Soft Skills - Ask a Wharton MBA
Develop Soft Skills – Work Smart & Live More
Last weekend, my hubby suddenly asked me “Are you happy?” I didn’t know what to say, even after thinking about it.
I asked him, “What do you mean? Are you talking about work? Life? Us?”
He said, “No, just in general.”
I asked, “Are you happy?”, still not knowing what to say. ...
An interpersonal skills example can turn up when it’s least expected. It was the second week of my China trip. My mom, cousin, daughter and I had spent the day at the Beijing Zoo. It was a 90 degree, humid day in Beijing. We were all exhausted and were heading back to the hotel to rest up. ...
My cousin in China has been running a travel agency for 20 years. She’s one of those people who knows exactly how to maintain good relationships. During my trip to China, I learned one interpersonal skills example after another from her.
First, some background: my oldest daughter and I visited our extended family in China together for the first time two months ago. My parents decided to come, too, since grandpa turns 90 this year. It was a four-generation family reunion! While the following examples are all related to my family trip, they also apply to the work place. ...
Interpersonal communication isn’t an exact science that can be solved with a math equation or with a formula. Interpersonal skills are complicated as they depend on the context of the situation, social cues and the personal experience of those involved. With so many different signals that can influence your communication, it’s important to have a tangible understanding of what good interpersonal communication entails. Once you can master interpersonal communication, you will benefit both personally and professionally. ...
There can be many bad leaders in one organization. Why? Ironically, it’s because bad leadership creates a vicious cycle. Bad leaders promote other bad leaders, either because they don’t know any better or they don’t want to be found out. If you’re a kick-ass doer in an organization full of bad leaders, you won’t get promoted for one of two reasons. ...
Interpersonal communication is an important skill across all facets of your career. Whether you’re aware of it or not, interpersonal communication is present when you’re interviewing for a job, talking with your co-workers, or asking for a promotion.
Even when you do well across the ‘hard’ skills, such as data analysis, accounting, programming, you still won’t fare as well if your “soft” business skills aren’t up to snuff. And a big ‘soft skill’ is your interpersonal communication – the ability to empathize and communicate with others in a personal, positive way will help you work effectively with your co-workers, team members, and your leaders. Once you have an understanding of how best to articulate yourself both verbally and through non-verbal cues, you’ll be better off professionally (and in your personal life!) ...
We all come across difficult coworkers. How we deal with them can fundamentally affect our career and happiness. Below is a real life situation from an avid reader around dealing with difficult co-workers. I am thankful she reached out so I can not only help her but also shared this situation and my advice with any of you in similar situations. ...