Unit - 2
Conversational& Social Skills
Conversation is the kind of speech that happens informally, symmetrically, and for the purposes of establishing and maintaining social ties. A ritualized exchange such as a mutual greeting is not a conversation, and an interaction that includes a marked status differential (such as a boss giving orders) is also not an inconversation. An interaction with a tightly focused topic or purpose is also generally not considered a conversation.
Conversations may be the optimal form of communication, depending on the participants' intended ends. Conversations may be ideal when, for example, each party desires a relatively equal exchange of information, or when the parties desire to build social ties. On the other hand, if permanency or the ability to review such information is important, written communication may be ideal. Or if time-efficient communication is most important, a speech may be preferable. Conversation involves a lot more nuanced and implied context that lies beneath just the words.
What is Public Speaking and Conversation
While both public speaking and conversation involve imparting messages to others, there are key differences between a formal public speech and a casual conversation.
Public speaking is defined as “the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners.” Public speaking is commonly understood in terms of formal, face-to-face communications delivered by single speakers to groups of listeners. Conversation, on the other hand, “is a form of interactive, spontaneous communication between two or more people who are following rules of etiquette.” Conversations are generally understood as less formal face-to-face communications where there are exchanges of ideas among multiple speakers. Conversation can occur in person or online, but does not generally include written communication, which tends to be asynchronous in nature. (Web communication among two or more people often does not occur at the same time. Some respondents reply much later, or not at all.)
Both public speaking and conversation involve speakers and audiences, as well as messages exchanged between the two parties. Listening is also an important component of both types of communication. Depending on your audience, you adjust your message based on both the context of your speech or conversation and the feedback you receive.
And of course, a good conversation and a good speech both keep the audience engaged. Incorporating elements of compelling and engaging storytelling helps ensure the success of both types of communication.
There are four key differences that set public speaking apart from conversation: organizational structure, use of formalized language, method of delivery, and timing.
Organizational Structure
Speeches and public addresses are far more organized than everyday conversation. A public speaker organizes his or her thoughts in a speech by using three basic structural elements: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Conversations can wander and meander without ever coming to a point. Speeches, on the other hand, are deliberately structured and organized.
When you sit down and have a conversation with a close friend, you might find that your language and tone are far more casual than when you sit down and have a conversation with, say, your doctor.
Public speaking formalizes language that much more. When speeches are designed to fulfill a specific purpose—to inform, influence, or entertain—they require a certain formality of speaking compared to a casual conversation between friends. Slang, profanity, and poor grammar might be accepted between friends, but are definitely not appropriate for any kind of public address or speech.
You might “strike up a conversation” without preparation, but you’ll be in trouble if you decide to “strike up a speech.” Conversations are far more spontaneous than public speeches. Effective public speeches require preparation.
Don’t let the idea of “extemporaneous” speaking fool you. Extemporaneous speeches merely involve speaking about a subject with no written notes. However, extemporaneous speeches do require lots of preparation and practice, so they are not truly spontaneous.
Timing
Public speaking is often organized into events and venues with a set time and location. Conversations, on the other hand, can spring up anywhere. Public speeches may also fall within certain time constraints, whereas conversations can be as brief or as long as those involved are willing to participate.
Human beings use their voices from the moment they are born to communicate with the world around them. Babies cry to tell their parents they are hungry, cold, or frightened, and they make happy noises when they are content.
No matter how vocal babies are however, they cannot tell thecare giver exactly what they want. At about 12 months of age, toddlers begin to develop spoken language skills that make their needs and moods clearer. Slowly they begin to speak by imitating the language they hear around them every day. By age five, they usually speak in clear, mostly correct grammatical sentences. After that, they continue to build their vocabulary and learn how to use words to (1) share information or (2) persuade those around them. What could be more persuasive than a sixteen-year-old asking for the car keys on the day after he/she gets a driver’s license? Children (and adults) talk to each other all the time: they make plans together, exchange ideas, discuss friends, rehash sports events, and resolve disputes.
It is a myth that speaking and listening are natural activities (like breathing) that we all do well without any training. It is true, however, that most people can become better at both.
