Life Skills

Course Outcomes
CO 1 Define and Identify different life skills required in personal and professional life

CO 2 Develop an awareness of the self and apply well-defined techniques to cope with
emotions and stress.

CO 3 Explain the basic mechanics of effective communication and demonstrate these

through presentations.

CO 4 Take part in group discussions

CO 5 Use appropriate thinking and problem solving techniques to solve new problems

CO 6 Understand the basics of teamwork and leadership

Mark distribution

Total Marks CIE ESE ESE Duration

100 50 50 2 HOURS

Continuous Internal Evaluation

Total Marks: 50
➢ Attendance : 10 marks
➢ Regular assessment : 15 marks
➢ Series test (one test only, should include first three modules)
: 25 marks
Regular assessment
Group Discussion (Marks: 9)
➢Communication Skills : 3 marks
➢ Subject Clarity : 2 marks
➢ Group Dynamics : 2 marks
➢ Behaviours & Mannerisms : 2 marks

Presentation Skills (Marks: 6)

➢Communication Skills : 2 marks
➢ Platform Skills : 2 marks
➢ Subject Clarity/Knowledge : 2 marks
End Semester Examination
Total Marks: 50 Time: 2 hrs.
Part A: Short answer question (25 marks)
Part B: Case Study (25 marks)
 SYLLABUS

Module 1
Overview of Life Skills: Meaning and significance of life skills, Life skills
identified by WHO: Selfawareness,Empathy, Critical thinking, Creative thinking,
Decision making, problem solving, Effectivecommunication, interpersonal
relationship, coping with stress, coping with emotion.

Life skills for professionals: positive thinking, right attitude, attention to detail,
having the big picture, learning skills, research skills, perseverance, setting goals
and achieving them, helping others, leadership, motivation, self-motivation, and
motivating others, personality development, IQ,EQ, and SQ
Module 2
Self-awareness: definition, need for self-awareness; Coping With Stress and
Emotions, Human Values, tools and techniques of SA: questionnaires, journaling,
reflective questions, meditation,mindfulness, psychometric tests, feedback.

Stress Management: Stress, reasons and effects, identifying stress, stress diaries, the
four A's of stress management, techniques, Approaches: action-oriented, emotion-
oriented, acceptanceoriented, resilience, Gratitude Training

Coping with emotions: Identifying and managing emotions, harmful ways of dealing
with emotions,PATH method and relaxation techniques.

Morals, Values and Ethics: Integrity, Civic Virtue, Respect for Others, Living
Peacefully. Caring,Sharing, Honesty, Courage, Valuing Time, Time management, Co
operation, Commitment, Empathy,Self-Confidence, Character, Spirituality, Avoiding
Procrastination, Sense of Engineering Ethics.
Module 3
21st century skills: Creativity, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Problem Solving,
Decision Making,Need for Creativity in the 21st century, Imagination, Intuition,
Experience, Sources of Creativity,Lateral Thinking, Myths of creativity, Critical
thinking Vs Creative thinking, Functions of Left Brain & Right brain, Convergent &
Divergent Thinking, Critical reading & Multiple Intelligence.

Steps in problem solving: Problem Solving Techniques, Six Thinking Hats, Mind
Mapping, Forced Connections. Analytical Thinking, Numeric, symbolic, and
graphic reasoning. Scientific temperament and Logical thinking.
Module 4
Group and Team Dynamics: Introduction to Groups: Composition, formation, Cycle,
thinking, Clarifying expectations, Problem Solving, Consensus, Dynamics
techniques, Group vs Team, Team Dynamics, Virtual Teams. Managing team
performance and managing conflicts, Intrapreneurship.

Module 5
Leadership: Leadership framework, entrepreneurial and moral leadership, vision,
cultural dimensions. Growing as a leader, turnaround leadership, managing diverse
stakeholders, crisis management. Types of Leadership, Traits, Styles, VUCA
Leadership, Levels of Leadership, Transactional vs Transformational Leaders,
Leadership Grid, Effective Leaders.
MODULE 1
 Life Skills

• Life skills are behaviors that enable individuals to adapt and deal effectively with
the demands and challenges of life.

