`Social' at Work
NO LONGER are interpersonal skills being regarded as "additional qualifications" one needs to possess to work in an organisation. Rather, they are the essential qualities managements proactively look for in recruits these days.
Social skills encompass the ability to assess situations that arise in our daily lives and react to them in an appropriate manner. Though the ability to communicate sensibly is an important quality, it is not the sole constituent of good social skills.
Join the club! Most of the employees today lack the very essential interpersonal skills required at the work place. They do not know how to interact with their colleagues and superiors.
However, apart from helping maintain good interpersonal relationship with everyone, these skills help us move ahead in our career. Networking is central to maintaining good relationship with colleagues and can take your career to new heights.
Here are some ways to improve your social skills:
Self Analysis: To improve your interpersonal skills, it is imperative that you have a pragmatic view of yourself. This allows you to be sensitive to your reactions in a situation and also enables you to have an insight into the other person's perception about you.
Listen: Listening, as they say, is imperative for speaking. Most of us commit the mistake of assuming that we already know what is being said, and do not pay proper attention. This could lead to miscommunication. The advice is: listen - understand-acknowledge- repeat.
Take feedback: An unbiased and positive feedback is the best bet to get to know yourself. It is but natural, to get defensive when you hear something negative about yourself. Take all the criticism with an open mind, be receptive to change and make an honest self-assessment.
Give feedback: Constructive criticism is the best help you can extend your colleagues. However, the important thing here is how you manage it. Do not make it personal; talk about the problem, not the person. Suggesting ways to improve behaviour is more important than simply pointing out the behaviour that needs to be modified.
Give and take compliments: Accepting compliments gracefully is as important as giving them. Take compliments without appearing too embarrassed or arrogant. You needn't be overtly modest when taking compliments; smile genuinely to express your pleasure.
The same sincerity is required when you extend compliments. The importance of social skills at work place has risen several notches higher. And to keep up with these raised standards, you need to be more sociable.
At the risk of sounding clichéd, I must say that `Practice makes a man perfect.' No book or article can make you a `people's person', as long as you do not put it into practice. And so, if walking up to a person and starting a conversation does not sound like you, make a deliberate attempt. It would be well worth your time and effort to recognise your weaknesses and work on them.
HAJIRA SHAHEEN
faqs@cnkonline.com
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