People Centrism: Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe by Marc LeVine

To successfully acquire and benefit from soft skills, we must be entirely people centric. If we see people only as competitors for our place in the world, we are undeniably anti-social. If we find ourselves lacking interest in displaying humility and graciousness towards others, we need to begin praying that some employer will offer us a good job out of public sight.

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No One is an Island

Civilizations are based on the idea that no man is an island entire of itself. This is according to 17th century English poet, John Donne, who in the next stanza of his poem (“No Man is an Island”), writes that every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. We are social beings who formed tribes and built cities early in our existence.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also once said that “it takes a village” to raise a child. We know that a village can do much more than that. To think otherwise, is to prefer isolationism over a sense of belonging to something far greater than the power of one.

Isolationism does not fit well into a civilized society, because there is not a single individual who can provide everything that is needed to thrive. The expertise needed within any social grouping is wide-ranging. Concurrently, the diversity of available talent is distributed unevenly throughout the world. Members of our society must frequently come together to solve complex problems that require distinct types and levels of knowledge and experience. Are they always all present in one place? We must consider that the baker does not build houses. The builder does not teach school. The teacher does not jail criminals. The criminal is anti-social and cares for only himself/herself. And who will treat the sick if a doctor is not available? We must then seek one out and invite him/her to be part of our community. Everyone in the village is needed to do their job. Life within social spheres is symbiotic and fraternal. We must depend on one another for all of us to succeed and all get along to thrive. This is what holds civilizations and societies together.

Unfortunately, every social grouping also has its share of outsiders. They are loners and or independently minded people, who do not wish to rely on others, nor do they want to be indebted to the group. Many are socially awkward and unable to build and maintain personal relationships. They prefer to be left alone and accept any consequences for not being intricately connected with others. They struggle to get by without having a network to call on.

Effective Soft Skills are Built on Strong People Connections

The shape of our current society is such that it requires us to network, build and grow relationships - both personal and professional. Personal relationships bring us closeness, affinity, and bonding. Professional relationships deliver us opportunities for growth, development, and success. Superior results spring from dedicated effort. Authentic relationships must be two sided and require the engaged parties to always respect each other and be available in times of need. These relationships do not develop overnight. It takes time to gain mutual trust and prove genuine interest in each other. Speaking in nationalistic terms, John F. Kennedy implied that we ask ourselves not what (others) can do for us, but what we can do for (others). He was saying what he believed would make us good Americans, but it could make us better people, as well.

There is not a single soft skill that is not based on the primary understanding that all people must matter to one other. Let's actually test this...

The soft skill most employers point to as their number one hiring requirement is strong communication. The ability to communicate involves knowing how you should speak to others in different situations or settings. Is this a people centric requirement? Indeed, it is.

Problem solving most often requires taking time to research and consult with colleagues to find scalable, long-term solutions. That is another people centric requirement.

In providing admirable customer service, we must bring to the table a high level of professionalism, patience, and a people-first attitude. There you have it. People First!

As you move through acquiring and sharpening soft skills, think deeply about why each skill is needed and when and where some form of human interaction comes in to play to help strengthen them. Even with soft skills such as organization and time management, we acknowledge being part of a landscape in which information sharing is more orderly and time allocation is intended for maximum teamwork effort and to facilitate additional face-to-face meeting interactions.

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The Author

Listen to Marc's latest interview on The AutomationBlog Podcast with Shawn Tierney.

Marc LeVine?is a graduate of Syracuse (NY) University with a degree in Industrial Psychology, Marc is currently Talent Acquisitions and Learning and Development Lead at Thermo Systems. He is the recipient of the Excellence in Talent Acquisitions Award from HR Awards in 2021. His prior employment includes senior Human Resources and Staffing Industry management roles with Edgewood Properties in Piscataway, NJ, Brickforce Staffing in Edison, NJ, InfoPro Inc. in Woodbridge NJ and Plainsboro, NJ and Harvard Industries in Farmingdale, NJ, a former Fortune 500 company. He also served as Director of Human Resources for New Jersey Press, the parent company of the Asbury Park Press, Home News and Tribune and WKXW-NJ101.5. Earlier in his career, Marc served as Director of Career Services and Placement at Union Technical Institute in Eatontown and Neptune, NJ. In addition, Marc owned and operated Integrity Consulting Associates, a New Jersey based Human Resources and Social Media Marketing firm for 11 years. Marc also served as Council President in his hometown of Freehold Borough, NJ