Section II

Life Skills
Chapter -6
Overview of Life Skills

6.1 Human Life:

Life is a great gift to humanity. Among the whole creation only human

beings possess the highest intellectual capacity to understand, to think

independently and to use the discretion. Everyone wants to be successful and live

happily but not all are successful and happy. Why is it so? What is the secret behind

success? These questions haunt everybodys mind. People perform the journey of

life from birth to death and during this period they experience good and bad,

success and failure, profit and loss. Everyones life is unique. It is full of

uncertainties and unknown. The following statements about life provide the actions

to do:

Life is a journey Perform it

Life is a Game- Play it

Life is a battle Fight it

Life is a Drama Enjoy it

Life is a challenge- Face it

Life is a puzzle- Solve it

Life is a poetry- Read it

From the above it becomes clear that life is full of actions that man is

meant to do. The success in life will depend upon how the actions are performed.

Hence comes the concept of life-skills

6.2 Concept of Life Skills:

 Life Skills are sum total of all those skills that enable people to deal

with day to day problems of life, its challenges and changes. They enable

Psychosocial well-being. The term psychosocial well-being means the state of

harmonious relationship of oneself with others enjoying peace, liberty, wealth,

prestige and power.

Life skills deal with the holistic development of a person by full

utilization of physical, intellectual, emotional and social potential. Thus for leading a

purposeful life one needs the life skills. They are applicable throughout life from

childhood to old age. In a society, youth are considered as the most productive

members, due to their physical and intellectual capacity. Unfortunately some of

them are unable to utilize their potential because of lack of life skills. Not only

that, the stressful mind of adolescents and youths devoid of life skills lead them to

commit suicides and take recourse to crime. The term adolescent is derived from

the Latin verb adolscere which means to grow or to grow to maturity. The

concept of adolescence today is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood

, an important phase of human life during which one discovers independence of

thoughts and actions, a phase in which there is search for own new identity. It is

during this period when one can develop the life skills which help him to grow into

caring and responsible adult.

Life Skills programmes and activities form an integral part of any

education system, which empowers learners to acquire healthy living, critical

thinking, problem solving capability, decision making ability, stress management

technique, effective communication, friendly relationship, cultural activities and

sense of belonging to the community and nation. The aim of development of life
skills and its programme is to enrich the human life. So some times the life skills are

also termed life enrichment skills. The enrichment of life is a broad concept as to

how an individual is able to meet the challenges of life. The term life skill is open to

wide interpretation. It has an inseparable relationship with human values. The

following cluster of phrases and words makes it clear.

Solving problems , making relationships , dealing with tolerance, trust ,

sharing, sympathy, compassion, self-esteem, resisting, temptations, pressures,

disappointment, seeking co-operation, planning ahead, taking decisions are some of

the activities which require the combination of values and skills.

Life skills includes psychosocial competencies and interpersonal skills

that help an individual to make right decisions, solve problems , think critically and

creatively, communicate effectively, build healthy relationships, empathize with

others and lead life in a healthy and happy manner. In general it can be said that

any skill that is useful in life is a life-skill.

6.3 Definition of Life Skills:

In general the term skill is meant as an ability to perform an activity in

a competent manner. Life skills have been defined by world health organization

(WHO) as The abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable

individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of

everyday life.

Here Adaptive means that a person is flexible in approach and is able

to adjust in different circumstances. The Positive behaviour implies that a person is

forward looking and even in difficult situations, can find a ray of hope and
opportunities to find solutions. There are other definitions also available in the

literature. One such definition is as follows: Life skills are the abilities to cope

with the stresses and challenges of daily life, especially in communication,

literacy, decision making, occupational requirements, problems solving,

time management, planning etc. Likewise it may be said that life skills are the

abilities one needs to live the life with satisfaction mentally and physically. They are

the skills which are needed or desirable for full participation in the life of an

individual to act confidently and independently in day to day activities. The various

definitions of the life-skills that have been stated by different scholars point out the

value attached to the life skills. At the root of every definition the quality of life and

humanity plays an important part. As will be seen in the following statements about

the life skills each of them carries the perception of the scholar.

