improving social skills - Case Study

I know a case where the airline put high importance to improving social skills on the new recruits of airhostess or cabin crews.Personally, I think that this is the right move, as providing the services in flight has alot to do with building rapport and socializing with the passengers.

Let us review the very definition of social skills. One dictionary defines it as:  .A social skill is the skill that facilitate interaction and communication with others.


Method to Build the social skills:
I thought the methodology is rather traditional and from the past, I may be wrong though. But again, who cares whether  it is old method or not, as long as it works. Under training environment, the trainees are expected to start conversation and talk to at least 2 strangers per day. The methods and approach were thought both in theory as well role play. 


Starting a conversation especially with strangers are difficult. There is always the fear of rejection, what if the strangers do not want to be disturb?. In most cases the fear is self imposed, it is more of a barrier set upon one's self. The students will be thought the do's and don't in starting a conversation. Things can be funs some time. Imagine if you were one of the staff that undergo different category of training at the company's training academy, you would be approached by 10 different young girls anxiously wanted to start a conversation. The situation is rather unreal.


Despite many arguments against the process, it does proof its ability to crack the mindset and free the young staff from the self imposed prison. She will crack open the cocoon the that contains her. Unless the company can think of a better method to train the airhostess, they might as well stick to it..