Post by Cheryl Santa Maria, contributing Women On Business writer
I used to work in a small company with a woman named Dena. Her formal title was “senior accountant” but really, she was the jack of all trades. Dena seemed to be knowledgeable in just about every subject and she was hard-working and reliable. She’d often come into work on the weekends and stay late into the night, making sure her output was of the highest possible standard.
Dena was a model employee, that’s for sure. Our boss would often joke that the company would “fall apart” without her help and said that he wouldn’t know what he’d do without her.
Yet despite all of her merits, Dena was lacking in one very important area.
Dena had no social skills whatsoever. She interpreted small talk as a personal attack. Innocent questions like “how are you doing today?” would be answered in a defensive and snarly tone, and at times she was just plain awkward. While nobody could deny the fact that Dena was good at her job, most people would take great lengths to avoid having to speak or work with her.
I know for a fact that Dena’s lack of social skills hindered her career development. One day I was working on a project for a new client and had an accounting question. Dena would have been more than qualified to help but I asked her less-skilled counterpart instead.
It’s great to be the most capable employee in your company but if you’re unapproachable, people won’t want to work with you. In the world of business, where networking, team building and communication are essential, small talk becomes an imperative. Being friendly and easy to talk to is a great way to make yourself visible within a company and show others that you’re able to work in a team.
Professional skills are important in a competitive marketplace but they should never, ever come at the expense of good social skills.
Nice guys don’t always finish last, you know.
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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Cheryl, I couldn’t agree with you more! Nice guys most definitely do not finish last. Though it is important to be productive at work, it is REALLY important to help create an atmosphere of camaraderie and support so that work is not only about producing but also about relationships being forged. Strong relationships make for a good team.
I owned a retail flower shop for ten years. During that time I saw the value of having good social skills and being personable. A well-functioning team knows about one another, creating a web of support that makes for better work – more productivity and a better place to spend our precious time.
We ALL know, and appreciate, the power of kind words well placed.
Cindy Morris, msw
Priestess Entrepreneur
http;//PriestessEntrepreneur.com/blog