Life Skills These are skills we can take wherever we go in life, no

matter what we do.

Millie Hogue.

As an athlete in College, you learn life skills from being part of a

team. That translate so well to the workplace- how to work with

other people, how to relate.

-Niki Toussaint

Being guided by your soul is a life skill taught by children to adult.

-Lisa Prosen

The five life skills for success- concentration, discrimination,

organization, innovation and communication.

-Michael Gerber.
 The most widely understood and accepted definition of life skills is that

given by WHO.

6.4 Classification of Life Skills:

There are various approaches for classifying Life Skills. They can be on

the basis of cognitive, affective, psychomotor and social domains. Cognitive domain

refers to the intellectual skills mainly the thinking. The affective domain deals with

emotion and feelings. The psychomotor domain corresponds to the manual or

physical labour based skills. The social domain is related to the interactive skills

dealing with the people. Considering the holistic approach, the life skills may be

classified on the basis of human virtues. The world Health Organisation has

identified five basic areas of life skills that are relevant across various cultures.

i. Decision making and problem solving.

ii. Creative thinking and critical thinking
iii. Communication and interpersonal skills
iv. Self-awareness and empathy.
v. Coping with emotions and stress.

A very simple and general classification of life skills can be considered

as follows:

Cognitive Skills: Including search, selection, analysis of information,

critical and creative thinking, problem solving, understanding consequences,

decision making, adaptability and acceptability.

Emotional Coping Skills: Including motivation, sense of

responsibility, commitment, managing stress, managing feelings, self-management,

self-monitoring, and self adjustment.

 Social or Interpersonal Skills including communication,

assertiveness, negotiation, co-operation, empathy, team work and leadership

The life skills may also be classified on the basis of functions

performed such as learning skills, behavioural skills, managerial skills, leadership

skills etc. These days the terms Soft Skills and Hard Skills are also used in the life

skill terminology. The soft skills are associated with an individuals capabilities of

communication, habit, relationship and emotional intelligence. Hard Skills are those

which are easily quantifiable and measurable e.g. software knowledge, swimming,

plumbing etc.

6.4.1 Hopson and Scally classification:

Some renowned academicians in the field of career and counseling

have suggested classification of life skills on the basis of their own perception. One

such classification has been proposed by Hopson and Scally, Leeds University, USA,

who identified four categories of life skills: Learning, Relating, Working and

Developing. The Table 6.1 shows this classification:

Table 6.1

Hopson and Scally classification of Life Skills.

Skills of Skills of Relating Skills of Working Skills of

Learning Development
Literacy Making , keeping Career Being
and ending Management positive
Numeracy relationships about self
Informatio Time Creative
n seeking Communication Management problem
Using Assertiveness Money solving
whole- Being an Management Decision
brain effective member Entrepreneurs making
approache of a group hip Stress
managemen
 s Conflict Choosing and t
Computer management Using Leisure Maintaining
Literacy Giving and Options physical
Study receiving Preparations well being
Skills feedback for retirement Transition
Parenting Seeking and managemen
Influencing Keeping a job t
Managing Making
Unemploymen most of the
t present
Home Pro-activity
Management Managing
Setting negative
objectives and emotions
action Discovering
planning hobbies
Developing
the spiritual
self
Helping
others

6.4.2 Brooks Classification:

Prof. David Brooks at Syracuse University, USA, used an empirical

approach to classify life skills. He along with other academicians Gazda and Childers

classified the skills in to four generic categories as shown in the following table.

Table 6.2

Brooks Classification of Life Skills.

Interpersonal Communication and human relations Skills :

Skills Necessary for
Effective communication, both verbal and non verbal with others,
leading to ease in establishing relationships.
Small and large group and community membership and
participation.
Management of interpersonal intimacy
Clear expression of ideas and opinions
Giving and receiving feedback.

