I am not sure if it is because of our constant use of technology or the isolation caused by the pandemic, but the lack of social skills has been glaring on a different level than ever before.

Social skills are something we use every day whether at home, at the grocery store, or at work. An excellent definition for social skills is, "the verbal and nonverbal communication skills required to foster connections and appropriately navigate social settings." (According to www.betterup.com)

I believe there is an opportunity for all of us to improve in our social skills. Here are 3 simple steps we can take:

- Ask more than you speak: Have you ever been around someone who does all of the talking? They have a story for everything and barely let you get a word in. Perhaps, you might be that one who is constantly interrupting or being interrupted when you begin to speak. All of these scenarios lead to frustrations.

Make an effort to ask questions and listen well. Create an environment where there is a dialogue instead of a monologue.

- Improve your emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence "(EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions." (www.verywellmind.com) Being able to tell if someone is feeling frustrated, sad, or discouraged gives you the chance to acknowledge their experience, encourage where appropriate, ask the questions to hear the heart of the matter, or simply show your support.

Without emotional intelligence, leaders will fail to build strong teams, handle conflict, create environments where people will share when things are not going well.

-Minimize your distractions when you are talking to someone: This is a big one especially given the remote/hybrid environment that many are working in these days. How many times do we automatically grab our phone, check a slack message/email, multitask when we are in a meeting or during a 1-1? These nonverbal cues share a message that the person you are speaking with is not as important. Something gets lost in what you hear, and something gets lost in your relationship to the other person.

These three strategies are simple things that you can practice. Why? I am hoping that you want to foster greater levels of connection and relationship building with those around you. I am hoping that you want to move from transactional types of relationships to those that are relational. Both aspects are needed, but one will give you far greater results in the end.

Inspiring You To Thrive,

FOR A GOOD LAUGH...

LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHT

A Little League game in Texas caught the nation's attention after one 12-year-old named Isaiah Jarvis, did something that caught the world by surprise.

During the Southwest Region championship, one of the balls thrown by the pitcher hit the batter on the head, knocking the batter to the ground.

Isaiah, the 12-year-old player was alright and got up then walked to first base. However, when he looked at the pitcher, he could see that he was struggling and felt embarrassed and bad about what happened.

Isaiah decided to walk over and comfort the pitcher. He hugged him and told him he was alright, and that the pitcher was doing great.

When he was interviewed by the news, Kaiden said, “I think the lesson is that you should care for other people. Like if they’re down, you should just care for them, try to build them up.”

LEADERSHIP RESOURCE: DiSC Assessments

One of the resources that I offer to clients and teams is the DiSC assessment so that they can have greater levels of self-awareness. Additionally, this resource helps the leader to understand others when it comes to communication, management, conflict management, and team dynamics.

If you're interested in more information on these resources, please click on the link! I can do a personal assessment or offer one to your entire team!

If you are a coach or trainer that would like to become credentialed to facilitate these resources, reach out to me and I can share additional information regarding the trainings.

Sheeba Varghese is a strategic partner for your talent development solutions and the author of Confidence, Clarity & Ease: A Guide For Emerging Leaders To Thrive. Her passion is to inspire and equip men and women to lead with excellence and authenticity within the spheres of influences that they are called to impact in life. The spheres may be in a home, on a team, in a classroom, among partners in a firm, or within management, to name a few.

Senior Leaders and professionals who want to develop stronger leadership skills, have impact and move forward in their careers

Teams who want to work cohesively within their organizations

Coaches who want to renew or apply for certification with ICF

If you want to improve your leadership skills, transition from managing to leading, ensure your team is amazingly successful, increase your own self-awareness and progress your career, or you aspire to be a masterful coach for your clients, then Sheeba would love to support you. She works with clients globally, both face-to-face, phone or by Zoom.

In her time apart from clients, Sheeba enjoys time with her husband, Santosh, and their 2 sons, Sam and Steven. She loves great movies, a good book, decorating and dining at the wonderful restaurants in the Bay Area.

LEADERSHIP ESSENTIALS

The Importance of Social Skills in the Workplace

Hello Sheeba,

FOR A GOOD LAUGH...

LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHT

LEADERSHIP RESOURCE: DiSC Assessments