Interpersonal Skills At Workplace

Sonika Sharan

Secret behind every star employee’s success is their interpersonal skills.Interpersonal skills help a person to interact with other people effectively at workplace .Some people are born with such kind of skills while others need to acquire and improve them.These skills are combination of personality traits and behaviours that show up in every type of human interaction we have either with family, friends, colleagues, bosses, or customers etc.

Interpersonal skills are also known as employability skills.During the hiring procedure the hr managers looks for the person with interpersonal skills because one who possess these skills can build better work relationships, enhance emotional intelligence**,** and perform well which ultimately helps in growth of the organization.

What are the interpersonal skills?

Interpersonal skills involve the ability of a person to communicate and build relationships with others. It is also known as people skills or soft skills and also emotional intelligence.If a person has strong interpersonal skills, their personal relationships and professional relationships are smoother and easier to manage. They are able to communicate and understand others, which makes it easier to collaborate on whatever they are doing.There is less conflict in those relationships because they are able to effectively figure out what the problem is, then work together to solve that problem.

Types of Interpersonal Skills

1. Conflict Management

When individuals grasp things in dissimilar ways and are not able to find the middle way, conflict starts.The main reason from conflict is different thought processes,interests, attitudes and needs.If the employees of the organization are constantly engaged in the conflicts and fight no organization can survive.This is the reason why conflict management is one of the most important interpersonal skill that one should possess.

Conflict management involves solving an kind of issue between two staff members,between a client and your company or between yourself and a colleague.You will need to be able to listen fairly to both sides and use your creative problem solving skill to arrive at the solution.It also involves Constructive criticism, Counselling and Mediating.

2. Communication

No matter what industry you work in the ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, superiors and staff is essential.Good communication skills will help you get hired, get promotions and to be successful throughout your career.It is the most important interpersonal skill that one should definitely have it involves -

Listening : Being a good listener is one of the best ways to be a good communicator.Nobody likes to talk to the person who only cares about putting his/her thoughts and does not listen to other person’s view.

Clarity : Clear communication means saying just enough not too little or not too much . One should try to convey his/her message in as few words as possible. Speak what you want directly and clearly , whether you are speaking to someone in person, on the cell phone, or via email.

Non verbal Communication : Non verbal communication involves facial expressions, gestures, paralinguistics and proxemics , your body language, gestures and tone can completely change the message you are trying to convey.Using friendly tone will encourage others to speak openly with you and will make you appear more approachable.

Confidence : It is very important to be confident while you are interacting with others. Your confidence shows your coworkers that you believe in what you are saying. Showing that you are confident can be as simple as making eye contact or using friendly tone. Avoid making statements which sounds like questions and be careful not to sound arrogant and aggressive.

3. Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and relate to the emotions, experiences or thoughts of others.A person who is empathetic is able to become a better team member and also promotes better team dynamics.Empathy at the workplace is often more supportive and productive.It is an important skill that will help you get along with everyone at the workplace.It involves Patience, Respect, Caring, Diplomacy, Diversity, Kindness, Sensitivity and Sympathy.

4. Leadership

It is very important for a person to have leadership abilities.One who is an effective leader has many interpersonal skills like empathy, has ability to make decision ,has patience to make decisions, has encouraging nature, has ability to inspire, ability to instruct and also has management skills, motivation skills and positive reinforcement skills.A person who is a good team leader can motivate team to perform better which will ultimately lead to the growth of the organization.

5. Positive Attitude

Positive attitude can make the work environment happy and a joy to be in.Every employer wants to hire employees who make the office a brighter place.A person who has positive attitude keeps on trying new things and also feels brave about brain storming new ideas and is always excited to go to work with their co-workers.Positive people show their positive attitude in their actions,words and feelings.It is very important to have positive attitude if you want to succeed.

6. Team Work

The ability of an individual to work together as a team is very valuable and important in every workplace.Even if one’s job involves lots of independent work,they still need to collaborate with others.The employee who is a good team players is often given important tasks in the workplace and may be seen as good candidates for promotions.

Conclusion

Interpersonal skills are highly valued by employers in every industry it doesn’t matters what type of career you are going to enter, your ability to work well with your employer and coworkers may make a good impression and result in your career growth and create an overall positive work environment.