It happens to the best of us: we’re talking to someone we’ve just met, and the conversation is stalling. We don’t know where to take it, how to keep it going and the silence is making us feel awkward. Although in the grand scheme of things, these moments are meaningless, they can be quite a burden for you when they happen. the biggest problem here is not that awkward feeling though, but the fact that not knowing good ways to keep a conversation going can make you lose the opportunity to get to know an otherwise great person.
It is common for conversations with new people to have bumps at the beginning. Get them over those bumps successfully, and you could find yourself building a beautiful relationship. Here are the best 5 ways I know to do this:
Find what to say in a favorite topic.
We all have things we are passionate about: activities, hobbies, projects, goals, ideas or jobs. Take some time to make a short but relevant list with the things you are most passionate about, and would make easy conversational topics for you. Read that list a couple of times and get to know it well. Then, when you find yourself in a stalling conversation, think about the list and find a way to maneuver the conversation to one of the topics on it.
● Ask open ended questions.
One way to keep a conversation going is to get the other person talking. And the best way to do this is by addressing her open-ended questions. These are questions which require more than simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers, and offer the possibility of much richer answers. Question like ‘What do you think of this event?’ instead of ‘Do you like this event?’ These kinds of questions encourage people to talk and they can be a life saver in stalling conversations.
● Blurt.
Often, we find it hard to keep a conversation going not because we can’t think of anything to say, but because we fear the other person won’t enjoy that particular subject, fact or opinion we have in mind. However, most of time, this fear is not anchored in reality. This is where blurting comes in. Blurting is a conversational technique which means saying whatever you’re thinking about in that moment, instead of censoring yourself. Give it a try, and you’ll discover that people are not that harsh and they can enjoy a lot of things in a conversation.
● Let the other person end the silence.
Most people are uncomfortable with silences in a conversation. When one occurs, they immediately try to fill it by finding something to say. You can use this to keep a conversation going. When for example, you’ve just met a person at a party, you’re talking and the conversation is stalling, do not leave that person and go find the peanuts or something like that. Instead, hang in there and let the silence work for you. Most of the time, the other person will eventually pick up the conversation and end the silence.
● Practice, practice, practice.
I know many people which had huge problems with keeping conversations going and now, they can do this even with the most shy or uncooperative person. How did they manage to get to this point? They’ve practiced. They consciously pushed themselves out of their comfort zones, to meet new people, to socialize and to apply techniques like the other 4 mentioned above. Do the same, and you’ll see the same kind of results with your conversational skills.
Finally, remember that you don’t have to keep a conversation going no matter what. If you see the person, you’re talking to is simply refusing to participate in the conversation and be sociable, you can end the conversation politely and go talk to someone else. However, I believe you have the responsibility to at least try and make a conversation work. And if you do this well, you will be significantly more able to make great friends and influence people.
1. Conversation is a Two-Way Street
The first and most important rule of conversation is that it is not all about you, but it’s not all about the other person either.
A monologue, in either direction, is not conversation. Try to achieve a balance between talking and listening in any conversation.
This is where social media makes life difficult. We’re used to broadcasting our views, and then responding if others comment. That can feel like the start of a conversation but, when you’re face to face, it’s not polite to start by broadcasting your views.
Instead, try asking a question to establish common ground. For example: “What do you do?”, or even “Isn’t the weather beautiful?”
Be Friendly and Polite
Smiling, and being nice, will take you a long way in conversational terms. Everyone would rather chat to someone friendly and pleasant. But what are the practical elements of this?
Build rapport.
You can build rapport by establishing some common ground and by simply smiling and using positive and reinforcing body language. There is more about this on our page: Non-Verbal Communication.
- Be nice.
Don’t say unpleasant things about anyone. After all, the person you’re talking about could be your new acquaintance’s best friend. And even if they’re not, your new acquaintance may not relish discussion about someone behind their back (and neither should you). See our page on Friendliness for some ideas.
2. Try to avoid contentious topics on first acquaintance.
It’s fine to talk politics once you know someone a bit better. When you first meet someone, though, it’s better to stick to neutral ground, which is why so many people talk about the weather. This is where ‘small talk’ comes in.