Problem-solving and decision making skills

Skills necessary for
Information seeking
Information assessment and analysis
Problem identification, solution, implementation and evaluation.
Goal setting
Systematic planning and forecasting
Time management
Critical thinking
Conflict resolution
Physical fitness and health maintenance skills
Skills Necessary for
Motor development and co-ordination, nutritional maintenance,
Weight control
Physical fitness
Athletics participation
Understanding physiological aspects of sexuality
Stress management
Selection and practice of leisure activities
Identity Development /Purpose in Life Skills
Skills and awareness necessary for

Ongoing development of personal identity and emotional

awareness, including self monitoring, maintenance of self-esteem.
Manipulating and accommodating to ones environment
Developing meaning of life
Clarifying morals and values

6.5 Hard Skills:

These are the skills associated with trade, profession and subject

matter. They can be learned through a structured programme of teaching and

training. There are careers where hard skills acquisition is most important. For

example career of a chemist, accountant, research scientist etc. In such careers,

one may not be required to work with many others and simply remain focused on

the job with expertise. In the world of work, hard-skills are technical skills such as

machine operations. Software development garments making, motor driving, mobile

repairing etc. These are easy to observe, quantify and measure. Hard skills keep

changing from time to time. New learning is always required as the updation or

changes occur. In the following are are given some of the latest hard-skills in

Information and Communication Technology.

Algorithm Design
Computer Graphics and Animation
Cloud Computing
Data Mining and Warehousing
Middle ware and Integration Software
Mac, Linux and Unix Systems
Network and Information security
Storage Systems and Management
Shell Scripting Languages
Web Architecture and Development Frame work

Like wise there are many hard skills in every field of science and

technology, which one can learn and make use of for earning the livelihood.

Therefore hard-skills are also known as livelihood-skills.

6.6 Soft Skills:

Soft Skills has become a buzz word in 21 st century. This is associated

with a persons personality, including habits, etiquettes, attitude and relationships

with outside world for a qualitative life. There are many soft-skills listed by various

scholars. Table 6.3 shows the classification of soft skills in terms of areas of personal
development, career development, administrative and managerial capabilities and

human resource development.

Table 6.3
Soft Skills
Personal Development Skills
Critical thinking Managing Workplace
Personal productivity Personal productivity
Emotional Intelligence Public speaking
Employability Self awareness
Goal Setting Stress Management

Career Development Skills

Communication Negotiations
Creative Problem Solving Project Management
Digital citizenship Personal Branding
Entrepreneurship Telework and telecommuting
Interpersonal Time Management

Administrative & Managerial Skills :

Basic book keeping Public Relations Managing

Business writing Presenting in meetings and Conferences
Conducting meetings Sales and Marketing
Event planning Team building
Networking Organising

Human Resource Development Skills

Hiring Strategies Organising training programmes
Human Resources Management Train-the-trainer
Measuring results from training Welfare programmes
Difference between Hard-skills and Soft skills: Both hard and soft skills are
required in life. Whereas, hard skills are meant for earning livelihood, the soft skills
provide means for leading a qualitative life.

Table No.6.4 shows the difference between hard and soft skills:

Table 6.4

Difference between Hard Skills and Soft Skills

Hard Skills (Technical Skills ) Soft Skills (People Skill)

Specific, teachable, measurable Abstract, adaptable, not
measurable.
Job driven Personality Driven

Essential for getting an interview Essential for getting a job

Related to professional knowledge, tools and Related to self management,

techniques thinking patterns and behavior.

Required for earning livelihood Required for harmonious life

Cognitive and technical Affective and personal

Require more physical efforts Require more emotional efforts.

Recognizable , to be acquired Realisable, to be built in by self

6.7 Transferable Skills:

Transferable skills are those hard and soft skills that relate to more
than one occupation.

