{"id":4836,"date":"2019-04-15T18:39:22","date_gmt":"2019-04-15T23:39:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=4836"},"modified":"2019-04-15T18:39:30","modified_gmt":"2019-04-15T23:39:30","slug":"the-importance-of-soft-skills-a-blog-post-by-kelsi-hansen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=4836","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Soft Skills – A Blog Post by Kelsi Hansen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Recently, I was asked to write about soft skills because I excel in that area. Oddly enough, I had never heard of soft skills and had no idea what it meant when they said I was good at them. So I did some research, and it turns out that yes, I am good at soft skills. They just come naturally to me, and are not something that I would necessarily define about myself. So, I want to share what soft skills are, and try to give some helpful tips on how to further develop them. They do not come naturally to everyone, but everyone can benefit from learning how to utilize them.
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The definition I found says that soft skills are a set of skills that are valuable in the work place. They include traits such as: positive and flexible attitude, common sense, and the ability to interact well with others. They are basically a combination of social, interpersonal, and communication skills that help in the job market, and in everyday life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many different categories of soft skills, and they are different depending on which source you use. But they are all very closely related, and in some cases, to have one, you must have them all. I am going to focus on, and separate, the soft skills that I am particularly adept at, and that I think will help most with finding a job, and navigating life as a blind person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Positive and Flexible Attitude<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is one of the most important skills in my opinion. It is a sturdy base, and trickles through all of the other soft skills. If you have a negative attitude, it will trickle through to your social and communication skills. So what does a positive and flexible attitude look like? And how can you change the negative to a positive? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am a big advocate in being yourself. You be you! That being said, some people are just more negative than others. And that is okay. Would it help if you were more positive? Yes it would. But I don\u2019t think that necessarily means that you need to change who you are. The simplest way to appear positive, even if that is not how you feel, is in your word choices. For example: if your boss asks you to do something that you particularly don\u2019t want to do, but you know you have to, instead of saying, \u201cI guess,\u201d say, \u201cAbsolutely!\u201d If your friend or coworker is having a baby, and you are not excited because you don\u2019t care for babies, instead of saying, \u201cGood for you,\u201d you could say, \u201cThat\u2019s wonderful. You must be so excited!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The words you use are extremely important. Some words are just more negative in nature. The way we, as humans perceive those words, really makes an impact on how we view people. Not only is it important to use the more positive words, you should also try to use a positive uplift in your voice. For example, people who are more monotone, tend to come across as more negative in nature. So trying to put that happy lift into your tone of voice can even turn negative word choices into positive ones. If someone asks you if you need help, instead of saying \u201cno thank you\u201d short and clipped, give your voice a lift and slow it down a bit. This will help it appear light hearted and friendly instead of cold and angry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may also vary depending on culture. The way we as humans perceive things is so engrained into us from birth, that it is important to try and match your cultural norm. Unfortunately, if you don\u2019t adapt the way you speak to what is socially accepted in your culture, than you can come across as very negative even if you\u2019re not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping a positive attitude helps in flexibility as well. Things change. They cannot always go 100% according to plan. Having that negative attitude will make things harder and more stressful on you. And if you are super stressed about it, it could make the situation worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Keeping that positive attitude, or appearing to, will carry through into that flexibility. Instead of thinking or saying, \u201cno! That sounds awful, and it\u2019s not going to work,\u201d try thinking or saying, \u201cThat might work. Let\u2019s try it!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Positive attitude is everything when speaking to the public, friends, future employers, or coworkers. Being positive will help you get farther in life. If you\u2019re negative, that promotion you\u2019ve been waiting for could go to your more positive counterpart instead. If you are lost and need directions, and you have a reputation for being rude and negative, you might not get the help you need, as people may steer clear of you to avoid a negative interaction. Always be who you are, but don\u2019t let negativity stand in your way. Positivity will take you so much farther. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social Skills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Social skills are a complex topic. What is acceptable socially can be different from region to region, and culture to culture. For instance, in some of the southern regions in the United States, it is polite to refer to people as sir or ma\u2019am. Whereas in some parts of the Midwest United States, where I live, some are offended by being referred to as sir or ma\u2019am. I have often heard women in the Midwest complain that they are not old enough to be a Ma\u2019am. So how then, are we supposed to successfully develop our social skills if the social norms change from area to area? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my opinion, there are a couple of different things you can do, if you are not sure what is socially acceptable in a certain area. Firstly, you could do some research on that regions social etiquette. Look it up online, or ask people. There is no harm in asking. It will make you appear interested in local culture, and help you out in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second thing you can do, which tends to be my fall back, is to be positive. It sounds silly, and simple, but I have found that it gets me farther socially than anything else. I do still ask a lot of questions about etiquette, and own what I don\u2019t know, but I do still make social faux pas. But because, I am positive, and put that positive uplift into my voice, I find that people forgive those faux pas. People are receptive to positivity, and will be more likely to give you some slack for making a social blunder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not to say however, that social skills are not important if you can just be positive. Aside from research and being positive, here are a few social tips that will be relevant in most places: <\/p>\n\n\n\n