The Importance of ‘Small Talk’
‘Small talk’ is, broadly, inconsequential ‘chit-chat’ about minor or uncontentious issues such as the weather, recent news items or jobs. Some people purport to despise small talk as being unimportant, or trivial, but it serves a useful function of allowing you to build rapport and establish common ground without having to invest too much emotion in the conversation. This may be particularly important for introverts.
However, dull you find someone, it is best not to say so!
Just bring the conversation to a polite close, perhaps by saying something like “I must just go and catch so-and-so before they go. It’s been really nice to chat to you”, or “Please excuse me, I promised to help with x and I see they need me now”.
3. Respond to What They are Saying
To respond genuinely to what someone has just said means that you have to listen. You can’t just switch off, and think about what you’re going to say next. However, if we’re honest, most of us would admit that we often do just that.
It’s important to focus on the other person, and what they’re saying. You also need to take into account their body language.
4. Use Signalling to Help the Other Person
When a conversation is flowing well, it moves naturally from one person to the other. However, if one or both are finding it more of a struggle to ‘chat’, you may find it helpful to use ‘signals’ to show the other person that it is their turn to talk.
The most common type of signal is questions. These may be either open or closed.
Closed questions invite a yes/no answer.
In conversation, they might include “Don’t you agree?”, and “Are you enjoying the party?” They are not really inviting the other person to do more than nod and agree, rather than to share the conversation.
Open questions invite more information.
They open up the conversation to the other person, and invite them to participate. For this reason, in conversation, they are often called ‘invitations’. Open questions often start ‘How…?’ or ‘Why….?’
There is more about questioning on our pages on Questioning and Types of Questions.
5. Create Emotional Connections
Of course, it is perfectly possible to conduct a conversation entirely at the level of small talk, with nothing important being said.
But conversation is also a way to explore whether you wish to know someone better and build a relationship with them. It can therefore be useful to understand how to use conversation to create and build emotional connections.
The key is sharing appropriate information.
That means being prepared to be open about what interests you, what makes you into you as a person, and inspiring the other person to share too.
This ‘sharing’ doesn’t have to be big stuff. It can be as simple as:
“It’s so lovely having this beautiful sunshine. It meant I could go canoeing this weekend and we had such a beautiful paddle.”
That leaves the field open for the other person to say:
“Oh, do you canoe? I used to paddle too. Where did you go?”
“Yes, it’s lovely weather. I went for a walk myself. It’s great to be outside, isn’t it?”
or even
“I find the heat difficult myself, but the children loved having the paddling pool out.”
All different responses, but all sharing an emotional connection with the other person and keeping the conversation flowing.
Personality refers to an individual’s characteristics, style, behavior, mindset, attitude, his own unique way of perceiving things and seeing the world. Genetic factors, family backgrounds, varied cultures, environment, current situations play an imperative role in shaping one’s personality. The way you behave with others reflects your personality. An individual with a pleasing personality is appreciated and respected by all.
Effective Communication skills play a crucial role in honing one’s personality. Communication helps individuals to express themselves in the most convincing way. Your thoughts, feelings and knowledge should be passed on in the most desirable manner and effective communication skills help you in the same.
A person should speak really well to make a mark of his/her own. Remember, no one would take you seriously if you do not master the art of expressing yourself clearly and in the most convincing manner.
Not all people are blessed with excellent communication skills; they acquire the same with time and practice. People with great communication skills tend to have a better and impressive personality than those who have problems in communicating as interacting with others is not a challenge for them. Individuals with effective communication skills can easily converse with other people around be it their fellow workers, peers, family and so on.
Effective communication skills strengthen the bond among individuals. It is also said to improve the interpersonal relationships with other people.
Careful selection of words is essential for effective communication skills. You really need to know what you are speaking. You never know what might hurt the other person. Never even think of being rude to anyone.
Speak convincingly so that the other person understands what you intend to communicate. Your style of speaking has a tremendous impact on your personality. Speaking slowly always helps as it allows you to find appropriate words and also reflects thoughtfulness. Emphasize important and relevant words for the other person to realize the importance.
