1. Breaking the ice
Introvert or extrovert, it can be really hard to break the ice in the first meeting. Without proper “people skills”, which in fact, is an essential life skill, you are limiting yourself and compromising your mental health. Being emotionally intelligent and self-aware can truly help you build better connections and improve your skills.
2. What is E.M.P.A.T.H.Y?
You might think that someone is less empathetic or just plain rude, but science says that you can actually learn how to empathise with people. According to Harvard based psychiatrist Helen Reiss, there are certain traits which can help you make stronger and sharper connections with people around you. The rules are based on seven basic skills which are stated below:
3. You need to have strong people skills!
We always admire leaders and entrepreneurs who can form a strong connection with their audiences. Wondering how they do it? They have a good understanding and can effectively empathise with other people, which makes the work easier. Excelling in interpersonal relationships can transform you into a better leader and communicator in no time. So, it is time you focus on the art of EMPATHY!
4. Eye contact
Maintaining proper eye contact is an essential skill to learn. It can break or make a deal. When you take time out for face-to-face meetings and indulge in eye contact, you pick up on non-verbal nuances which can tell a lot about the person and their personality, especially when there is zero conversation happening.
5. Muscles
Yes, before you can actually react or speak a few words, your facial muscles give out the first response. This is because facial muscles intercept the signals which the brain sends forward. When you see something bad, you grin and when you see something positive, you automatically smile. Hence, facial muscles can never lie.
6. Posture
Not just the health benefits, there are also plenty of other benefits for your mental well being which comes with the correct posture. When you sit or stand straight up tall, you exude confidence, energy and happiness, which is attractive to the other person. This automatically makes conversations easier and fluid. Also, the right posture brings around a sense of respect and authority in a conversation.
7. Affect
It is absolutely important that you pay special focus to the other person’s emotion and affect. If a person looks happy, sad, nervous or angry, you need to react in an appropriate manner. Smooth communication can only happen when the emotional levels of both parties match.
8. Tone
Next time when you meet someone new, pay attention to the person’s voice tone and pitch as well. According to experts, how a person speaks lets you know about the emotional quotient and helps aid better communication.
9. Hearing the person
There is a reason why you should always hear what the other person is saying in its entirety. When you listen to the other person, you get in touch with their emotional levels and are in a better state to provide a more compassionate and kind response. This also extends to the situation when a conversation turns into a full-blown argument. Instead of raising your pitch, listen to what the person rants. It is advisable and helpful that you do not interrupt someone when their emotions are running high and instead, you let them flow. Doing so will alter the reaction greatly and promote better understanding.
10. Your response
It is always possible that your bad mood or sad state can actually rub off on the other person because if you’re angry or unsure of yourself, or fearful, those emotions will leave an impression on others and impact the quality of your communication. This is because when you indulge in a conversation, you tend to share the same neural networks and what you feel internally transmits to the other as well, leaving a risky impression. This too impacts the quality of the conversation.
Source: TNN/timesofindia.indiatimes.com