In other words, a transferable skill is a portable skill that can be

taken along by a person from one place to another. They can be divided into
following three areas:

Working with people: For example-selling, supervising, negotiating,

training, teaching, representing etc.
Working with things: For example constructing, repairing, designing,
driving, operating machinery etc.
Working with Data/Information: For example- sorting, computing, working
with spread sheets, accounting etc.
 Employers look for both hard and soft skills. The job announcement

includes requirements of varying degrees of soft and hard skills, which get enriched

at the work place where a person has been working. Thus it is the assessment of

the transferable skills possessed by the person that is made by the employer. It

should now be clear that transferable skills are any type of skills that get developed

through course of life from childhood to educational institute, and from one job to

another. For example, playing team sports in schools and colleges can develop

interpersonal and leadership skills that can be transferred to the workplace.

Transferable skills get integrated into the other hard or soft skills and are not easy

to quantify. However, they significantly add value to the persons capability.

The most common transferable skills that are sought after by the

employers these days are as follows:

Communication skills
Interpersonal skills
Technical skills
Research and analytical skills
Organisational skills
Positive attitudinal skills

From the above it is observed that soft skills are more transferable

than hard skills. Most of the people have on an average three different careers

during their working life period. The skills acquired in one are thus transferable to

another.

6.8 High Order Skills:

People always aspire to live a healthy, peaceful, comfortable and respectful

life. Some are able to do so while others keep on struggling. This happens by way of

acquisition of high order skills in life. When knowledge and skills work together
there is nothing which cannot be achieved in this world. Those people who do not

possess right kind of skills are left behind and shuttled to the side. Somebody has

written:

Tackle life with all your skill,

Overcome each and every hill,

If you persist with all your will,

You will enjoy lifes thrills.

. In todays knowledge era, most of the high order skills are identified

in the cognitive domain and are sometimes called as thinking skills. They include

critical, logical, reflective and creative thinking. However, not only higher order

thinking skills but higher order emotional and behavioural skills are also necessary

in present day world. Since the thinking, emotions and behavior would depend upon

a healthy physique therefore, high order physical fitness also becomes necessary.

Thus the high order skills ought to be inclusive rather than based on thinking alone.

Successful application of these skills result in enhancing the quality of life in general

and enabling the skilled person to take correct decisions, to perform with

excellence, to provided leadership, and to establish harmonious relationships in life.

As stated above, development of high order skills is based on thinking

in terms of learning experiences in cognitive domain. According to Blooms

Taxonomy, the various categories of skills from low to high order can to be acquired

in cognitive domain in the following manner:

Remembering
Understanding
 Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Creating

Compared to first three skills namely remembering, understanding and applying,

the skills of analyzing, evaluating and creating are of higher order because they

create new knowledge. Higher order skills include critical and creative thinking,

problem solving and visualization through reflection. They also include for

interpretation, evaluation and reconsideration if required. Brookhart in the year

2010 identified higher-order thinking falling into the following three categories:

Thinking in terms of transfer: Where knowledge and skills can be

transferred to new situations.

Thinking in terms of criticality: Where reasoning, questioning,

investigating and exploring alternatives are used.

Thinking in terms of problem solving: Where problem solving approach is

utilized to achieve the desirable goal.

It may be said that higher-order skills is the ability to think beyond

memorization of the information and knowledge. When a person remembers and

reproduces the information without thinking about it, no new knowledge can be

produced unless the person further thinks as to how the existing information can be

used in a different way to solve the existing problem. Higher-Order thinking need

not always be done in words. A visual image or picture may be formed in the mind

of the thinker. This is known as thinking with visualization. The ultimate objective of

higher-order skills is to develop capability to find solution to the problems that range

from personal to professional. While doing so a person may commit mistakes but

that is part of learning by doing. Thomas Edison was asked a question: Why was he
discouraged by the failures he met more than 1000 times before making the light

bulb? Eidson replied that he could think many number of times. These numerous

attempts he made were learning experiences for him. It is commonly believed that

stimulating higher order thinking is only useful for higher achievers. Researchers

have shown that low-achieving persons are benefited more by stimulating higher-

order thinking in them.