Speaking confidently is the key to an impressive and great personality. Do not show signs of nervousness while interacting with others. There is no point of being nervous unless and until you yourself are not sure of what you are speaking. Develop proper eye contact with the other person. Do not look around while interacting with the other person.
Take care of your body language. Correct body language exudes confidence which further hones an individual’s personality. Do not fiddle with things around while speaking.
Be very particular about the pronunciation of words. If you are not very sure of how to pronounce a particular word, avoid the same in your speech. Pronouncing words wrongly creates a bad impression on others.
You really do not need to speak with a fake accent to prove that you have excellent communication skills. Avoid copying others. An individual should have his/her own style to stand apart from the rest. Speaking articulately enhances one’s personality and makes him/her different from others.
Do not play with words. Never try to fool anyone as you might fall in the trap later on. One should always say things straight to the point.
It is important to be a good and patient listener for effective communication skills. Observe whether the other person is listening to you or not. Allow the other person to speak as well in case of queries or confusions.
The Importance of Communication
What is Communication?
Being able to communicate effectively is one of the most important life skills to learn. Communication is defined as transferring information to produce greater understanding. It can be done vocally (through verbal exchanges), through written media (books, websites, and magazines), visually (using graphs, charts, and maps) or non-verbally (body language, gestures, pitch of voice, and tone). All of these means of communication are essential Soft Skills that are vital for a successful Career.
Importance
Having strong communication skills aids in all aspects of life – from professional life to personal life and everything that falls in between. From a business standpoint, all transactions result from communication. Good communication skills are essential to allow others and yourself to understand information more accurately and quickly. In contrast, poor communication skills lead to frequent misunderstanding and frustration.
Effective communication is vital for efficient management and to improve industrial relations. In modern world the growth of telecommunication, information technology and the growing competition and complexity in production have increased importance of communication in organisations large and small irrespective of their type and kind. A corporate executive must be in a position to communicate effectively with his superiors, colleagues in other departments and subordinates. This will make him perform well and enable him to give his hundred percent to the organization.
Competence Relationships
Relationship is the capacity to develop and maintain a constructive working alliance with clients".
Competence is the set of demonstrable characteristics and skills that enable, and improve the efficiency or performance of a job. The term "competence" first appeared in an article authored by R.W. White in 1959 as a concept for performance motivation. The relationship competency is the foundation and the prerequisite for all the other competencies in professional area
Relational competence—the set of traits that allow people to interact with each other effectively—enjoys a long history of being recorded, studied, and analyzed. Accordingly, Relational Competence Theory (RCT) complements theories that treat individuals’ personality and functioning individually by placing the individual into full family and social context.
Practicing Relational Competence
It starts by embracing a mindset that values the qualities of appreciation, commitment, responsibility, harmony, active participation, and inquisitiveness and personal growth. By practicing relational competence, leaders set the context for openness, tolerance and respect for differences of all types. By being able to see others as people of worth, exploring differences, and speaking one’s own truth, leaders can shape the affirming possibilities for further connection and positive regard.
Relational competence is practiced when one is authentic and content in who he/she is. Giving up the ego, letting go of pretense and relinquishing any sense of self-importance usually wins the respect and affection of others. Authenticity and contentment can be practiced by being real regardless of one’s current state or condition. As a person practices authenticity and contentment with oneself, he or she develops true self-confidence, which nourishes the spirit and provides the motivation to strive for something more. Being authentic and content means acting with integrity, being sincere, and legitimizing the needs and concerns of other people. Doing so builds common ground and foster a sense of reciprocity in every relationship.
Relational competence is practiced when safe environments are created where people can feel free to express their deepest fears, insecurities, and vulnerabilities. Recognizing, accepting, and sharing one’s own fragility helps to create this environment. Overcoming fears, insecurities, and vulnerabilities uncovers possibilities for the discovery of one’s higher potential in relationship, life and leadership. Taking the time to create safe space in relationships is a way of taking responsibility for the success of every relational interaction. Every relational interaction brings with it the opportunity to deprive or nourish the spirit. To drive relational success, leaders must learn to promote the health, well-being, and integrity within relationships. Being truthful, unmistakably constructive and respectful, acknowledging important successes and admirable qualities, and assuming positive intent in people and their motives are specific ways relational competence is practiced.
