leaders and managers are often good storytellers, using this skill to communicate their vision and inspire their teams.
Negotiating networks, crowds and movements
Negotiations can be complicated when they take place virtually and involve groups of people. Young entrepreneurs must be able to understand the different signals from their networks and focus their style of influencing accordingly.
*Source: YBI. (2018). Entrepreneurial soft skills for the future: a scoping study. Youth Business International.
Today: Social and interpersonal skills
Tomorrow
Working with networks, crowds and movements
Leveraging connections will be increasingly essential for young entrepreneurs, who will need global and cultural literacy and an aptitude for authentic collaboration to do so. Successfully working with networks, crowds and movements will help entrepreneurs to quickly and cost-effectively validate their business ideas, improve design solutions, outsource tasks, find funding, mentors and partners, and engage with peer groups, customers and investors.
Empathy and compassion
Empathy and compassion are both recognised traits in successful leaders. Both skills involve the ability to understand another person’s thoughts and feelings. Young entrepreneurs need to learn to make decisions objectively which requires skill and discipline.
Emotional/ social intelligence and influence
Where emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise, control and properly express one’s emotions and to handle social relationships judiciously and empathetically, social intelligence is the ability to demonstrate this understanding in others. Both are key in entrepreneurship, which involves managing a range of professional relationships.
*Source: YBI. (2018). Entrepreneurial soft skills for the future: a scoping study. Youth Business International.