The hard case for 'soft' skills

1. The ‘Hard’ case
for ‘Soft’ skills
Winning the battle of the mind

2. Why ‘Soft’ skills??
 Because ‘Soft’ skills are critical to ‘Hard’ work
 Some ‘Hard’ facts:
 Troop morale is critical to operational success
 Inspiration, loyalty, bravery are all crucial to building a
great force
 The image of other border guarding and paramilitary
forces has been tarnished because of ‘soft’ reasons;
not because of operational failure
 Support from the community is a ‘soft’ issue
We clean the gun not to make it look nice
but so that it will shoot straight

3. Let’s call it by its right
name…
‘Operational
Support Skills’
There’s nothing soft about ‘Soft’ skills

4. Strategic Essentials
 Importance must be emphasized from the top
 Senior officers must be seen as role models of
Operational Support Skills
 Senior officers must personally teach these skills
 Create a bank of success stories to demonstrate
the power of winning hearts
 Leadership skills must be a part of every course
Because the enemy is fighting for the mind

5. What happens elsewhere?
 GE Corporate University, Crotonville, USA
 Premier leadership institute in the world
 Teaches only ‘soft’ skills
 Expense budget of over $ 2 Bn annually
 The Chairman of GE is on the teaching staff
 The Director reports directly to the Chairman
 Anyone nominated to a course must compulsorily
attend or his cost is debited to his company and he has
to show cause
 Courses form an integral part of a person’s growth and
one must qualify by attending them

6. Because training
makes good
‘business sense’
and warrants the
most serious
investment
Because ‘Soft’ skills give the edge
to the ‘Hard’ work of guarding our borders

7. Which skills & attitudes?
 Passion for the country & the Force
 To uphold the law at all times, everywhere
 To solve problems on their own
 To demonstrate integrity in all actions
 To speak the truth even when it is inconvenient to do so
 To put duty before self at all times in all places
 To work together with other colleagues & agencies
 To show concern for others, especially civilians
 To build positive relationships with community leaders
Because we can only succeed with their help

8. “The General who has to actually fight the
battle has already lost.”
~ Sun Tzu, Art of War
The real battle is
fought and won in the
minds and hearts of
the people…..
And that takes love,
not force

9. Mirza Yawar Baig
www.yawarbaig.com
yawarbaig@gmail.com