When you hear the term ‘social skills’, you may associate the phrase with small talk and disregard social skills as an important element of leadership. Social skills, however, go much further than the ability to make conversation. Below we look at what social skills can help an individual succeed in a retail role and how executive coaching can help you practise and solidify your social skills.
1. Active listening
The first step to having elite social skills is active listening. Actively listening means to listen to what someone is saying whilst taking into account their body language and the environment they are in. Actively listening to your retail peers and subordinates will help you to understand them in more detail, and understand their goals and motivations more accurately. It will also allow you to communicate more effectively with people, as there will be fewer miscommunications.
2. Open body language
Are you being constantly overlooked for a promotion within the retail company you work for? It may be because your fellow employees and peers have a negative perception of you because of your body language and because you ignore social cues. For example, when you pass someone in the hallway you should always smile and exchange a quick greeting. Without the smile, many individuals may perceive your greeting as disgruntled and negative. Avoid crossing your arms frequently also, as this can also make you look uninviting.
3. Create a social environment
Ensure you make the effort to talk to your employees and peers about things outside of work. For example, asking an employee how their weekend was. By engaging with an employee about their personal life, you build a stronger bond of trust with them and they will feel more comfortable to ask you questions relating to work. This will also encourage your peers to brainstorm ideas with you, which may help you formulate solutions to retail problems your company may be currently facing.
How can executive coaching help you improve your social skills?
Executive coaching will help you see yourself, and those around, you more clearly. With coaching sessions, you will be able to determine how others in your company perceive you and what social changes you could make to improve this perception. Anthony Gregg, a master executive performance coach can work with you through executive coaching sessions to help you understand and perfect your social skills. To learn more about how executive coaching could benefit you, contact Anthony Gregg today.
Would you like more on Information on our Executive Coaching service? Contact me personally on tony@anthonygregg.com, or 0207316 3146, or fill in our contact form and I’ll get back in touch.