social skills
Interpersonal communication competence
Social skills are the abilities that allow people to interact effectively with others—reading social cues, making conversation, showing empathy, navigating conflict.
The term often appears in contexts where these skills are lacking or being developed: He's brilliant but his social skills need work.
Children learn social skills through play; adults may work on them deliberately.
Customs of polite conduct
- courtesyRespectful, considerate behavior
- politenessCourteous, respectful conduct
- decorumFitting social conduct
- proprietyCorrectness of conduct
tact · civility · respectfulness · formality · protocol · table manners · introductions · greetings
Power to affect others
- negotiationDiscussion seeking mutual accord
- convincingAble to persuade
- assertivenessConfident self-expression quality
- argumentationSystematic reasoning process
compromise · conflict resolution · mediation · diplomacy · advocacy · consensus-building · pitch · framing
Mental comprehension of something
- compassionConcern for others' distress
- sensitivityResponsiveness to stimuli
- emotional intelligenceCapacity for managing feelings
- perspective-takingUnderstanding another's viewpoint
sympathy · kindness · patience · supportiveness · attunement · validation · caring · consideration
Attending to sound
- articulationClear vocal expression
- expressionConveyed thought or feeling
- clarityState of being understandable
- dialogueSpoken exchange between parties
conversing · nonverbal · body language · eye contact · tone · turn-taking · small talk · active listening
Magnetic personal appeal
- magnetismForce between poles
- likabilityQuality of being pleasant
- allureAttractive, tempting quality
- appealFormal review request
wit · confidence · poise · grace · warmth · approachability · affability · pleasantness
Relationships between things
- minglingCasual social interaction
- introductionsInitial formal presentations
- icebreakersSocial warm-up activities
- schmoozingCasual strategic socializing
meetups · follow-up · contacts · collaboration · conferences · alumni networks · referrals · outreach
manners
Customs of polite conduct
- courtesyRespectful, considerate behavior
- politenessCourteous, respectful conduct
- decorumFitting social conduct
propriety · tact · civility · respectfulness · formality · protocol · table manners · introductions · greetings · thank-yous
influence
Power to affect others
- negotiationDiscussion seeking mutual accord
- convincingAble to persuade
- assertivenessConfident self-expression quality
argumentation · compromise · conflict resolution · mediation · diplomacy · advocacy · consensus-building · pitch · framing · appeal
understanding
Mental comprehension of something
- compassionConcern for others' distress
- sensitivityResponsiveness to stimuli
- emotional intelligenceCapacity for managing feelings
perspective-taking · sympathy · kindness · patience · supportiveness · attunement · validation · caring · consideration · reading emotions
listening
Attending to sound
- articulationClear vocal expression
- expressionConveyed thought or feeling
- clarityState of being understandable
dialogue · conversing · nonverbal · body language · eye contact · tone · turn-taking · small talk · active listening · verbal fluency
charisma
Magnetic personal appeal
- magnetismForce between poles
- likabilityQuality of being pleasant
- allureAttractive, tempting quality
appeal · wit · confidence · poise · grace · warmth · approachability · affability · pleasantness · congeniality
connections
Relationships between things
- minglingCasual social interaction
- introductionsInitial formal presentations
- icebreakersSocial warm-up activities
schmoozing · meetups · follow-up · contacts · collaboration · conferences · alumni networks · referrals · outreach · acquaintances
- social skillsconversation, sharing, helping, listening, manners
- EQ skillsemotional intelligence, EQ, self-regulation, emotional awareness, emotion recognition
- Head Startschool readiness, early learning, child development, family services, parent involvement
- special educationspecial education, special ed, special needs, IEP, IEPs
- equine therapyhippotherapy, equine therapy, therapy horses, autism programs, PTSD treatment
- developmentgrowth, progress, advancement, expansion, improvement
social skillssocial awkwardness
tone-deafness · tactlessness · awkwardness · gracelessness · maladroitness
social skillstechnical skills
Measurable job-specific abilities
hard skills · technical expertise · analytical skills · mechanical aptitude · book smarts
social skillsreclusiveness
State of avoiding society
social withdrawal · misanthropy · unsociability · introversion · antisocial behavior
social, society, sociable, skills, socialism, antisocial, socialist, socialize, unsociable