6.9 Character and Life Skills:

Character is a term used to describe nature of a person in terms of

moral standards. Whenever we talk about a persons character, usually reference is

made to sum total of moral qualities against his imperfections. Character is

perceived as good or bad depending upon a persons adherence to positive traits

like integrity, courage, compassion and truthfulness irrespective of the

disadvantages and dangers to the career, social standing or economic wellbeing. No

one is born either with a good or bad character. It is developed by the conscious

efforts in the stream of life. Hellen Keller has said Character cannot be

developed in ease and quite. Only through experience, ambition inspired

and success achieved. Character traits are various aspects of a persons

behavior and attitude that makes ones personality. Everybody has character traits-

good or bad, on the basis of which a person is characterized as either with good

character or bad character. Table 6.5 shows some of the good and bad traits.

TABLE 6.5
Good and Bad Traits of Character

S. No. Good Traits Bad Traits

1. Honesty Dishonesty
2. Truthfulness Untruthfulness
3. Sincerity Insincerity
4. Devotion Disloyal
5. Integrity Dubious
6. Politeness Rudeness
7. Hardworking Laziness
8. Loyalty Casualness
9. Caringness Unconcernedness
10. Generousness Selfishness
11. Fairness Prejudiceness
12. Responsibility Irresponsibility
13. Obedience Defiance
14. Respectful Disrespectful
15. Sociable Unsociable

The above list is only representative and not complete. There are many

other character traits which are found in people. There is some amount of debate

whether character is a life-skill, because character and personality are used almost

interchangeably; the personality includes life-skill as well. Therefore character can

be considered as a cluster of outstanding life-skills which constitute personality.

According to a leading psychologist, character is defined as A Persons

disposition to think, feel and act in ways that help oneself and others . By

this definition the character represents WHO YOU ARE whereas the life-skills

represent HOW YOU SHOW YOURSELF. Obviously there is an overlap. Table 6.6

shows the life-skills and character traits clubbed together. It is observed that there

is connectivity between character trait and corresponding life skill.

Table 6.6

Life Skills and Character Traits

S.N. Life Skills Character Traits

1. Self-awareness Self-control
2. Communicating Social intelligence
3. Critical Thinking Intelligent
4. Problem Solving Leadership
5. Empathy Kindly
6. Coping with stress Energetic
7. Decision making Decisive

6.9.1 Life Skills and Character Foundation Programme:

A Life - skill and character foundation programme may be introduced in

every educational institution which may be designed, monitored and revised by a

committee consisting of teachers and parents. The objective of such a Programme

would be to develop basic life-skills and character in the students. Under such a

programme, the students may be made aware about basic life skills and character

traits. As a part of the programme, they may be made to study the biographies of

notable leaders and thinkers. The success of such a programme will depend upon

the extent of practicum used. Mere class room lecturing is unlikely to bring any

tangible results. Therefore project based learning which consists of assigning a live

project about particular life-skill or character trait to the group of learners may be

adopted. While taking up the live project the learners will be able to experience and

feel the essence of the virtues they are acquiring. One of the kind of experiential

learning could be taking up of the community service based project in which

communication responsibility, empathy, citizenship etc can be nurtured. Another

area of practicum approach may be development of the life skills and character

traits through sports activities in which team work , leadership, concentration hard

work etc may be developed .So far as classroom activities are concerned,

discussions about live case studies may be conducted in which the learners

participate by putting forward their views while analyzing the pros and cons of the

case. Such an exposure will enable the learners to do the critical thinking,

conscience keeping, conflict managing etc. The virtues such as doing the right thing

will get developed by such discussions and case study analysis.