Build People Skills that Turn basic interaction with People into Opportunities
“Thomas Harrell, a professor of applied psychology at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, set out to identify the traits of its most successful alumni. Studying a group of MBAs a decade after their graduation, he found that grade-point average had no bearing on success. The one trait that was common among the class’s most accomplished graduates was “verbal fluency.” Those that had built businesses and climbed the corporate ladder with amazing speed were those who could confidently make conversation with anyone in any situation. In front of an audience, at a dinner, or in a cab, these people knew how to talk.” Excerpt from Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferazzi
I started seeking answers on what common denominator makes the difference in results in life across different fields, cultures and nations years ago. I didn’t need to look very far before it was evident that relationships (which are built through talking and interacting with people) is a common denominator in all societies that really makes the difference in the results we are able to get at whatever we do. However, the skill of doing so effectively is globally in short supply everywhere. Only a few possess and wield it and these few more often than not become leaders in their respective professions in life.
People skills involve all subtleties of being good with people ranging from understanding the self to understanding and being understood by others such that you assert influence on them. This includes things like effective communication in conversation and public speaking, basic psychology, emotional intelligence, basic negotiation skills, building relationships, personal and interpersonal leadership, understanding diverse cultures, world views and more.
As we get more and more technologically advanced and more connected virtually than in reality, people skills will be more powerful and needed. Being good with people will wield even greater power and earn greater returns for the one who masters it.
That’s what has driven me to start a journey of learning more about these skills and sharing relevant practical knowledge with other people at all levels of society to help us all reap the benefits of building a people centered approach to life as opposed to a technology centered one.
Yes, interacting with people is an ordinary everyday experience, but anyone who desires a great and full life by any definition know that it is imperative to be extraordinary when it comes to dealing with people. Our People Skills mission is just to help us all Do the ordinary in an extraordinary way so that though being ordinary people, we would live extraordinary lives.
Subscribe to our channel as we delve into a world the aristocrats had long coveted before the democratization of knowledge. People skills 101: Do the ordinary in an extraordinary way | ps_e01 — YouTube