Social skills are the skills we use to communicate and interact with each other, both verbally and non-verbally, through gestures, body language and our personal appearance.
Human beings are sociable creatures and we have developed many ways to communicate our messages, thoughts and feelings with others.
Characteristics of Social Skills
Role of Communication
Communication plays an important role in increasing the comfort factor amongst the employees and eventually a healthy culture at the workplace.
The following points can illustrate the role of communication:
1. Base for Action:
Communication acts as a base for any action. Starting of any activity begins with communication which brings information necessary to begin with.
2. Planning Becomes Easy:
Communication facilitates planning. Planning is made easy by communication. Any type of information regarding the human resource requirement of each department of the organization with their qualifications, the type and kinds of job etc. can be collected through communication which helps in human resource planning. Policies and programmes for their acquisition can be prepared and implemented. In the entire process communication plays a vital role, it also facilitates managerial planning of the organization.
3. Means of Coordination:
Communication is an important tool for coordinating the efforts of various people at work in the organization.
4. Aids in Decision-Making:
The information collected through communication aids in decision-making. Communication facilitates access to the vital information required to take decisions.
5. Provides Effective Leadership:
A communication skill bring manager near to his subordinates and exchange ideas and submits appropriate proposals, knows their opinions, seeks advices and make decisions. This enables a manager to win confidence of his subordinates through constantly communicating with them and removing probable misunderstandings. In this way he leads his people to accomplish the organizational goal.
6. Boosts Morale and Motivation:
An effective communication system instills confidence among subordinates and workers ensuring change in their attitude and behaviour. The main cause of conflict and dissatisfaction is misunderstanding which can be removed through communication skills. The removal of misunderstanding makes manager and his subordinates understand each other and create good industrial relations. This boosts up the morale of the people and motivates them to work harder.
Purposeful Socializing
Socialization is known as the process of inducting the individual into the social world. It is the process through which a person, from birth through death, is taught the norms, customs, values, and roles of the society in which they live It is the means by which human infants begin to acquire the skills necessary to perform as functioning members of their society. The term socialization refers to the process of interaction through which the growing individual learns the habits, attitudes, values, and beliefs of the social group into which he has been born.
This process serves to incorporate new members into a society so that they and it can function smoothly. It is guided by family, teachers and coaches, religious leaders, peers, community, and media, among others.
The Purpose of Socialization
Socialization is the process by which a person learns to be a member of a group, community, or society. Its purpose is to incorporate new members into social groups, but it also serves the dual purpose of reproducing the groups to which the person belongs. Without socialization, we would not even be able to have a society because there would be no process through which the norms, values, ideas, and customs that compose a society could be transmitted.
It is through socialization that we learn what is expected of us by a given group or in a given situation.
In effect, socialization is a process that serves to preserve social order by keeping us in line with expectations. It is a form of social control.
The goals of socialization are to teach us to control biological impulses as children, to develop a conscience that fits with the norms of society, to teach and develop meaning in social life (what is important and valued), and to prepare us for various social roles and how we will perform them.
Attributes of Communication
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
-Stephen R. Covey.
Communication plays the role of linking one person to another, as it is the integral part of the society. It is a dynamic process which never ends, because it is an essential activity in the universe. Communication is considered as the life blood of an organization providing many fold functions as the top and bottom officials interact with one another.
There are certain attributes of Communication principles which are applied to establish good communication. These create an effective interaction at all the levels of personal and official life.
Completeness: When the communication contains all the required information to bring the response, the sender desires is called completeness. A complete message brings desired results as an incomplete message results in misunderstanding.
Conciseness: According to Shakespeare, ' Brevity is the soul of wit.’ Conciseness is using few words to convey the message. It means to avoid useless repetition of words in the message.
Clarity: The use of simple Language with easy sentence structure, leads to clarity in the message. Clarity in communication aids the receiver in understanding the meaning sent by the sender.
Correctness; Correctness means accuracy in transmitting correct facts and figures in a correct language i.e. free from grammatical errors, spelling, at the appropriate time.
Concreteness: Instead of being general, a particular and specific message is conveyed is called concreteness. Concreteness strengthens the Self belief because the message communicated is exact and proper.
Consideration: The most important 'C' in Communication is to take consideration of the audience's viewpoints, knowledge and education level. It also means to use words and language, which suits the audience needs and understanding level. Consideration makes sure that the self- respect of the audience is taken care of which doesn’t hurt their emotions.
Courtesy: Courtesy refers to be open, friendly and honest in communication. Courtesy doesn’t mean to think only about the receiver but also give due importance to their feelings
To establish good communication, these attributes are to be applied, as they are not only limited to the language aspect but also applicable to all forms of communication. In the end these attributes make the communication well- structured and clear- cut.
Conflict resolution is the process by which two or more parties reach a peaceful resolution to a dispute.1
In the workplace, there can be a variety of types of conflict:
Conflict may occur between co-workers, or between supervisors and subordinates, or between service providers and their clients or customers.
Conflict can also occur between groups, such as management and the labor force, or between whole departments.
Conflict resolution skills are required for a wide range of positions across many job sectors. This requirement is based around the fact that conflict tends to reduce productivity and create a difficult work environment, leading to unwanted turnover in staff and reduced morale.
What Is Relationship Management?
Relationship management is a strategy in which an organization maintains an ongoing level of engagement with its audience. This management can occur between a business and its customers (business to consumer [B2C]) or between a business and other businesses (business to business [B2B]). Relationship management aims to create a partnership between an organization and its patrons, instead of viewing the relationship as merely transactional.
Relationship management involves strategies to build client support for a business and its offerings, and increase brand loyalty. Most often, relationship building occurs at the customer level, but it is valuable between businesses as well.
Relationship Management is all about your interpersonal communication skills. It's all about the ability to get the best out of others, an ability to inspire and influence them, the ability to communicate and build bonds with them, and an ability to help them change, grow, develop, and resolve conflict.
Relationship MManagement is all about the mutually beneficial relationship between the organization and its interested parties, which will increase the ability of both to create value.
Relationship Management may involve:
Improvement refers to the procedure of analyzing, identifying and improving processes within a business to enhance overall quality. There are a range of systematic approaches, methodologies and tools available to support process improvement.
What is feedback?
Feedback is the process of evaluating, discussing and organizing an employee’s performance. It is an action used to offer constructive information to a team member. The process of giving feedback creates an open working relationship among the team leader and member, allowing each to understand their progress toward a pre-set goal.
Feedback is a means of improvement. It helps individuals shape their actions to better meet the needs of an employer or team leader. Feedback is just one of the required tasks of a supervisor or manager and is meant to encourage their team to meet goals and follow company guidelines.
Here are some common elements of effective feedback:
Timeliness: The most effective feedback is timely. Offer feedback when the team member can take action to improve, either immediately or shortly after the event in question.
Communicative: Communicative feedback creates a collaborative environment. In comparison to written feedback, communicative feedback allows team members to ask questions or gain more clarity.
Constructive: Effective feedback is constructive, offering positive solutions. Only offer feedback on actions or tasks that can be improved.
Specific: Specificity in feedback is important so that team members understand their areas of strength and weakness. This allows them to improve specific skills.
Detailed: Providing details with feedback can help team members develop a clearer understanding of the areas in which they can improve. Offer specific details about events and tasks.
Types of team feedback:
The type of feedback that you choose when working with your team will vary depending on the goal of the feedback. Here are a few of the most popular types of feedback in a business setting:
Goal-setting is the process of taking active steps to achieve desired outcome.
Goals,’ as defined by Latham & Locke (2002, p.705) are “the object or aim of an action, for example, to attain a specific standard of proficiency, usually within a specified time limit.” They are the level of competence that we wish to achieve and create a useful lens through which we assess our current performance.
Goal setting can look very different depending on an individual’s lifestyle, values and definition of success. Your goals are unique to you and don’t need to look like anyone else’s.
The classic goal setting definition boils down to the process of identifying something you want to accomplish and establishing measurable objectives and timeframes to help you achieve it. Goal setting can help you in any area of your life, from achieving financial freedom to adopting a healthy diet. When you learn how to set goals in one area of your life, it becomes easier to set them in other areas.
