Social Skills

Session 6

Service Culture
Objectives

•Discuss social skills as a

component of social
competence

•Explain the importance of

developing solid social skills
Introduction

This module was designed to provide guidelines on

the development of social skills.

As the second of two modules, it qualifies the need

for holistic development and is expected to prompt
students to rethink the personal brand of leadership
they would like to develop.
Differentiate

Soft Skills and Hard Skills.

What are Soft Skills?

Soft skills are attributes that enhance how we relate

with other. We refer to them as ‘people skills’ and
occasionally, even EQ.

These are skills we use—learned or intrinsically

developed—in order to ‘survive’ in social settings.

Soft skills are now recognized as critical

competencies that make businesses more
profitable and companies, better places to work.
Soft Skills and Leadership

Soft skills are integral to a manager or leader role

because they interact with people and spend most
of their time managing how people work within
preset policies and procedures.

Some organizations identified the following as the

most urgent set of skills for people in positions of
leadership:

• Respect ● Teamwork skills

• Ethics ● Integrity
What are Hard Skills?

Hard Skills are technical skills or administrative

competencies that account for operational tasks

Your knowledge and ability to accomplish a process

or procedure related to your job

Hard Skills are usually tangible, specific, and usually

teachable.
Soft and Hard Skills

Two General Classifications of Skills:

1. Soft skills – People skills and in certain

quarters, EQ (emotional quotient)

2. Hard skills – pertains to technical skills used

when we perform tasks
Soft and Hard Skills

Compared to soft skills, hard skills are those

competencies we fall back on and use to accomplish
tasks and reach specific goals.

They are operational tools in a matter of speaking

and may be considered technical in their
application.
Samples of Soft Skills

•Ability to come to work on time regularly

•Ability to work independently with out
supervision.

•Good Communication skill to get along with other

people.
Advantages of Soft Skills

• For example;

• A lawyer not only needs to know the finer points of

the law but also the skill to manage a client.

• An IT person not only should know how to

program but also to be able to deal with
users(Internal and External) to better understand
what will be useful to them.
Samples of Soft Skills

• Adaptable
• Motivate co-workers
• Good listener
• Team Player
• Punctual
• Outgoing
• Responsible
• Productive
Samples of Hard Skills

• Typing 50 words per minute or changing tires

• Build furniture
• Write a manual
• Teach a language
• Plant a tree
• Software development
Advantages of Hard Skills

• A lawyer not only needs the skill to manage a

client but he also needs to know the finer points of
the law.

• An IT person not only should be able to deal with

users (internal and external) to better understand
what will be useful to them, But he must know the
different programs he will need to work with his
users.
Dealing with Blind Spots

Being socially competent allows us to deal with

functional blind spots.

Blind spots are a form of vision impairment. It is

named after a functional impairment of the eyes
where nerve fibers block the passage of light
from the retina.

Show Blind spot video

Dealing with Blind Spots

In organizations, blind spots refers to functional

impairment where individuals are ‘blind’ when it
comes to functions or processes, or even
dynamics that are essential to a healthy
organization.

Ideally, blind spots are repaired with as much

urgency as possible. They are attacked with
surgical precision, and coached to improvement.
Influence

Being socially adept or competent involves

influence.

Although the term invites criticism because of its

association to negative behavior, influence is
really just the capacity for causing an effect in
indirect or intangible ways.
Influence

When one holds sway over certain aspects of

operation or organizational function, it means
that a person has developed a connection with
an aspect or part of the organization where
changes occur because of this influence.
Influence

Empathic relationships can change how the

dynamics within an organization works.

With self-aware, self-regulated, motivated and

skilled leadership (catalysts for change), influence
can always effect more positive change.
Conflict Management

Empathy defuses conflict.

Skills and conditions that help us develop empathy:

• Trust
• Attentiveness
• Appropriate Responses
• Shared Experiences
• Respect
• Support
Conflict Management

Empathy blockers may be encountered along the

way:

• Domination
• Manipulation
• Disempowerment
• Denial
Conflict Management

Empathy blockers result in:

• Defensiveness, resistance and resentment

• Blocked feelings
• Lowered self-esteem
• Decreased ability or confidence to solve problems
• Emotional barriers
Collaboration

Together with the ability to defuse conflict is the

development of collaboration.

Collaboration is manifested by shared responsibilities

and resources, and in multiple players making
converged decisions to maximize their potential as
a team.
Collaboration

This skill is especially important in the area of project

management where resources and tasks
contribute significantly to the success (or failure)
of any project.
Activity:

Homework
Individual Case Study