Significance
• effective in educating youth about health-related issues—such as alcohol, tobacco,
and other drug use
• effective in preventing school dropout and violence among young people
• lay the foundation for skills demanded in today's job market
Benefits for the individual

• Find new ways of thinking and problem solving

• Recognise the impact of their actions and teaches them to take responsibility for
what they do rather than blame others
• Build confidence both in spoken skills and for group collaboration and
cooperation
• Analyse options, make decisions and understand why they make certain choices
outside the classroom
• Develop a greater sense of self-awareness and appreciation for others
Benefits for employment

• The ability to self-manage, solve problems and understand the business

environment
• Working well as part of a team
• Time and people management
• Adaptability to different roles and flexible working environments
Benefits for society

• Recognising cultural awareness and citizenship makes international cooperation

easier
• Respecting diversity allows creativity and imagination to flourish developing a
more tolerant society
• Developing negotiation skills, the ability to network and empathise
Types of life skills

• Cognitive skills
• Personal skills
• Interpersonal skills
 Life Skills identified by WHO

Critical Creative
Self Empathy thinking thinking
awareness

Decision problem Effective interpersonal

making solving communication relationship

coping with coping with

stress emotion
 1. Self Awareness

• Conscious attention to oneself

• What makes you unique as an individual
• recognition of ‘self’, our character, our strengths and weaknesses, desires and
dislikes
• prerequisite to effective communication and interpersonal relations, as well as for
developing empathy with others
 2. Empathy

• Ability and willingness to see things through their perspective

• A person with empathy will feel, understand and accept their emotions and
concerns.

• Empathy is the ability to imagine what life is like for another person

• When we understand ourselves as well as others, we are better prepared to

communicate our needs and desires. We will be more equipped to say what we
want people to know, present our thoughts and ideas and tackle delicate issues
without offending other people.
 3. Critical thinking

• Clear ,rational and disciplined thinking

• A person with critical thinking use a group of skills to analyze, unify and evaluate
what is seen, heard or read by them
• ability to analyze information and experiences in an objective manner
 4. Creative thinking

• Way of looking at problems or situations from a fresh perspective to conceive of

something new or original
• seeing or doing things that is characteristic of four components – fluency
(generating new ideas), flexibility (shifting perspective easily), originality
(conceiving of something new), and elaboration (building on other ideas)
 5. Decision making

• Selection of a course of action among several alternative possibilities

• Process of choosing or identifying alternatives based on the values and
preferences of the decision maker.
 6. Problem solving

• Any activity or group of activities that resolve problems or find a solution to them
by proceeding in an orderly fashion

• Different types of problem solving in various disciplines

• Problem solving helps us to deal constructively with problems in our lives.

Significant problems that are left unresolved can cause mental stress and give rise
to accompanying physical strain
 7. Effective communication

• able to express ourselves, both verbally and non-verbally, in ways that are
appropriate to our cultures and situations. This means being able to express
opinions and desires, and also needs and fears.
• In addition to exchange of information, it involves emotion and intention behind
the information
• Five C’s of effective communication are
➢Clarity
➢Consistency
➢Creativity
➢Content
➢Connections
 8. Interpersonal relationship

• help to relate in positive ways with the people to interact with

• This may mean being able to make and keep friendly relationships, which can be
of great importance to the mental and social well-being.
 9. Coping with stress
• Stress is the body’s way of responding to any demand or threat it faces
• Coping with stress means recognizing the sources of stress in our lives,
recognizing how this affects us, and acting in ways that help us control our levels
of stress, by changing our environment or lifestyle and learning how to relax.
• Regulate our response to stress
• Maintain stress within tolerable limits
• Four A’s of stress management
➢Avoid
➢Alter
➢Accept
➢Adapt
 10. Coping with emotion
• Emotions are defined as strong feelings that are beyond reasoning or knowledge
due to one’s mood or interpersonal relationships

• Coping with emotions means involving recognizing emotions within us and

others, being aware of how emotions influence behaviour and being able to
respond to emotions appropriately.

