6 Key Social Skills
Social skills are arguably the most important set of abilities a person can have. Human beings are social animals and a lack of good social skills can lead to a lonely life, contributing to anxiety and depression. Great social skills help you meet interesting people, get that job you want, progress further in your career and relationships.
Happily, like any skill, social strategies and techniques can be learned…
The main social skills are as follows:
1) The ability to remain relaxed, or at a tolerable level of anxiety while in social situations
Regardless of how skillful you are in social situations, if you are too anxious, your brain is functioning in way unsuited to speaking and listening. In addition, if your body and face give the unconscious message that you are nervous, it will be more difficult to build rapport with others.
2) Listening skills, including letting others know you are listening
3) Empathy with and interest in others' situations
A major part of social anxiety is self consciousness, which is greatly alleviated by focusing strongly on someone else. A fascination (even if forced at first) with another's conversation not only increases your comfort levels, it makes them feel interesting.
4) The ability to build rapport, whether natural or learned
Rapport is a state of understanding or connection that occurs in a good social interaction. It says basically "I am like you, we understand each other". Rapport occurs on an unconscious level, and when it happens, the language, speech patterns, body movement and posture and other aspects of communication can synchronise down to incredibly fine levels.
Rapport is an unconscious process, but it can be encouraged by conscious efforts.
5) Knowing how, when and how much to talk about yourself - 'self disclosure'
6) Appropriate eye contact
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