Improve Your Social Skills

If you’re out there pounding the pavement in search of a new job, you’d better hone your people skills, and quick.

Perceptions of your supervisors, your colleagues and your friends in the work place are critical.  It doesn’t matter how competent or how intelligent you are. What DOES matter is how well you can relate to your boss, your co-workers and your clients.  Connections are everything.

The good news is that there are things that you can do to improve your social skills. One very simple thing you can do is to practice smiling!  You’ll be surprised to see what kind of results this will bring you. 

One obvious benefit is that you will greatly enhance your ‘friendliness factor,’ which will in turn encourage other to gravitate to you. By simply maintaining a cheerful attitude, you are also likely to find that your life will become more pleasant...  

Secondly, let those around you know how much you appreciate their efforts. By complimenting them on the way they look, or the tasks they complete, you’ll find that they are automatically more receptive to you. Don’t forget to use ‘please’ and ‘thank-you’ religiously, and MEAN it every time you say these words. In so doing, you will encourage them to put forth their best efforts.

Third, learn to care about others, and make it abundantly obvious that you do. Ask about their family, their professional career goals and be sensitive to their feelings. Contribute any information you feel may be helpful to them.  Ask for their opinions and ideas. (Even if you don’t think much of those opinions or ideas, it won’t cost you anything to listen for a few moments.) 

Lastly, don’t come across as a ‘naysayer’ or someone with a chip on your shoulder. No one likes to be around complainers.  You’ve probably heard the old saying, “You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.’ 

Try to look at the positive side of a situation and don’t allow yourself to become critical.  And, never, EVER, participate in office gossip—this is, in and of itself a guaranteed recipe for disaster.