Setting progressive goals that allow small wins helps to move on to larger achievements. These small goals lead to progress, which is the only thing you really need to feel fulfilled and happy.
Affording Resources
Resource lists are very much like the food we eat on a daily basis that helps nourish our bodies. We eat this food because it provides us with the energy we need to do what we do throughout the day. Likewise, our resource lists provide us with the nourishment we need to overcome obstacles and achieve our goals and objectives.
Developing your own life resource list could very well be the start of a remarkable journey of transformation. Likewise, it could determine whether or not you achieve your goals or overcome those niggling obstacles that are standing in your way.
A life resource list provides you with helpful strategies, ideas, answers and solutions that will help you achieve your goals and objectives.
Life resource lists will give you a set of tools you can use that support the tasks and projects you are wanting to achieve. They also supply you with everything you need to overcome obstacles, challenges, and problems as they arise.
Resources can be classified as being external (outside of you), or internal (inside of you). External resources may include books, blogs, journals, software programs, gadgets, support from others, etc. While internal resources can include things such as the knowledge, qualities, habits, critical skills, emotional techniques you have learned, etc.
Finally, it’s important to classify resources as being acquired and required. Acquired resources are the resources that you currently have at your disposal to help you achieve your goals or overcome the obstacles standing in your way. Your required resources, on the other hand, are resources you have identified that you need to accomplish your goals, but you haven’t as yet acquired them.
The key here is to identify the current set of resources, and then pinpoint the resources that are still needed — developing a plan of action on how to acquire them.
Adopting Interpersonal skills
Interpersonal skills involve the ability to communicate and build relationships with others. Effective interpersonal skills can help you during the job interview process and can have a positive impact on your career advancement. Interpersonal skills are traits you rely on when you interact and communicate with others.
Some examples of interpersonal skills include:
In a work environment, strong interpersonal skills are an asset that can help you navigate complexity, change and day-to-day tasks.
Strong interpersonal skills can help you during the job interview process as interviewers look for applicants who can work well with others. They will also help you succeed in almost any job by helping you understand other people and adjusting your approach to work together effectively. For example, while a software engineer may spend the majority of her time working on code independently, she may need to collaborate with other programmers to effectively bring a product to market.
While interpersonal skills can seem easy to practice as you interact with others on a daily basis, making a deliberate plan can help you quickly improve. Consider the following ways to improve your interpersonal skills.
Attend workshops or online classes. There are several workshops, online classes and videos on ways you can practice building interpersonal skills. While many are free, some are available at a cost.
Seek opportunities to build relationships. If you work from home or do not otherwise have many opportunities to build interpersonal skills, you might consider joining a group. This could be related to your work—networking or industry-specific groups—or simply a group that shares a similar interest or hobby.
Be thoughtful about ways your interactions could improve. Take time to review the interactions you have had and consider ways you could have interacted more effectively. This might be certain words you said, ways you reacted or body language you used.
Ask trusted friends or colleagues for constructive criticism. It is helpful to get a third-party perspective about your skill level and specific ways you can improve. Ask friends or trusted colleagues to provide constructive criticism regarding your interpersonal skills.
Observe other positive interpersonal interactions. It can also be helpful to learn by observing others use their interpersonal skills. Observe positive interactions of those around you and apply the qualities you admire to your own relationships.
Seek mentorship. Asking someone you trust, admire and respect to counsel you on improving interpersonal skills and advancing in your career can be an extremely effective way to learn.
References:
1. Technical Communication, (Second Ed.); O.U.P., Meenakshi Raman & S. Sharma New Delhi, 2011
2. Personality Development, Harold R. Wallace et. al, Cengage Learning India Pvt. Ltd; New Delhi 2006
3. Personality Development & Soft Skills, Barun K. Mitra, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2012.
4. Practical Communication by L.U.B. Pandey; A.I.T.B.S. Publications India Ltd.; Krishan Nagar, 2013, Delhi.
5. Developing Communication Skills: by Krishna Mohan, Meera Banerji; McMillan India Ltd, Delhi,1990.
