Adult Social Skills - Learning to Share the Swings
When you were a child learning social skills, you probably never thought adults would need to practice adult social skills to share and play fair.
However similar adult social skills are to those we learned as children, they seem to be easily forgotten or overlooked. Adult social skills are an important resource and tool for improving relationships and advancing through your career.
The person who has the nicest girlfriend or the best job is not necessarily the most attractive or the smartest person. The person with the assets and attributes you envy is more likely the person with the social skills necessary to bring good things to him or herself.
Social skills are essential components to quality conversation. Social skills are the characteristics and traits we express that make us successful in our interactions with other people.
Adult social skills are not much different from the grace necessary to share the swings as children. In the office or in our relationships, we still need to share, to listen, to say please, and to say thank you.
These essential skills are important components to a good personality - a winning personality. The following list enumerates some of the social skills you may have learned and practiced as a child that still apply and are even more important in adult situations.
1. Adult social skills - play fair.
Social skills are designed to put you on an equal footing with other people and gear you towards positive interactions. When you are playing fair and sharing as you should, you will find it much easier to practice social skills and other will return the favor to you.
2. Adult social skills - listen with both of your ears.
When people are talking to you, listen to what they have to say and really try to hear what they are trying to communicate. Too often, people begin disagreements or misunderstandings when they do not listen with all of their attention.
3. Adult social skills - wait until it is your turn to speak.
An important social skill is the ability to let people finish their thought without interruption. Interrupting people when they are talking is a surefire sign you do not respect what they have to say or value it as important.
4. Adult social skills - use your polite words like please and thank you.
This important practice tells people you appreciate their services and you understand they must go out of their way for you. Additionally, you are more likely to get what you are seeking in your interactions if you make a consistent use of these phrases.
Adult social skills are not very different from those we practiced on the playground at recess. However, adult social skills are essential in all of life, and are no longer limited to a recess hour.
Take a moment today and evaluate if you are truly remembering and practicing the social skills you leaned were most important, and incorporate adult social skills into your life today.