Social skills are described as definite approaches applied by an individual to carry out social functions effectively and eventually be regarded as socially acceptable. Your behavior and interactions with others are indicators that reveal your status in the community you are in, if you are likely to be a friend or partner, and more importantly if they see you as a future potential asset to a company.
In practical terms, what are social skills?
1.A one on one communication where listening is a give and take interaction and each party intends to understand the messages conveyed.
2.A skill that is acquired through continuous learning. As you interact you begin to learn the aspects of personality of the person you are talking to. You begin to understand the person as to where he or she is coming from and you try to put yourself in his shoes as he relates his past experiences. You are able to draw out impressions of what he is really like and you try to act in a way that is within the appropriate norms.
3.Socials skills have two aspects - verbal and non-verbal. A person with good verbal social skills knows how to say the appropriate things at the right time, has the ability to communicate freely and get the conversation flowing smoothly, is capable of using the appropriate vocal tone and quality and able to convey the message in an educated and understandable manner.
A person with good non-verbal skills knows how to use bodily movement at an appropriate time. Your gestures enable you to convey your message clearly through actions. Your posture, your eye contact, your voice tone and facial expression are non-verbal social skills. Please take note that too many gestures can over kill. Do not over do it.
4.Social skills are influenced by culture and by a particular social group. A person's social skills are based on how he or she was brought up. Most often, our behavior is brought about by our culture. A person's social skills differ from one another. A kiss and hug on the cheek as a welcome gesture may not be a socially accepted gesture in some conservative countries.
5.Your social skills will improve as your self-esteem and worth are reinforced. It feels good to be rewarded with praise from others. One tends to be motivated and relaxed in carrying out the task when there is support at hand.
How you behave during interactions, how you put your words together, your adaptability to the environment you are in, and the way you handle matters at hand are factors that determine how your personality is judged. It is not enough to have the ready smile and feel confident. It's not about looks; it's not about what you know that draws people to like you. It is all about who you are, what you do, how you do things and how others see you that you are judged. Learning what social skills are will help you get the reward of feeling accepted. Step forward and be recognized.
There are many, many different elements to social skills and if you're looking for an all-in-one, short-and-sweet, how-to lesson on them, you're going to be disappointed. There's no magic formula for good interpersonal skills, no Social Skills Potion #6.
Social skills encompass a wide variety of verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Fortunately, social they can be learned and, with practice, you'll reap the benefits in your career and personal life.
Building Social Skills Here are three basic non-verbal tips for improving interpersonal interactions.
Smile First thing's first: smile. Smiling is a great way to make people comfortable around you and make you appear approachable. Try it when you enter a room, meeting, or event and see how it automatically creates a friendly rapport.
It's not like you should paste a phony grin or a forced smile on your face - we can all see through that. Just a simple, sincere, greeting smile that is welcoming and appealing. If you're not a "smiler," at least be aware of your facial expression.
Make Eye Contact In Western culture, making eye contact shows an interest in someone and what they're saying while avoiding eye contact can show disinterest or boredom.
Eye contact should be friendly, attentive and relaxed. It doesn't mean staring intensely into someone's eyes - this can be uncomfortable for the other person.
If looking into someone's eyes makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to look directly into them. Try looking in that general area - their eyebrows or the bridge of their nose. At the very least, look at their face as opposed to your shoes.
Listen This is probably one of the least developed social skills. Listening is different from hearing. Listening is making sense of and understanding what is being said; hearing is a physical ability. We tend to be good "hearers" but not always good listeners.
Listening goes beyond using your ears. It involves your entire face and even your body.
Your facial expressions let the speaker know that you're listening and whether or not you're following and understanding what he is saying. Focus on the person who is speaking by maintaining eye contact, nodding your head, using verbal cues such as "uh-huh" and "I see," and standing or sitting still to reduce distractions.
Also, don't interrupt. We tend to want to be the speaker and say what's on our mind. You'll have your turn to talk when the speaker is finished. Speakers need listeners and vice-a-versa.
Notice that these three tips don't include talking. This doesn't mean you shouldn't talk at all, far from it. These three skills have been isolated to emphasize their overall importance as good social skills.
Being aware of non-verbal skills is part of good social skills. If your goal is to have better interactions with others, simply keep these in mind.
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