People are talking about social competence as a key qualification, but a common understanding of what social competence actually is, cannot be taken for granted. Social competence is necessary and useful in various situations, e.g.
- for successful dialogs between doctors and patients or heads and staff members
- for the design of changing processes in companies and organizations
- for a good team play or
- for strategic decisions taken in global contexts of politics and economy
Seven items of social competence
Self-perception and self-reflection:
Staff members, executives and consultants find themselves in ambiguous situations: On the one hand, they are actors who are responsible for creating and enhancing settings for efficient working. At the same time, they are part of the setting. Therefore, it is indispensable for them to act and to observe themselves simultaneously. They ought to know their personal emotional commitment, to perceive it and to keep distance to it. And they need to know their preferences and which situations could turn out to be critical for them.
Social diagnostic skills:
Professionalism is characterized by a certain ability to observe. A doctor "sees" more in relation to a person's state of health than a layperson, the same is true for a coach during a soccer match. In social contexts, therefore, it's a prerequisite to be able to perceive situations from different perspectives to be able to act successfully. How about the ability to collaborate in a team? How can it be enhanced or blocked? Which differences affect the group? Which topics are discussed and which are not mentioned?
Conversational behaviour:
Every working day is more and more filled with meetings, negotiations and face-to-face conversations of all kinds. The quality of our work, therefore, depends on the ability to conduct each conversation professionally. And this requires a great repertoire of methods, differing from the kind of conversation, e.g. feedback, conflict or counselling conversations.
Team-building skills:
For team members, it is essential to find their positions in a team, to contribute creative ideas and to provide professional knowledge where it is necessary. Similar important is it to interact with the group, to listen, to respond to suggestions of others, to motivate, to moderate, to show differences, to express conflicts, to offer solutions, to release tensions etc.
Process management:
Executives of today have to be aware of the importance of teamwork in different professional contexts, where it makes sense to work with teams and which are the demands on teamwork. Additionally required is the competence to structure working processes step by step, to develop designs for all kinds of teamwork, to create an adequate social setting and to moderate social processes.
Organizational competence:
Organizational competence has enormously gained in importance as modern society more and more depends on organizations. Social competence is the fundament of organizational competence. How can we get an idea of how organizations work? Which glasses shall we put on to perceive an organization and what are the key qualifications for an organizational job?
Digital competence:
High-speed digitalization enriches and transforms communication at present. Therefore, it is essential to understand the advantages of all forms of digital media, to use them effectively and to correlate them with traditional forms of direct interaction. Online- and "face-to-face"-teamwork have completely different potentials. The competent and differentiated use of various forms of digital media is gaining importance as a key competence.