It can all be learnt, they just dont teach it.

I am known to be diplomatic and I am known to be convincing. I have heard it multiple times from friends and family. Even then, the parts of my PM job that require diplomacy and convincing and negotiation skills are challenging and there is a lot to be learnt. During my initial years as PM, I wondered if these skills only come innately and cannot and are not taught. Like, which school teaches diplomacy and how to be confidently convincing etc? I never came across any such classes during my schooling!

Now, I am beginning to think otherwise. Situations involving your diplomatic skills are a very different kind of problem to solve than a technical problem; but just like technical problems, they can be broken down into steps to follow too. Which in turn means, they can be taught! Take an (albeit weak) example: negotiating the salary and benefits after a job offer. Some people just seem to be automatically geniuses at doing this kind of negotiation. But it can be learnt and proof is this document here that outlines a step by step process on what to say and do during a negotiation.

Too bad that our schools don't teach these essential skills that are required to succeed in the corporate world. For example - why do schools NOT have classes about conflict resolution or dealing with difficult work peers etc? Why do they not consider this as important as say learning database concepts or learning particle physics? And for that matter, why do they not have classes for 'dos and donts on your first date' or 'what not to post on facebook / how to make your facebook profile private'? Schools should not just teach the technical stuff required for work success, but rather, what is essential for an all-round success, which includes achieving happiness on the personal front too.