Especially in the secretariat, we have to deal with a wide variety of different types of people as an important communication interface. And we have to adapt to each individual person. In addition to technical qualifications, we also need high social skills, also known as “soft skills”.
What are “soft skills”?
What exactly is meant by the term “social skills” or “soft skills”? Soft Skills means “soft skills”. The definition often given is the ability to harmonize one’s own goals with the attitudes and values of a group and thus to influence the behavior of this group to a certain extent.
Soft skills – the key to success
People who have a high level of social skills also have a high level of emotional intelligence. This describes the ability to deal with one’s own feelings and those of other people appropriately and appropriately to the situation. Emotionally intelligent people can perceive and observe themselves well, have great motivation, good adaptability and excellent communication skills. Soft skills are now very important in the secretariat. Precisely because superiors have less and less time, as assistants we have our finger on the pulse, feel where there are problems in the departments and therefore take on the position of an important link between management and employees.
Teamwork skills
Teamwork is immensely important in companies. You will find these social skills mentioned in almost every job advertisement. The time for solo fighters is over; instead, the team spirit is required. We can only contribute to the success of the company together with others, because every employee has different qualifications and ideas. It is important to take advantage of this diversity if, for example, you work together on a project such as a large company party and take responsibility for it. Sit down with your colleagues and find out together who is responsible for which part of the project. Colleagues who are very good at numbers take on budget control and hotel negotiations, for example. The creatives in the team take care of the design of the location, etc. Everyone acts according to the motto : Great success for all employees ! Being a team player also means building trust in your colleagues and superiors and dealing with them loyally.
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Ability to criticize and deal with conflict
In teamwork, especially in the wake of globalization and international cooperation, it is very important to develop tolerance and, in the event of a conflict, to behave fairly and in the spirit of the overall goal. The ability to accept criticism and conflict as a soft skill plays a major role – especially if you have to delegate on behalf of your superior and do not always receive the approval of your colleagues straight away. This situation always represents a great balancing act between friendly collegiality and appropriate authority.
Empathy and empathy
In order to be able to respond to different characters when working as a team, you need a large portion of empathy, also known as empathy. According to psychologist Alfred Adler, this soft skill means “seeing with another’s eyes, hearing with another’s ears, and feeling with another’s heart.” This means that you can empathize with other people and explain to yourself why they react in this way and not differently. Those who are emphatic can more easily convince others of something and reach their goal more quickly.
Intercultural Competence
Especially in times of digitalization, our working world has become more global and the world is growing more and more together. Many companies work with international teams and have business relationships with partners from different countries. As an assistant, you are the central information and communication point in the company. It is an advantage to know the dos and don’ts when dealing with different cultures. How do you greet Japanese people appropriately, which color is the right one for a guest gift, which restaurant is suitable for Indian business partners? In addition to empathy, intercultural competence is an important soft skill for successful collaboration and for building mutual trust.
Be aware of your strengths
Be aware of your strengths and competencies and think about it: “What am I good at, how did I achieve my successes and what do others praise me for?” The better you know your skills, the more specifically you can use them, for example in special projects used in the company. Remember your personal and professional successes, even if they seem so small to you. Record them in a success or happiness book.
Appear confidently
In order to assume your important key position in the company and act as a mouthpiece for your superior, it is important that you appear self-confident and confident. Because self-confidence is an essential basis for solution-oriented and successful communication. Do you work with a domineering boss? Then you should pay attention to your confident appearance and your body language. If you behave too shyly and insecurely, it will be difficult for you to act on an equal level and provide your superior with advice and empathy. It is therefore worth working on your confident external image. When you are “aware” of yourself, you can more easily develop empathy skills, because feeling for others requires feeling for yourself.
Learn to assert yourself
Assertiveness is closely linked to self-confidence . The more self-confident you are, the easier it is for you to assert yourself – for example with colleagues who often delegate their work to others because of their own convenience. Saying no in a friendly but firm manner not only shows professionalism, but also shows that you take your work seriously and can set priorities accordingly.
Be careful not to fall into the so-called “harmony trap”, i.e. trying to please everyone. At the end of the day, you’re just annoyed with yourself for saying yes again when you actually meant no. In this case, you can, for example, offer the colleague in question a compromise: you first ask for time to think about it or offer to help the next day when you have finished your main work.
Self-confidence and assertiveness help you avoid always wanting to please everyone. Make yourself aware: A no is always a yes to yourself! Anyone who strengthens and trains their social skills will not least ensure their own career development, because in all life situations we always have to deal with people. Social skills and emotional intelligence are therefore the decisive key skills of the future!
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