Editor’s Note
This October, we turn our attention to the disticntions between behavioral and business skills –which so often throws up its own challenges in learning. WE also take a peek at how multilingual approach at both system and content level can enhance learning and finally cover the inspiring story of our initiative with Bajaj Finserv.
Behavioral Skills vs Business Skills: A Crucial Distinction for Effective Learning
Developing the right skill set is essential for individual and organizational success. However, a common misunderstanding exists in how skills are categorized, particularly when distinguishing between behavioral skills and business skills. This article explores the nuances between the two and why training methods for each differ significantly.
Differentiating Behavioral Skills and Business Skills
Behavioral skills are the soft skills by definition linked to human behavior and are universally applicable across roles and industries. Examples include communication, collaboration, and active listening. These are essential traits that foster positive interactions and cooperation, regardless of the job or sector. For instance, a good listener or effective communicator can adapt these behaviors across industries, whether in finance, retail, or technology.
In contrast, business skills are more specific to particular roles within an organization and often require deep domain knowledge. They are technical and context-driven. Examples include sales techniques, negotiation skills, and business acumen. These skills are usually related to specific business processes, products, or services. For example, selling a financial product like a current account in a bank requires both technical knowledge of the product and the behavioral ability to persuade and communicate effectively. It is vastly different from selling an software to a corporate client.
The Importance of Context in Business Skills
A key difference between behavioral and business skills lies in their contextual nature. Business skills require a deeper understanding of the specific business environment and often need domain expertise. For example, selling a current account at a bank involves much more than just product knowledge. The salesperson must understand customer objections, how to structure a sales pitch, and the nuances of the financial product being sold. This requires research and tailored storytelling.
In contrast, behavioral skills, such as communication and collaboration, are more universal and don’t require as much context. Listening or managing biases, for example, are applicable in any scenario and do not require industry-specific knowledge.
Why Training Needs to Differ
Because of their universal application, behavioral skills training can often be more standardized across organizations. However, business skills training must be tailored to the specific context of the industry or product. For example, sales techniques in FMCG differ drastically from those in banking or insurance.
In industries like FMCG, the focus might be on persuasion and closing sales in a retail environment. Meanwhile, in banking, the emphasis might be on long-term relationship management and trust-building.
This difference underscores why effective business skills training needs to be contextual and why organizations must invest time in domain research when developing training programs.
Three Key Factors for Effective Business Skills Training
1. Context and Storytelling
Business skills training requires real-world examples and contextual storytelling. It’s not enough to explain a concept in abstract terms; the training must be framed in a way that is relevant to the specific industry.
In banking, for example, a sales pitch for a current account would involve understanding customer needs, handling objections, and closing a sale. Without this contextual framework, business skills training is less effective.
2. Depth of Research
A significant challenge in developing business skills training is the level of research required. Unlike behavioral skills training, which can sometimes be designed using secondary research and general resources, business skills training requires a deep dive into the specific business context.
Understanding customer pain points, market challenges, and competitor products is critical to creating effective training programs. This is why organizations like Knowlens, with extensive industry experience, are well-positioned to design such programs.
3. The Role of Learning and Development (L&D)
L&D professionals play a critical role in bridging the gap between behavioral and business skills. While behavioral skills training can sometimes be generalized, creating effective business skills training demands that L&D professionals immerse themselves in the business.
They need to understand the intricacies of the product, the industry, and the specific challenges that employees face. Only then can they develop training that truly resonates with learners.
Why Behavioral and Business Skills Are Both Essential
Despite the differences between these two skill types, both are essential for a well-rounded employee. Behavioral skills form the foundation for positive interactions, team dynamics, and effective communication. Without these, even the most technically skilled employees will struggle in collaborative environments.
Meanwhile, business skills equip employees with the tools they need to execute their roles effectively within the context of the business. From sales to negotiation, these skills are critical for driving business performance and meeting organizational goals.
Inside Knowlens
Bajaj Finserv has been of the most deeply immersive relationships Knowlens has had over the years. Unique in its focus on student education, it offered unique challenges to Knowlens. Of course, Bajaj Finserv is a leading financial services provider in India. It is committed to fostering economic growth and enhancing the quality of life through various corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. One of its flagship projects focuses on empowering youth in tier-two and tier-three cities by providing training in banking, finance, and insurance.
Project Overview
Bajaj FinServ partnered with Knowlens to implement a comprehensive training program aimed at graduates from underprivileged backgrounds. This initiative is designed to equip students with essential skills in banking, finance, and insurance, thereby enhancing their employability and contributing positively to their communities.
The idea was to provide in depth domain training in BFSI and practical skills using a technology driven environment – the Knowlens LMS.
It has been a uniquely satisfying experience helping incubate budding careers and contributing to the larger community, as the families around these students climb the social and economic ladder.
A large format program , it was characterised by:
- Over 100 hours of learning
- Utilises web series, short videos, animations and classroom
- Rigourous online assessments and tracking of student progress.
Conclusion
Bajaj Finserv’s CSR initiative, powered by Knowlens’ innovative learning solutions, showcases the transformative power of education and technology. By investing in the future of underprivileged youth, the program enhances individual lives and contributes to the broader economic development of the communities involved.
This collaboration exemplifies how strategic partnerships in CSR can lead to impactful outcomes, aligning corporate objectives with societal needs.
Knowbyte:
According to a survey conducted among consumers worldwide, respondents watched an average of 19 hours of online video content per week in 2022.
Upgrade Hub : Multilingual Videos & LMS
India has always been a multi-cultural and multilingual nation and language has been one of the key barriers to learning. This month we look atmultilingual LMS and video solutions designed to deliver content in multiple languages, catering to diverse learners. Our platform supports users in choosing their preferred language at multiple levels – both the system interface and the content.
Localized system interfaces help to address learner system dissonance so crucial to ensuring learning efficacy. Every element of the system interface can be adapted easily to a new language ensuring ease of use and navigation.
The next level is adapating the content to multilingual. This could be for video / audio courses or even assessments. Translation and then dubbing are core capabilities of the Knowlens offering and these have proved crucial in many industries including our work in FMCG, BFSI and the social sector.