Video Version Here:

https://youtu.be/wowU_e3Z2cs

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Why are Social Skills Important In A competitive environment?

Have you ever wondered why people think that, all you need is good game sense, and awesome raw mechanics? And so on? For reaching a higher rank?

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After over 30 years of gaming.

I have established a different view on this subject, yes, the fundamentals are important.

But when you already have a good grasp over them, then you can start to utilize other factors. That are easy to achieve, quick and even with minimal amount of effort put into them. Get some consistent results.

And the result is that you, achieve the competitive advantage over the opponents.

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If you are a beginner, then you could benefit more from utilizing these social skills. That you already have a black belt in.

Because think about it, from the moment you where born. You have been sharpening the social blade. So, utilize it more, when you are lacking in other departments skill wise. Compensate with it.

And from my experience, I can tell you this.

You should utilize all the tools, in your arsenal, if you are serious about improving.

And again, this does not mean that mechanical skills and other default important factors are not crucial for success.

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But these social skills, can give you an extra layer of competitive advantage, over the opponent

Yes, I play Solo queue a lot, and these are my tips and tricks on this topic that I share with you.

What I have found out is that, there is just so much you can do alone, that’s why you need to get the team acting as a group that play for the benefit of each other, and off the strengths of each other.

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So, how can I utilize these social skills you may ask?

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Well, it’s simple.

You should already start, from the agent select screen.

This is so that it sets the tone from the start, because if you talk as a group, then you are going to act as a group.

And the team, at least they should. Come together, and make the choices together as a group.

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Great, now that you are talking as a team.

Then you have already set the tone, for the rest of the match.

And when it comes to one of the most important factors, in game. Also, communication.

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For giving callouts, motivating the team, and so on.

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So now I ask you again to think about, how many times have you not failed in a clutch type of situation. Just because of lack of information, about the one player who just dropped 4 of your teammates.

And no one is calling out his position?

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Be honest, did your heart just ramp up a few beats, after only thinking about it?

How are you going to take this, if it happened in game, for sure it has tilted me in all too many games.

And suboptimal performance, was the name of the game for the rest of the match.

Oh, all these memories.

And this situation, could easily have been avoided with the right type of communication.

And maybe this person, who just handed over the ace over to his opponent. May not have utilized his social skills, from the start. For the benefit of getting the team talking together?

And many people, I played with are just so shy. That they are almost afraid of talking. Some have bad experience with rude people, but deep down they are willing to talk, right from the start, they may be just feeling out the energy in the room.

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In this case the lobby. And there is a reason that they say, that the human being is a social animal. So, it’s also in our nature to prefer a social setting over another, at least for most of us it is.

But in this case, no one talked. So, they thought that this is just the formal setting. They have to follow, like they are conditioned to do in any other social setting outside of the game.

And this is where the social skills come into play again, it is not that you just interact with the team. But how you do it. And this is based on the way you read the teammates, and act accordingly to the signals you pick up along the way.

And also, not just what you say, but how you say it.

Is important.

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I could go into, thousands of examples for why social skills are crucial.

So, please for your own sake, start utilizing these skills. And set the tone from the start, are you not in it to win it?

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In other words, use these social skills to adapt, overcome, and then WIN.

And all this is off course a balancing act, so do it with elegance.

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So, this is where we end this, because this brought back a lot of bad memories, my heart is already beating faster. Just from thinking about all the lack of communication in all those games.

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So, until next time.

Stay blessed.