Social Skills

Teams are groups of people with the following characteristics

• Committed to a common goal/purpose/deliverable
• Possess complementary skills to support each other and contribute in accomplishing the common goal/purpose/deliverable
• Share the responsibility and accountable for its achievement. 

At HU, you will be required to work in teams frequently, inside and outside the classrooms to work on group projects/assignments and/or events. In order to successfully lead a team or participate in teams effectively, you need to have certain skills. These skills may include communication skills, conflict resolution skills, skills for structuring accountability, planning and follow-up, and assertiveness. Having teamwork skills will help you to work effectively in a team and contribute positively towards accomplishing shared goals. 

To gain further understanding of Teamwork, click ‘10 Tips for Effective Teamwork (Newport Wildman’ and ‘Effective Teamwork’

A conflict arises from differences. It occurs whenever people disagree over their ideas, beliefs, values, ideologies and desires. A conflict triggers strong feelings, which may include anger, feeling disrespected or devalued, intimidation, rejection etc. It is important to learn to resolve conflicts in a healthy way to save relationships as well as avoid harmful effects on personal health and wellbeing. Conflict is a natural part of life as it is impossible for people to agree on everything at all times. Conflict, if dealt with positively promotes diversity, creativity, and deepening of relationships. 

At HU, you will be required to work in teams, group projects, discussions etc. While participating in all such activities, you may experience conflict as people may disagree with your ideas and you may disagree with theirs. By learning the skills you need for successful conflict resolution, you will become more respectful and understanding of different ideas and be able to keep your personal and professional relationships strong and growing. On the other hand, lack of conflict resolution skills may stress you out and negatively impact your studies and overall health. 

• To further understand conflict resolution, please click ‘Conflict Resolution Skills’

Emotional intelligence describes the ability, capacity, skill, or self-perceived ability to identify, assess, and manage the emotions of oneself, of others, and of groups. People who possess a high degree of emotional intelligence know themselves very well and are also able to sense the emotions of others. They are affable, resilient, and optimistic. (Olivier Serrat, 2009. Understanding and Developing Emotional Intelligence)

By developing their emotional intelligence, individuals can become more productive and successful at what they do, and help others become more productive and successful too. People with good EI manage their stress well, they can moderate conflicts effectively, and can promote harmony and relationship among families/groups/teams. 

As a young learner, your good IE skills will help you to face the challenges of your academic, social and personal lives while remaining calm and composed. 

• To better understand emotional intelligence read ‘Emotional Intelligence’ and ‘Emotional Intelligence background’ (by Ohio State University)

Social media opens up new worlds to connect and communicate. It is very important to remember that whenever we connect with a social media network, we join a community of people who have their own beliefs, ideas, perspectives and identities. It is as important to take care of the ethical aspects of human interaction on social media as it is while interacting with people in person. 

Social media is now becoming more and more widespread and there are growing concerns pertaining to the privacy and use of information we share on social media networking sites. Social networking sites keep track of all interactions used on their sites and save them for later use such as to deal with cyberstalking, location disclosure, social profiling, third party personal information disclosure, government use of social network websites in investigations, and employers using them as a source of information and judgments. 

This scenario demands that we must be careful while interacting on social media and not only follow social media ethics and etiquette but also protect ourselves and avoid any negative consequences of the information shared on social media platforms. 

• Click to read about Habib Social Media Guidelines