Author Archive
How Many Social Skills Will Make You Successful?
The thing with social skills is that just having a couple won’t make you succeed socially. It’s a collection of skills, ranging from being able to introduce yourself and knowing what to say after “hello,” to non-verbal communication to giving feedback and a whole bunch of other skills in between. We find ourselves in many […]
Maybe It’s Not You - Maybe It’s Them
There are many people who want better relationships, more friends, and meaningful interactions with others. Often, they recognize that part of their problem is that their own communication and social skills aren’t very good.
It’s true that if you lack various social skills then you’re most likely part of your problem. But let’s look at […]
How Can You Improve Your Social Skills?
One common suggestion that is recommended for improving social skills is to practice. Practice meeting other people, going to social events, joining clubs, taking classes or practice being with different people in various situations.
But practice what?
Practice being in a crowded room and standing by yourself in the corner?
Practice feeling awkward?
Practice being nervous around […]
The Art of Poor Listening
Poor listening is an art. Fortunately, it’s a talent that’s easy to master. It takes little effort and if you’re really good at it, you’ll be able to quickly tune out the speaker or, better yet, get him to stop talking so that you can start. It’s a great way to make your relationships all […]
One Step to Making Small Talk
Just the thought of small talk congers up painful memories of stilted conversations that revolved around the weather and umpteen other dreadfully boring topics. While small talk is engaging in non-personal conversation that is casual, light and “safe” - meaning that the topics are of general interest and are not offensive - it doesn’t have […]
Four Common Myths About Social Skills
Many people misunderstand what social skills are - and what they’re not. Here’s a quick look at a few common myths and some information on what social skills really are.
Myth #1:
People who like talking are interesting and have good social skills.
False.
Verbosity isn’t a social skill. In fact, it can damage one’s social popularity […]
Five Tips to Help You Improve Your Social Skills
There are many different social skills and the impact they have on other people varies. Acting on two or three “easy” skills isn’t enough. The best results are achieved when several skills are used in combination with one another. The expression “the total is greater than the sum of its parts” resonates loudly with respect […]
Three Steps to a Powerful Thank You
Everyone likes being appreciated - I know I do and I suspect most other people do also.
We were taught - or “trained” - at a very young age to say “thank you” at the same time we were taught to say “please.” I still hear parents today asking their kids the same question my parents […]