Social skills are crucial within the workplace. Regardless of your position, or where you work, social skills will always be required in some way. This may mostly revolve around the communication with customers or clients, or your work may require more internal communication including discussions with colleagues, employers or employees.
If you find it difficult to communicate with certain people or feel as though you come across the wrong way, it can begin to affect your success at work and the enjoyment that you get out of it. Some of the social skills which are often required to succeed in a career include being able to interpret emotional reactions in others, making a sale, presenting your ideas or concerns, being involved in group discussions, delegating tasks, or working as a team.
There are also social skills which may not be directly related to your work success, but will affect your ability to enjoy your workplace. For example, you could find it difficult to make friends with your colleagues or to build a positive relationship with your employer or your employees. Alternatively, you may be engaging well with most of your colleagues but struggle to resolve a certain dispute or relationship breakdown.
Some other indicators which could suggest that there is a breakdown in the communication in your workplace include:
However, sometimes these indicators are not caused by communication, but instead by problematic thought patterns, emotions or behaviours which make them seem worse than they really are. It could also be somebody else in your workplace that has caused the communication breakdown. Therefore, identifying and resolving the problem can often be difficult to do on your own.
There are a number of VCPS practitioners that are specialised in workplace concerns, and can assist you in building up or refining your ability to effectively communicate. Some specific ways that they can help include:
