India is held up as the latest ‘economic miracle’ – transforming its economy over the last 20 years. It is often suggested that success is down to ‘hard’ factors – such as technical ability, capital investment – and, of course, cheap labour.
But India has recognised the importance of ‘softer’ skills ands factors – such as teamwork, problem-solving and communication. Young Indians are receptive to modern approaches to organising and managing a workforce and respond positively.
In fact, a study by the University of Michigan, on female garment workers (in Bangalore) showed that providing training in soft skills raised productivity by 12%.
Sometimes, simple approaches are the best.