In this article you will know What are social abilitieswhich are the most important and how to work on them to improve them.
Let’s start at the beginning…
What are social abilities.
The social skills They are the skills to communicate and interact with others, in a proactive and collaborative way. And they can manifest in your verbal communication or in the different types of non-verbal communication.
Let’s see below what are the advantages of having good communication skills.
Advantages of having social skills.
- Better academic and professional development.
- More and better relationships.
- Better teamwork.
- More happiness.
- Better life quality.
It is clear that to the extent that we know how to get along with others, we will make our lives much easier. Whether we need a favor, or someone asks us for help; Social skills are what allow us to live in harmony.
Social skills that will make you succeed in life and work.
1. Don’t be passive or aggressive.
Let’s put 2 limits. At one extreme is passivity. Where you don’t fight for what you think and let third parties lead your life. And in the other, there is aggressiveness. Where the only thing that matters to you is getting what you want and you go above others.
Right in the middle, is assertiveness. According to the portal significados.com, assertiveness is a quality or behavior that certain individuals have, to communicate and defend their own rights and ideas; respecting others.
If we can be assertive, we project ourselves in a much more intelligent way in front of others. And from there, we can build better relationships.
2. Contagious positivity.
Nobody wants to be surrounded by a person who has a “but” for everything, or who has a problem for every solution.
If you want to have better relationships, you must have a positive mindset. Remember that pessimistic people are incredibly toxic and that is why we must learn to identify and deal with them.
3. Maintain eye contact.
When people talk to you, one way to show them respect is by looking into their eyes. It’s the least you can do to show them that you care about what they tell you.
For example, in work environments with your colleagues, or in customer service. It is amazing to see how the importance of the message is lost when the person who is “listening” is distracted by looking the other way.
In addition, it is very easy to see people “talking” to each other, but each one is looking at their cell phone. All that means is that what they are seeing on the cell phone is more important than what they are listening to.
Also read: How to read people (Strategies proven by science)
If you do, jump out of the pack and show respect to others by looking them in the eye. Not only for being polite, but also because you will come across as a person worth talking to.
4. Use your body language correctly.
This is one of the most difficult social skills to master, since the body speaks for itself. But it is one of the most important.
Below you will find 8 behaviors that successful people have that make them look good and be more interesting.
5. Identify the appropriate communication channels.
Have you ever argued with your partner on whatsapp? It is something totally uncomfortable, because the messages can be misinterpreted and the 2 write at the same time and the times of the conversation are lost.
Or imagine asking for a salary increase through an email. It would be very difficult to write a message that has enough weight to achieve the goal.
That is why it is important that depending on what you want to do, you select the ideal communication channel.
6. Learn to listen.
When you listen to someone else, you have to understand very well what your role is in the conversation. Does the other person need advice? Just vent? Is it okay for you to judge her of her to make her see reason? Think very well what you are there for.
Another part of learning to listen well is being receptive to criticism, but not defensive.
No matter how well you do things, they won’t be quite right for someone. So you have to be open to hearing criticism. The advice is not to take things personally, and simply analyze the criticism and reflect on its veracity. Remember that listening is how we learn the most.
7. Be flexible when you cooperate.
With our family or colleagues, there are times when we have to decide how to do things. And if we don’t have enough emotional intelligence, it can turn into chaos.
People who listen to the opinions of others and have the ability to agree and direct, are leaders. And as leaders, they have better relationships with others.
8. Let yourself be taught.
Humility is one of the most valued characteristics of people. So keep an open mind and internalize that there are people who know more than you.
9. Respect the opinions of otherss.
On topics like politics and religion, it is almost impossible to come to a conclusion. There are many points of view and positions that are deeply rooted in who we are.
However, it is important to recognize that other people have a different perspective and experience than we do; and that their opinions are born from a place we haven’t been.
You may disagree at times, but you learn a lot if you respect the opinions of others and take the time to analyze them.
10. Work on your written communication.
For many people spelling is unnecessary. But how many times should you not send a letter, an email, a resume?
If you want to project a good image and get your message across correctly, you must write correctly!
A simple strategy to improve your written communication is to read. You will learn vocabulary, use of punctuation points, writing and spelling in general. If you want to give reading a chance, here are some interesting links:
Before looking at some strategies to improve social skills, we would like to ask you a favor. Simply vote from 1 to 5 to see how you’ve found this article so far. Thank you!
Strategies to improve social skills.
Although in many cases social skills are innate, it is also possible to learn and work on them. Let’s look at some strategies:
Start small.
If you are a bit shy and sometimes come off as “rude”, it is important that you start small to improve your communication skills.
Find spaces where you feel safe and have simple conversations with few people.
Ask open questions.
To the extent that you ask open questions, the conversation will flow much more. Otherwise, if you ask closed questions, every answer will kill the conversation and you won’t be able to improve your social skills.
Make others talk about themselves.
This is a very simple but powerful strategy. We all like to talk about ourselves and our achievements, so you can take advantage of that to improve your skills.
Also, by doing so you can learn how to read people.
Pay attention to your body language.
Keep in mind that the body says more than the mouth. Below you will find 6 postures to project yourself in a better way.
Conclusion.
Social skills are a key that will open many doors for you. As we have already seen, the benefits are many. And best of all, is that we can practice and improve.
We hope this information will be of great help to you 🙂
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