• Intense emotions like anger or sadness can have negative effects on our health if
we do not respond appropriately.
 Life Skills for professionals

Attention to Having the

Positive Right
detail big picture
thinking attitude

Setting goals
Learning Research Perseverance and achieving
skills skills them

Helping IQ
Leadership Personality EQ
others Motivation
development SQ
 1. Positive thinking

• Positive thinking is the idea that you can change your life by thinking positively
about things
• You can’t change the world, but you can change how you perceive it and how you
react to it. And that can change the way that you feel about yourself and others,
which can in turn have a huge effect on your well-being.
• Constant negative thinking can make you much more likely to be stressed and can
lead to more serious problems, like depression.
• Feeling positive emotions helps you to identify more possibilities and options in
your life. These extra possibilities and options seem to translate into action. People
who think more positively are more likely to do things to deliver on those options.
They build new skills and develop existing ones, so that they genuinely have more
options in life.
 2. Right attitude

• Defined as a predisposition to respond positively or negatively towards any

stimuli-be it an action, a notion ,a situation ,a person or an object
• Components of attitude
➢ Cognitive- conscious beliefs and ideas
➢ Affective – feelings or emotions
➢ Conative- actions and behavior
• These components influence mutually and build upon one another to collectively
form our attitude(+ or -) depending on whether or not it promotes health, progress
and happiness
• Positive attitude is the result of self awareness, awareness from environment,
experiences. Positive thinking and awareness can create positive attitude.
Manifestations of a positive attitude
➢ Enthusiasm and zest for life
➢ Thinking in terms of solutions rather than lamenting about problems
➢ Finding humor even amidst difficult circumstances
➢ Setting goals and setting to achieve them
➢ Creating and maintaining good relationships
➢ Motivating and encouraging others
➢ Being confident and believing in oneself
➢ Showing courage and optimism in the face of failure
➢ Looking at the bright side of life
 3. Attention to detail

• If a job is to be done effectively, it is necessary to consider all the fine details, plan
a strategy that leaves no stone unturned and implement it fastidiously
• This involves
➢ Checking for accuracy of facts and figures
➢ Checking for completion of data and tasks
➢ Checking for consistency in the modus operandi, wherever required
• This skill makes one a competent professional in many respects
 4. Having the big picture

• It is important for a leader to keep in mind the bigger perspective, how things fit
in the bigger scheme of things

• If you are close to a problem with all the overwhelming details, it is good to step
back a little, forget the details, and view the situation as a whole or to get the
bigger picture

• This is an essential leadership quality-knowing not only how and what to do, but
knowing why

• A good leadership requires both qualities-seeing the bigger picture as well as

paying attention to finer details
 5. Learning skills

• Refer to those skills that help one ➢Information gathering

learn, understand and retain things ➢Logical argument
better
➢Communication skills
• It involves appreciating the need to
learn ➢Project and time management
• Asking for feedback and accepting ➢Decision making and problem solving
criticism from others and hence ➢Analytical skill
improve the way they work in future
➢Critical thinking
➢Attention to detail
• Major learning skills
➢Ability to process large amounts of
➢Willingness to learn information
➢Prioritizing
 6. Research skills

• Research refers to a systematic ➢Ability to prioritize based on

investigation for knowledge on a relevance
specific topic. ➢Ability to systematically search for
• It is the process of defining and and organize data
redefining problems, formulating ➢A willingness to learn
hypothesis, collecting organizing and
evaluating data, reaching conclusions ➢Attention to detail
and at last carefully testing the ➢Time management
conclusions to determine whether they
fit the hypothesis ➢Ability to arrive at conclusions
through logical reasoning
• Major research skills are
➢Good writing skills
➢A scientific temperament
➢Perseverance
➢An ability to evaluate objectively
 7. Perseverance

• Perseverance is a Major Key to a Life of Success

• Perseverance is the ability to keep doing something in spite of obstacles. People

who persevere show steadfastness in doing something despite how hard it is or
how long it takes to reach the goal and attain success.

• You can help inspire perseverance by allowing others to experience failure in a

safe, supported environment. When they recover from a setback, think their way
through a challenge, and try again, they develop perseverance.

• It is a great tool to use, and it doesn’t require any college education or training. It
comes naturally and requires a strong will.
 8. Setting goals and achieving them
• A goal is the intended outcome of a task
• People who set goals and try to achieve them are more productive and lead
satisfactory lives
• Before setting goals, one should have clarity on these points
➢ Why is this goal important?
➢ Is this goal about proving yourself or improving yourself
Every goal must ideally be S.M.A.R.T.
❖ Specific
❖ Measurable
❖ Attainable
❖ Relevant
❖ Time bound
Tips for achieving goals

✓Choose only a few goals at a time. So prioritize.

