Every day at work, we encounter a variety of people, and not only their positions are different, but also their characters - therefore, by the end of the working day, the winner is the one who finds a common language with everyone. Social skills help you maintain respectful and sustainable relationships with others, moreover: according to research, good social skills can help you get a long-awaited promotion and earn approval among colleagues. In this article, we will talk about the social skills that every employer.
Empathy — the ability to understand the emotions of another person
Empathy — the ability to understand the emotions of another person
If you have empathy, you can put yourself in the other person's shoes and understand how they feel and think. Empathy is useful where it is necessary to reach an agreement, find a compromise or resolve a conflict situation: if you understand the motives of another person, it will be easier for you to find a solution that will satisfy both parties.
How to develop this skill:
- Be a good listener, try to perceive the "hidden" signals that the interlocutor gives with body language, gestures and intonation.
- Treat others the way you would like to be treated.
- Before you criticize or condemn someone, try to imagine how your behavior would be in a similar situation.
Ability to cooperate
Although each of your colleagues may have their own personal goals, your enterprise or team has a common goal - to help the enterprise make a profit. Without the support of workers, achieving this goal will be very difficult - if not impossible. Being collaborative means knowing when to ask colleagues for help or assign tasks to them, and how to work effectively in a team.
How to develop this skill:
- Take the time to get to know your colleagues better. Difficulties in cooperation often arise when people do not know each other well, and because of this they do not want to ask for help. Maybe it's time to go to lunch together?
- Be receptive to the ideas of others and listen carefully to the suggestions of colleagues. If you stick to a negative position in everything, others are unlikely to want to deal with you.
- If someone helped you, help them next time, and you, as cooperation is largely based on mutual assistance.
Ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing
Mutual communication is an integral part of everyday life, and it is very important to speak in such a way that others understand you. A significant part of misunderstandings and conflict situations arise precisely because of ineffective communication, when something is kept silent or is not spoken clearly enough. To avoid such situations, the best strategy is to be direct in your statements, taking into account due courtesy and respect for the interlocutor.
How to develop this skill:
- Avoid unnecessary words and try not to deviate from the main topic on which you want to speak.
- Try to speak as simply and clearly as possible so that everyone understands you. There is nothing wrong with knowing foreign words, terms and jargon, but the more you use them in your speech, the higher the likelihood that some of your listeners (or readers) will not fully understand your idea. will be able.
- If you have to speak in front of an audience, maintain eye contact with the audience and keep your tone of voice so that those far away from you don't have to guess what you're talking about.
Positive attitude
A “positive attitude” doesn't mean you can't feel upset or dissatisfied. “Positive attitude” means that you avoid criticism, complaints and negativity even in unpleasant situations, and instead look for solutions, express your opinion constructively and without reproach. If you maintain a positive attitude, it will be easier for you to cope with stress, which, in turn, will make it easier to develop good relationships with colleagues.
How to develop this skill:
- Don't dwell on the negative. Remember that every profession has its own shortcomings and problems that you have to face - but this does not mean that they need to be given all your attention every time.
- Try to stick together with colleagues who, in your opinion, have a positive attitude: good begets good.
- If you make a mistake, or if something does not work out, do not scold yourself, do not attract gloomy thoughts. Instead, try to understand exactly where the mistake was made, and do not blame yourself for all the possible troubles.
Showing respect
If you respect your colleagues, they respect you. The easiest way to show (and eventually earn) respect is to be polite, maintain good manners both at work and in mutual communication. A work environment in which colleagues respect each other contributes to increased employee satisfaction, and it is hard to disagree that working in such an environment is much more pleasant.
How to develop this skill:
- If someone wants to say something, listen to them, do not interrupt.
- Treat all colleagues equally well and honestly, no matter if they are below or above you on the career ladder.
- Praise a colleague if he or she does a good job.