I.

ABSTRACT

The society nowadays is changing very fast which leads to many
differences from the old one. In the past, a person with excellent professional
knowledge would go really far in their career and gain a lot of success.
However, in modern world, only professional knowledge seems not enough
for people who wants to gain huge successes. The reasons for this situation is
the ingress and escalation in the corporate world. Employees with both good
basement of hard and soft skills will be more preferred. Therefore, soft skills
are very important for all students that need to develop their potential in
different programs in university. Some of soft skills are: time management
skill, communication skill, positive thinking skill, ...
After finishing the course of Skill Development in FTU, we would like
to make a report to present the whole process working of our group, from
the initial ideas to a finished product – a short film gone by.


4


II.

INTRODUCTION

1. Summary of the clip
The story features a freshman who experienced a completely new setting
in Hanoi capital city. At first, he was very disorganized, not knowing how to
set up plans, how to interact with others effectively and also he kept leading a
pessimistic lifestyle.

Then the situation gradually turned to the opposite when he got engaged
in a soft skill group work. The main character’s shortcomings were rectified
after he experienced a seemingly vicious circle of waking up every morning,
trying to improve himself by not repeating previous mistakes, but was still
undesirably dead or became unconscious due to lack of some vital skills. To
be more specific, his failure stemmed from inadequate time management skill
which led to his poor planning ability and incompletion of given tasks, his
ineffective communication methods which prevented him from delivering his
ideas concisely and convincingly, etc. Then came the most miserable scene,
his views were rejected by all team members and he sunk into a tremendously
pessimistic state, deciding to commit suicide after that. Luckily in the next
morning, an unexpected positive thought came to his mind and enormously
motivated him to try his best, learning from past faults and he achieved
favorable results in the end. He realized that the way to accomplishment was
always challenging with thousands of obstacles awaiting him. In order to
achieve success, beside knowledge, full equipment of soft skills such as time
management or teamwork skills is of utter importance, especially in this era
of integration and modernization. Therefore, always bear in mind that soft
skills get little respect but they will make or break your career” (Peggy Klaus,
author).


5


2. Educational significance

The idea of this video stems from a lack of soft skills in many young
people today. Many first-year students don't know how to manage time and
arrange personal works. They are easy to fall into an unorganized life without

the control of their parents, which also significantly affects the efficiency of
work as well as the sense of responsibility. Until they work in a collective,
they cannot get along and are criticized by the other members. Therefore, in
this video, we would like to emphasize the great importance of building up
the soft skills to become a confident person.
3. Research objectives
 Express our message through the story in the video.

 Encourage students to appreciate their ability to manage their busy life,
gaining the most crucial skills to enjoy a better and happier life and
learning many useful lessons.

4. Research methods
The mid-term assignment of making a short video to present the skills
achieved from the courses is one of the most effective educational methods
because the members need to work together to find the ideas of the video
then discuss and develop the ideas, and manage to accomplish team goals.
5. Scope of the study


During the process to make this video, our group need to apply all of
the soft skills which we have achieved in the course, including:
 Positive thinking skills

 Work organization and time management skills

 Teamwork skills

 Communication and Presentation skills


6


6. Structure of the report
The content of the report is allocated in five main parts:

 Literature reviews
 Research Methodology
 Findings and Analysis
 Recommendation
 Conclusion


7


III.

LITERATURE REVIEWS

1. Soft skill and each of the skills
studied 1.1. Soft skills
Soft skills have been defined in different context and included different
perspectives, as per various authors at various times. John Stephan, and
Randy Brown (2012) defined soft skills as people management skills.
Parente, John Stephan, and Randy Brown (2012) defined soft skills as people
management skills. Fogle (2011) while defining soft skills included “teaming
skills” in its preview in addition to communication and social skills. In
addition to this Hargis (2011) classified “work ethic, critical thinking, and
problem solving” skills as part and parcel of soft skills.

In general, soft skills are the personal attributes, personality traits,
inherent social cues, and communication abilities needed for success on the
job. Soft skills characterize how a person interacts in his or her
relationships with others, or how he or she approaches life and work.
In the 21st century, soft skills are a major differentiator, a sine qua non
for employability and success in life. According to a research conducted by
Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation and Stanford Research Center
85% of job success comes from having well-developed people skills and
soft skills, and only 15% of job success comes from technical skills and
knowledge (hard skills).
After a course of "Skill Development" in Foreign Trade University, we
have learned the four most important soft skills, which are Positive Thinking
skill, Communication skill, Time Management skill and Teamwork skill.


