What are Social Skills?


What are Social Skills?

by  on June 3, 2013

Social skills involve picking up on social cues, interpreting the behavior of others, and interacting with others in positive ways.  Examples of social skills may include self-confidence, problem-solving, being flexible and adaptable, displaying empathy, dealing with conflict, smiling, being polite, showing interest, actively listening, and many more. Necessary social skills can vary based on the social norms of a given culture or setting. Some social skills may be innate, but many can be learned. As Daniel Goleman noted in his book, Social Intelligence, a crucial component to acting wisely in relationships is to develop an understanding of how our moods or reactions are influenced by our interactions (past and present) with others and equally important, how our actions, words, and nonverbal behaviors make others feel and react to us.
Example of good social skills:
  • Maintaining eye contact. When talking with individuals, it is important to maintain regular eye contact, but okay to look away so you do not remain in an awkward stare. In groups, make eye contact with different people in the group
  • Being able to elicit conversations with and acknowledge others when walking into a room or entering a face-to-face social setting
  • Taking turns when talking, not interrupting others
  • Identifying a tone of voice that is not too loud, too soft, or monotone
  • Considering the receiver’s emotional state and modifying your own speech if necessary
  • Being able to empathize with others
  • Laughing at appropriate times and refraining from laughter at inappropriate times
  • Using appropriate body language and touch for certain settings
  • Employing facial expressions that match what you or another is saying
  • Being able to detect if the receiver does not understand what you are saying
  • Asking for clarification if you do not understand what the other person is saying

These are just a few examples of good social skills. Ask your mentors or professionals you know what social skills they value in students or employees. Do you believe you have good social skills? Do others perceive your social skills the same way? You may want to do your own research among your friends and ask them to tell you how you might be portraying yourself to others.

Additional resources on social skills:
*Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Power of a Handshake

Image
The Power of a Handshake by   Lisa Brooks   on   August 13, 2013   What does your handshake say about you? Does it convey that you are confident and self-assured? Or, does it suggest that you are insecure, an emotional bully, or overconfident? Research shows that not only will you be judged by your handshake, you will be forming an impression about the other person when shaking hands. During my etiquette training at the Protocol School of Washington, I was taught to see the right hand as a sensor for discovering the type of person with whom I was dealing. Once you understand the subtle messages of a handshake and learn how to deliver the correct handshake, you will have a significant advantage in mastering your professional image. This article provides guidelines for delivering the correct handshake, as well as it will help you interpret (and avoid) some of the most common types of undesirable handshakes, such as the “dead fish,” the “fingertip holder,” the”glo...
Read more

The Art of Self-Disclosure

Image
The Art of Self-Disclosure by   Jill Bowers   on   June 30, 2013   How much information will  you  disclose in an interview or professional setting? It was Abraham Lincoln who said, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” This does not mean you should have to feel insecure that everything you say might be stupid or offend someone. What it does mean, however, is that you should think before you speak. In doing this, you can avoid disclosing  too much  information about yourself. In fact,  what  or  how much  you disclose can influence how others’ perceive you and how much they trust you as a potential employee or colleague. For example, “too much disclosure” may cause an interviewer to think you have “issues” or cause them to question your ability to keep information about their company or clients confidential. Not enough disclosure, on the other hand, can make you appear “c...
Read more

Omnipresence of Sugar

Image
                                                                    Omnipresence of Sugar By Shaun Hurdelbrink and Natasha Cole, MPH, RD on April 28, 2015 Are you aware of sugar’s omnipresence in your life or how much you truly consume? Added sugar is found in many foods: breakfast cereals, fruit juices, granola bars, ketchup, BBQ sauce, soymilk, energy drinks, protein bars, etc. You get the idea. Unsurprisingly, Americans consume “an average of more than 500 calories per day from added sugar alone.” 1  Not only do added sugars themselves contribute several hundred calories daily, but sugar’s low nutritional value makes people “continue to feel hungry” after consuming them. 2  Sugar not only contributes to obesity around the world, but it is also linked to other health problems such as: hypertension...
Read more