Not Just the Soft Skills, But Ciceronian Eloquence
“When mediocrity becomes your prison, Perfection becomes your escape.”
Gone are the days, when merely having a good command over language makes us sail through the storms of challenge. A person might be as hard working as trojans, or he might have midas touch to bring fortune at his doorsteps. But believe me, nothing can beat a man having impeccably achieved soft skills with a little touch of Ciceronian Eloquence.
Probably, the question ‘What is this Ciceronian Eloquence?’ might be striking in your mind. Well, let us understand the soft skills before addressing Ciceronian Eloquence. According to EHL Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality “Soft skills are the social behaviors needed for the multi-cultural environments typically found in hospitality businesses, and for delivering outstanding customer experiences.”
In layman thoughts, we may consider soft skills are combination of people skills, social skills, communications skills, character or personality traits, attitudes, career attributes and other behavior which helps a person to align individual’s objectives with organizational objectives and attain them.
Ciceronian Eloquence, rhetorically resembles Marcus Tullius Cicero who is considered as one of the Rome’s Greatest orators and Prose stylists. In simple words, we may say a person with extraordinary communication skills, having a command over his audience can be considered as a 'Person with a Ciceronian Eloquence'.
On a broader note, one may count soft skill as basics of behavior, and Ciceronian Eloquence as its mastery.
Now, as we are aware of the meaning of the Ciceronian Eloquence the next thing we want to learn is why it is necessary and how we can become as good orator as Cicero. It's quite an easy task to learn soft skills. Though, be it's any industry, environment, office or organization soft skills, are inevitably required to lead. Same goes with Ciceronian Eloquence.
Imagine yourself listening to Winston Spencer Leonardo Churchill or listening to Late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji or Swami Vivekanand ji, what similarity you see in these prominent personalities of the world. All of these great leaders know what the audience is required to hear or what they need to address in order to bind them.
It's none less than a fact that a man with the great communication skills is admired by all and is respected at every sphere of life as he proves to be an apple of eye to the people. The person with oratory skills is considered as an Atlantean Shoulder for the organization earning a great fame and diversity.
Attaining the mastery is a matter of practice. Practice in right direction. I have always wondered, that despite of having a favorable qualification and knowledge, what a person lacks to express the thoughts in an exact manner in which he is thinking. And, if this the case then how we can jump over these hurdles and win the race. I think, there are four points on which we can judge the development of this art:
- The focus in Not on knowledge but on Articulation of knowledge.
- The Logic must be expressed as no matter the language is.
- Positive Approach to issues and happenings.
- Developing fruitful long-term hobbies.
With passage of time, I believe our generation is getting more and more immune to expression.
Now a days we are well aware of the Right of Expression but we are afraid to express. The books which we are going to feed our minds with, will surely channelize our thinking ability along with enhancement of vocabulary. Nothing can beat the satisfaction we feel after expressing our hearts out.
To be a speaker, one must, frame sentences and phrases in such a polite and positive manner, which ought to sound pleasing to the receiver. The art of expression plays a vital role in the process of communication.
Learning along with expressing in affirmative manner is what makes a person differentiate himself from speaker and making him as orator. A speaker is master of content but an orator is master of audience. A master having a command over his subject, can not only encounter any challenge but he can master the challenge too.
We must understand, that development is long-term qualifying asset. No one can become a master in a day or two. One must develop the habit of reading books, editorial section of newspaper, study the details of everything and practice public speaking sessions. He must brush up their already attained skills and try to communicate with friends and family often.
Oratory is an art, and art before learning needs to be respected and believing in. Now, after reading the complete stances on the necessity of this need of an hour skill, the question arises, "When one should start the voyage"? To this we must remember, "the sooner the better". Nobody is going to take you or force you to start and the right time will never arrive. I believe children must be taught to be the keen readers. It is simple. The articulation of thoughts channels the words and speech. Reading poetries and works of great writers will also develop 'literary sense' in a child.
Believe it or not, the art to express is the need of an hour. Yes, soft skills are the medium to prove ones worth but in order to maintain that Ciceronian Eloquence is to be practiced. A man having ability to express without any bondage and articulate the power of thoughts will surely be considered as the man with lots of potentials and brightest of future,
“Coz world wants a man with discipline in his work, arrogance on face, confidence in eyes, authority in walk, politeness in tone, wit in words, calmness in mind and loyalty in heart.”
Author Bio:
Gaurav Thakur, is in his articleship from KJMA & associates, preparing for his CA Finals and has represented Chandigarh at SANSAD Youth Parliament and had also represented ICAI Branch at Ahmedabad CA Student Conference as well as CA Students Conference at Chandigarh last year.