✓Goals pass the S.M.A.R.T. criteria
✓Anticipate setbacks and visualize the steps that help you overcome them
✓Set deadlines and review progress
✓Check for relevance periodically
✓Take small steps every day towards your goal, for continuous improvement
 9. Helping others
10 ways helping others can also help you
❖ Helping makes you feel connected
❖ Helping can build new skills
❖ Helping makes you grateful
❖ Helping creates new relationships and improves the ones you have
❖ Helping makes you live longer
❖ Helping can expand your identity
❖ Helping builds your reputation as a giver
❖ Helping boosts your self-esteem
❖ Not helping can stress you out
❖ Helping builds your resume
 10. Leadership
• Leadership is the ability to lead or guide people towards the accomplishment of a
common goal
• Leadership involves
❖ Having a vision
❖ Convincing others by sharing the vision
❖ Inspiring others to realize the vision
❖ Providing knowledge and strategy
❖ Coordinating and guiding
❖ Balancing the interests of one and all
❖ Being resilient at time of crisis
 11. Motivation
• Motivation is what pushes us to achieve our goals, feel more fulfilled and improve
overall quality of life.

Four elements that make up motivation:

❖ Personal drive to achieve, the desire to improve or to meet certain standards
❖ Commitment to personal or organizational goals
❖ Initiative, which he defined as ‘readiness to act on opportunities’
❖ Optimism, the ability to keep going and pursue goals in the face of setbacks

• There are two main types of motivation: ‘intrinsic’ and ‘extrinsic’ motivation.
• Self-motivation is, in its simplest form, the force that drives you to do things
• There are many advantages to self-motivation. People who are self-motivated, for
example, tend to be more organized, have good time management skills and
more self-esteem and confidence.
• Understanding and developing your self-motivation can help you to take
control of many other aspects of your life.
• Fundamental to self-motivation is understanding what motivates you to do
things.
Skills Involved in Self-Motivation
• Setting high but realistic goals
• Taking the right level of risk
• Seeking constant feedback to work out how to improve
• Being committed to personal or organizational goals and going the ‘extra mile’ to
achieve them
• Actively seeking out opportunities and seizing them when they occur
• Being able to deal with setbacks and continue to pursue goals despite obstacles
✓Those who are motivated also find it much easier to motivate others. This can be
particularly important in leadership roles.
7 Ways To Motivate Others
• Listen
• Ask open-ended questions
• Encourage
• Ask about what the first step will be
• Dream
• Ask how you can help
• Follow up
 12. Personality development
• Developing the personality can have a lot positive effect on your life and career.
The personality is a typical pattern of behaviors, thinking, and they are unique.
With outstanding effort, you can improve your habits and the pattern of thinking.
Here are some tips that will help you improve your personality.
➢ Become a Better Listener
➢ Expanding Your Interest
➢ Becoming a Better Conversationalist
➢ Meeting New People
➢ Polishing Interpersonal Skills
➢ Developing Leadership Skills
➢ Presentation Skills
➢ Treating People With Respect
 13. IQ,EQ,SQ
Intelligence Quotient(IQ)
• Intelligence refers to the entire cognitive or intellectual capabilities of a person to
store and retrieve information, analyze and solve problems, and the capacity for
logical reasoning.
• IQ is a measure of human intelligence found through specific tests
• Started during First World War
• Having sheer intelligence does not imply a good personality
Emotional Quotient(EQ)
❖Emotional intelligence popularized by Daniel Goleman
❖Refers to the ability of a person to manage his emotions
❖Self awareness, self confidence, self motivation, self control, adaptability,
commitment, optimism come under EQ
Social Intelligence(SQ)
• Refers to the ability of person to connect positively with others and get along well
with them. It is about working together, cooperating, making and keeping good
relationships
A socially intelligent person will be
❖ able to understand behavioral cues in other people
❖Empathetic
❖Able to communicate well
❖Willing to listen
❖Service-oriented
❖Able to resolve conflicts
❖Able to motivate others
❖Able to choose the most effective response in a given situation