3 Unconventional Ways to Improve Your Soft Skills
Everyone talks about them, companies strive to test for them, but how do you actually improve the skills that you use to interact with people and influence groups? Interpersonal management skills, often referred to as “soft skills” are not taught in MBA programs, nor are they taught in most undergraduate schools but, they are sought after by almost every employer out there.
Soft skills aren’t something you can learn quickly in an intensive class, you develop them throughout your life. However, there are a number of little things you can do to push yourself towards better interpersonal management skills.
1. Eat with others. Don’t just grab lunch at your desk or go straight home after work. Go out with your coworkers or, if you’re on a budget, bring your bag lunch down and actually interact with people as you eat. Not only does it make you mind your manners, it helps you develop how you make connections with people through small talk. For an even more in depth look at how this helps your social skills, check out this review of the book Never Eat Alone. As an additional bonus, you will do your job even better as you will inevitabley learn about connected projects and ideas through your coworkers that you can use.
2. Blog. I know, you’re thinking “How could this help develop social skills? You’re just being a nerd and typing your thoughts on the internet.” This couldn’t be further from the truth, as I pointed out in my post “Why blog as a Gen Y Young Professional?“. In fact, blogging helps you put together cogent arguments, express yourself more completely, and generally be more socially aware. TechCrunch points out a study that came to this same conclusion:
A new study has found Bloggers are better adjusted and live healthier, happier social lives.
The research, from Swinburne University of Technology found that “people felt they had better social support and friendship networks than those who did not blog” after a two month blogging period when compared to people who do not blog.”
3. Organize social gatherings or events. This takes work outside of your job but, it pays off. Getting your friends to get out of their apartments, especially after they get married, is a real test of anyones influencing skills. Sometimes it means getting to know their significant others (more social development) other times, you may need to pull together an event that includes a food, drinks, entertainment, etc (management). Whatever the event or gathering, you will strengthen relationships and develop your soft skills all while having a good time.
How do you work on your soft skills?
Welcome! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed or subscribe via email. Thanks for visiting!
Tags: Career Development, Management, Personality, Young Professional
Subscriber in a reader
Add Pic
March 4th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
These are great tips. I think soft skills - or interpersonal skills - are the most important skill. Ever.
It’s interesting that you threw blogging in there as a way to develop them. I’ve often struggled with how much time I blog because it’s not in the “real-world,” of which I’m a proponent. But you’re right. It allows me to develop cognizant arguments, and I often find myself quoting my blog when I’m talking. Dork, I know.
Add Pic
March 4th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Thanks Rebecca! I quote my blog all the time too, ask any of my friends
Add Pic
March 4th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I just think there are so many ways to improve our soft skills outside of the classroom or ropes course. Any other suggestions?
Add Pic
March 5th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Another way I find is so simple and can be extremely useful is just saying hi to the people you encounter every day. Sounds so trivial, but you never know what kinds of conversations you can strike up with someone in the hallway, elevator, lunch line, etc if you don’t even initiate a simple hello. Not to mention the fact that you never know what kind of day a person is having and just by saying, you may have made their day.
Perfect example of this was a few weeks ago I was moving in to my new apartment and happened to notice someone else moving things in at the same time. I said hi, introduced myself and ended up striking up a conversation about how she had just returned from a trip to South America. Come to find out she lived on my floor!
Add Pic
March 5th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
I’m not sure about the blogging part. I mean blog for most part is good professionally but then one adds random stuff like hobbies and favorite movies. Can a blog be a combination of all of those? Career blogs are good but they get boring for a while (I tried to have a serious blog but my readers were getting bored so I switched to blogging with humor and fandom stuff).