8


1.2. Communication skill
Communication (from Latin commūnicāre, meaning "to share") is the act
of conveying intended meanings from one entity or group to another through
the use of mutually understood signs and semiotic rules.
The first key word in this definition is "process". A process is a dynamic
activity that is hard to describe because it changes (Pearson & Nelson, 2000).
When we interact, there are many factors that influence the process of
communication.
The second key word is "understanding": “To understand is to perceive,
to interpret, and to relate our perception and interpretation to what we
already know” (McLean, 2003).
Next comes the word "sharing". Sharing means doing something

together with one or more people. In communication, sharing occurs when
you convey thoughts, feelings, ideas, or insights to others.
Finally, "meaning" is what we share through communication. By looking
at the context the word is used in and by asking questions, we can discover
the shared meaning of the word and understand the message.
There are two basic types of communication: verbal and non-verbal
communication
 Verbal communication: Some definitions of verbal communications are
as follows:


According to Bovee and others, verbal communication is the expression
of information through language which is composed of words and grammar.
According to Penrose and others, verbal communication consists of
sharing thoughts thought the meaning of words.
Therefore, when messages or information is exchanged or communicated
through words this is called verbal communication. Verbal communication takes
place through face-to-face conversations, group discussions, counseling,
interview, radio, television, calls, memos, letters, reports, notes, email, etc.

9


When verbally communicate with others, clarification is the key. Often,
a person does not articulate himself clearly, his words and actions are
misunderstood, and verbal communication helps to clarify and provides
information. Robert M. Krauss in the article, “The Psychology of Verbal
Communication”, published in the International Encyclopedia of the Social
and Behavioral Sciences in 2001, explains, “A species’ survival depends
critically upon its ability to communicate effectively, and the quality of its

social life is determined in large measure by how and what it can
communicate.”
Moreover, to conduct effective verbal communication, principles such
as the ABC, the 5C and the 7C should be applied.


The 5C includes: Clear, Concise, Complete, Correct, and Courteous;
and the 7C is the same as the 5C with Consistency and Cautious in extra.

 Non-verbal communication: There are various ways to define Nonverbal communication:

10


According to Lesikar and Pettit, Nonverbal communication means
all communication that occurs without words (body movements, space,
time, touch, voice patterns, color, layout, design of surroundings.)
According to Himstreet and Baty, Non-verbal communication includes
any communication occurring without the use of words.
The Business Dictionary defines non-verbal communication as the
transmission of message by some medium other than speech or writing.

Body language and other non-verbal cues occupy 93% of our
communication while speech takes only 7%. Non-verbal communication
takes place through gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, physical
proximity, touching etc. Visuals are also an excellent way to represent any
information. People use architectures, and different colors and textures for
home and office surfaces to represent their interests and preferences. The
sound of the speaker’s voice, including pitch, tone and volume are also forms
of non-verbal communication.

Michael Argyle, in his book “Bodily Communication”, identifies five
main functions of non-verbal communication: to express emotions,
communicate interpersonal relationships, support verbal interaction, reflect
personality and perform rituals, such as greetings and goodbyes. An example
of how non-verbal communication can support verbal communication is that
a bright smile when saying congratulations reinforces the sincerity of one’s
words but a stein face might not.
1.3. Time management skill
Time management is the process of planning and exercising conscious
control of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase


effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity. It involves a juggling act of
various demands upon a person relating to work, social life, family, hobbies,
personal interests and commitments with the finiteness of time. Using time

11


effectively gives the person “choice” on spending/ managing activities at their
own time and expediency.
Time management may be aided by a range of skills, tools, and
techniques used to manage time when accomplishing specific tasks, projects,
and goals complying with a due date. Time management is usually a necessity
in any project development as it determines the project completion time and
scope.
Some scholars such as Macan (1994) stated that time management
training programs lead to three types of time management behaviors:

setting goals and priorities





mechanics of time management
preference for organization

1.4. Teamwork skill
Teamwork is the collaborative effort of a team to achieve a common
goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way. This
concept is seen within the greater framework of a team, which is a group of
interdependent individuals who work together towards a common goal.
There are some prime requirements for effective teamwork: an adequate
team size (about 6-8 members), available resources for the team to make use
of (i.e. meeting space and time, guidance from a supervisor, support from the
organization, etc.), and clearly defined roles within the team in order for
everyone to have a clear purpose.


There are 5 stages of team development: forming, storming, norming,
performing and adjourning, in which members are independent at first, then
they become interdependent and finally they return to independence state.

12


Among numerous elements of building an effective such as Individual
responsibility and accountability, Management and organization, Knowledge
of roles…, “psychological safety” was the number one component of a
successful team, suggested by Project Aristotle, led by a manager from

Google’s People Analytics division, Abeer Dubey. It means that every team
member feels comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions – and that
everyone gets a chance to talk for about the same amount of time in group
meetings. This is not to say that there is a time limit or select time for each
person to talk, but that organically, each person genuinely wants to hear from
others in the group.
1.5. Positive thinking skill
Positive thinking is a mental attitude in which you expect good and
favorable results and not getting discouraged when plans do not proceed as
expected. In other words, positive thinking is the process of creating thoughts
that create and transform energy into reality. According to Oxford Dictionary,


it is “The practice or result of concentrating one’s mind affirmatively on the
good and constructive aspects of a matter so as to eliminate negative or
destructive attitudes and emotions.”
It is also important to note that positive thinking is not about taking a
"Pollyanna" approach to life. In fact, researchers have found that in some
instances, optimism might not serve you well. For example, people who are
13


excessively optimistic might overestimate their own abilities and take on
more than they can handle, ultimately leading to more stress and anxiety.

Instead of ignoring reality in favor of the silver lining, psychologists
suggest that positive thinking centers on such things as a belief in your
abilities, a positive approach to challenges, and trying to make the most of the
bad situations. Bad things will happen. Sometimes you will be disappointed
or hurt by the actions of others. This does not mean that the world is out to

get you or that all people will let you down. Instead, positive thinkers will
look at the situation realistically, search for ways that they can improve the
situation, and try to learn from their experiences.

2. The importance of Soft skills
2.1. The importance of Soft skills in general
Soft skills refer to a cluster of personal qualities, habits, attitudes that
have the potential to make someone a good student and compatible with the
requirements of academia. Put simply, they are the ways in which you talk,
you move around, listen and present yourself. Students who possess such
skills are more adept and academic savvy. They are able to gain a further
understanding of tasks and successfully engage with them, enabling them to
gain more control over their learning.
In addition, soft skills enable students with a strong conceptual and
practical framework to build, develop and manage teams. Soft skills also
amount to good skills in communication; presenting information in a clear
and concise manner; team-building ability; leadership; time management;
group discussions; and interviews and interpersonal skills. They play an


important role in the development of the students’ overall personality, thereby
enhancing their career prospects. It also helps students in career visioning and
planning, effective resume writing and dealing with placement consultants
and head hunters.
14


2.2. The importance of Communication skill
Communication is the heart of every organization. Everything you do in
the workplace results from communication. Therefore, good reading, writing,

speaking and listening skills are essential if tasks are going to be completed
and goals achieved.
Every day whether we want to or not we must communicate with others.
But a lot of people are extremely subjective when communicating, in
particularly, they do not focus on sympathy and even have a lot of bad habits
affecting their relationships.
So, communication is a great skill for us to pay attention to and practice
to constantly improve our skills as well as bring more sympathy and
impression to those whom we have the opportunity to contact. One of the
first benefits when I communicate well is that I am always very confident
when talking and sharing with everyone. A lot of people are not equipped
with communication methods, so they are often afraid and nervous,
especially when they contact with those who meet for the first time. This
explain why so many people lose a lot of precious opportunities to have a
good communicator, a business partner or a support consultant.
Besides, good communication will make you have a better professional
imagine in others eyes. Since then the words that the speaker himself has
always weighed on people and seldom fall into the case of others by being
satisfied with him. Moreover, if we know how to grasp the psychology of
those who are in contact, we will actively adjust flexibly to match the
exchange stories and always make the other person feel trustworthy no matter
how complicated the problems are. Their topics are always made deeply
good impression on the listeners.


Not only that, when the ability to communicate is trained at higher
levels, you can completely improve the ability to convince and create an

15



intense attraction to business partners, thereby bringing the results.
Best results for your career.
2.3. The importance of Time management
You'll have more productive hours. Efficient time management allows
for extra productive hours during the week. For example, if you gain an
extra hour of focused output during the day through better organization and
discipline, that adds up to 250 hours over the course of a year - or nearly a
month and a half of extra working time.
You'll be able to prioritize your tasks. If you have good time
management skills, instead of being stressed about what needs to be done or
what you should be working on, you'll know exactly what comes next and
how you are planning to tackle it. If you encounter problems that hold you
up, you will also have a much clearer idea of what to do - for example to
delegate or to move on to another task - which will improve your efficiency.
You’ll learn to delegate more efficiently. Rather than forcing yourself
into a role you don't care for, you should try to delegate your tasks instead. By
delegating to someone who has the required skill set, you'll get the task done,
reduce your stress levels, and stay a happy employee, thus increasing your
productivity.
You’ll have more time for yourself. Using time wisely lets you find more
time for the things that are most important to you. This can be work-based where you tackle a new project or tidy up a backlog of minor jobs that have
been on your mind for a while.
Time management is an important skill to acquire, as its use translates
into every part of your work. It will allow you to make better decisions and