In political debate, people are often likened to voters. They are sometimes dismissed as stupid, ignorant or motivated by selfish interest. Despite the frequent use of these words, people have a right to their own opinion. People have the right to be heard and to be respected. In order for people to claim that they are in fact being respected, people must speak up and be heard.
The people skill refers to one’s ability to persuade others. Taylor and Kahn say that persuasion is an act of creating emotional attachment with another person. That is not to say that you have to be physically attached. People may be attracted to you emotionally without being necessarily interested in what you have to say. That is the power of the people skill.
In addition to the attraction factor, Taylor and Kahn also say that persuasion is based on the confidence one has in his or her own ability to influence. People become more persuaded by the belief that they can affect the other party. That is why the people skill is so important. It can make the difference between getting what you want and having to deal with the consequences. For example, if you are trying to get a loan and the person you are trying to convince decides that he does not have the money to pay you back, you will not be able to get your loan because you were unable to convince him that he needed the money.
On the other hand, if you were able to convince the other person that you had everything well-planned and ready for them, then it would not matter what the financial situation was. You would have a very successful conversation. The people skill works in all sorts of circumstances and conditions. It is perhaps more critical in certain contexts than in others. For example, in a work context, it is much more important for a salesperson to have a sense of humor than to have great preparation skills.
Taylor and Hockett explain how people skills develop as a result of being involved in complex situations. They also point out that people learn through trial and error. That is part of what makes a good leader. Taylor and Hockett explain that leadership is about taking risks and creating leaders who can overcome obstacles and lead. Therefore, people skills must come from personal experiences, but also from education and development.
Taylor and Hockett provide a very good explanation of how ancient peoples developed good people skills. These skills can help people to become excellent leaders and managers. Ancient peoples had to face extreme personal risk, so there were lots of methods for constructing self-control. The key was to understand how to use your imagination, and how to imagine in an imaginative way. This also explains why leadership training will always be important, even if you never have to try it. The techniques that are taught here can be used anywhere, even today.