How can people who dislike social interaction thrive in a chemical plant?
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I would simply divide the people in chemical production units into two categories. The first category consists of those in technical fields – individuals who have achieved certain success in their specialized areas – and they rely on their professional skills to advance in their careers. For technical professionals, social interactions can hinder professional competence. Sometimes, a person wants to go home, but their job requires them to stay; it might be a form of self-repression – they appear to be smiling on the surface, but deep down they really want to go home and lead a relaxed life. The second category is professional management; Fred Luthans, a professor of management at West Point in the United States, conducted behavioral assessments of successful and effective managers and found that those who were successful managers had the most opportunities for promotion and achieved the highest profits. Their advantages stemmed from their communication skills and access to information. A 5-year behavioral screening revealed that among successful managers, 48% had a social orientation, compared to 11% among those who were effective. Because in social interactions, various opportunities will help you move forward. It seems that in chemical manufacturing companies, people usually progress from technical roles to managerial positions. Those who are not good at social interaction generally find it difficult to advance, right? It is generally believed that a high position is equivalent to strong capabilities; then in what ways can a person who dislikes social interaction demonstrate high professional competence? For example, if someone is very knowledgeable about the calcium carbide production process, by saying they are very knowledgeable, it means they are able to solve problems or that they have extensive expertise and can discuss any aspect of this process. But if you switch to another company and stop working in calcium carbide production, how can you prove that you have high technical skills, so that they will be willing to offer you a high salary?
That’s how I understand it. It mainly comes down to two points: 1. Currently, the entry barriers in the chemical industry are low, and people from various backgrounds can work in this field. There are indeed those who excel in this work, yet most of them are not originally from the chemical industry itself. Since the chemical industry isn’t considered a highly sophisticated field, more people end up taking on management roles. As the saying goes, laypeople manage experts – and this is particularly true in the chemical industry. 2. Those who specialize in chemical engineering surely focus on mastering techniques in the first few years – in other words, they’re trying to prove themselves. As a result, they miss out on the best period for building professional networks. Once they reach a certain level of skill, everyone’s capabilities tend to be similar (except for those who just want to coast along). What’s lacking is communication and management skills. In short, I think we chemical engineers should engage more in social interactions while working on improving our technical skills.
People will always find ways to conduct interviews; otherwise, how can they make evaluations?
Has good interpersonal skills, strong learning ability, and knows how to save face for leaders. . .
I can’t answer such complex questions; I’m just a beginner. I’ll wait for more knowledgeable experts to come forward...
You’ve summarized it very well. I’m not afraid of sounding silly, but why don’t you like socializing? Do you not feel that the social circles around you can be helpful for your future development?
Well, yeah, I basically haven’t changed jobs; I’m not sure how to evaluate it. I guess they ask about achievements and assess communication skills and things like that
Maybe this can’t be considered a circle of friends – I just interact with colleagues at work, that’s about it
Maybe this can’t be considered a circle of friends – I just interact with colleagues at work, that’s about it