Interpersonal Skills

What Are Interpersonal Skills?

We all use interpersonal skills every day. Strongly associated with emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills (in a professional context) are attributes that are used to understand what motivates employees and how they use their knowledge to achieve the best results.

As you make the transition into the world of work, interpersonal skills become increasingly important. There are hundreds of skills that could be defined as interpersonal , all used to varying degrees in the workplace depending on where you work and your level of responsibility.

Employers often seek out those candidates who have strong interpersonal skills. They actively look for applicants who have the ability to work collaboratively, communicate effectively and display the commitment and work ethic that they require.

Why do Interpersonal Skills Matter?

Without interpersonal skills everyday business would be very difficult, since almost all aspects of work involve communication. Many jobs also involve collaboration and interaction with different types of people, and interpersonal skills are vital to make this happen.

During a job interview, recruiters will look to see how the candidate’s interpersonal skills fit in with those required in the current working environment. They will often base their decision to recruit on whether the candidate possesses the right interpersonal skills to succeed within the business.

Self-confidence, collaboration and positivity are all interpersonal skills much in demand.

What are the 10 Key Interpersonal Skills for Graduates?

1. Self-Confidence

The right level of self-confidence in the workplace can open doors and help you to gain recognition. It can also demonstrate how you approach various situations and deal with them both positively and effectively.

To be successful, it is important to demonstrate self-confidence at every stage of your career, whether you are a graduate looking for an entry position or a more experienced member of the team hoping to secure promotion. Self-confidence at work will improve the way people see you and your views, ideas and opinions will be taken more seriously. Confidence also enables you to deal with challenging situations more effectively and allows you to set and reach new goals.

2. Work Ethic

Having a strong work ethic is viewed favourably by many recruiters. But what exactly does work ethic relate to?

Well, it can be split into three distinct strands, the first of which is professionalism. This incorporates everything from how you present yourself through to your appearance and the way in which you treat others.

The next strand is respectfulness. All workplaces require you to work under pressure at some time or another, and exercising grace under stress will earn you more recognition. No matter how short the deadline or how heated things may get, always retain your diplomacy and poise. Whether you are communicating with a difficult customer or trying to collaborate on a complex project fraught with difficulty, do your best to respect everyone’s opinion and understand the value that they bring to the project.

The final strand of a strong work ethic is dependability. Employers need to know they have employees they can count on. If you are always on time, well prepared and deliver work when you say you will, this demonstrates your strong work ethic and commitment to the business. In an uncertain business environment, colleagues, customers and management will certainly appreciate the stability that you can bring.

3. Relationship Management

Building effective relationships is one thing but managing them is something entirely different. This is an important skill in many roles, from junior posts through to management. At every level in a business you will be expected to manage relationships with colleagues, partners and clients to some extent. The ability to manage relationships based on respect for each other and mutual trust is very important within any business environment.

4. Receptiveness to Feedback

Being open to feedback can help you develop both personally and professionally. In order to take on board feedback, you must first listen to it.

Don’t think about your response; just listen to what is being said. Also take note of the non-verbal communication and body language being used, which will provide subtle clues as to what your colleague or manager is not saying as much as what they are. Take on board what you have been told and use this in a positive way to further enhance your performance and productivity.

5. Body Language

Non-verbal communication is often overlooked, but when you are at work, think about how your body language and gestures could be interpreted. Facial expressions can determine how you are feeling and eye contact, posture, tone of voice and gestures all reveal your attitude and approach to the situation.

6. Listening

Even the best communicators must listen carefully. Failure to listen properly can have disastrous consequences, from failing to follow through on a manager’s instructions to not completing a customer’s request. If you fail to listen, you cannot interpret what has been said and respond appropriately.

7. Collaboration

Working collaboratively allows teams to work productively and deliver positive outcomes for clients and the business. Successful collaboration requires the ability to cooperate and respect each other.

Employers often seek applicants who have a proven track record working successfully within a team and candidates who are willing to compromise and cooperate to deliver exceptional work. Being able to collaborate - particularly in challenging situations - is a great selling point when applying for a job. Present yourself in a positive manner and communicate your enthusiasm for team working.

8. Showing Appreciation

In the workplace, employers always look for employees who show their appreciation. This could be something as simple as a thank you when someone has helped with a project, a difficult customer or a tricky situation. Showing appreciation is about letting colleagues, clients, partners and managers know that you value them, their expertise and their assistance.

9. Positive Attitude

Showing positivity, even in difficult situations, is important. Be positive from the moment you fill out the application form or write a covering letter through to the interview, your first day at work and beyond.

Never say anything negative about your current or past employer, even if you feel strongly about it. Employees with a positive attitude are more likely to treat others positively, which creates a more harmonious working environment.

10. Workplace Etiquette

The way in which you come across to others can speak volumes. People often form an impression of you within the first few seconds of meeting, so it’s important that you present yourself as a professional. Learning workplace etiquette is a great way to leave a lasting impression on those you meet.

Check your posture, ensure that you stand straight and make eye contact, turn towards people when they are speaking and smile at them in a genuine way. Follow the dress code of the company and make sure that your accessories such as ties, bags and jewellery are suitable for the workplace. Also ensure that you demonstrate kindness and courtesy, and arrive in good time.

Which Jobs Require Interpersonal Skills?

The above is by no means an exhaustive list of interpersonal skills. If you have strong relationship-building capabilities combined with effective collaborative skills, there are certain roles that you will be well suited to.

Any careers that require client management would be an ideal choice. That said, being able to remember the finer details, having self-confidence to market yourself properly and respecting workplace etiquette are skills that are valued in many roles, including:

Property

When working in property you must be able to build relationships with clients and partners, and be receptive to the requirements of both buyers and sellers. As buying and selling property is a major financial decision, an estate agent or consultant will need strong negotiation skills and communicative abilities to close sales and negotiate the best price for the seller.

Broker

A broker helps their clients to secure the best deal on a range of products from mortgages to insurance. Financial product knowledge is key, but communication skills are also high on the list of priorities. As well as working with clients, brokers also need to develop strong relationships with partners such as banks, lenders and estate agents.

Medical Professional

Although education and the level of skill required to become a qualified medical professional are the most important to practice, interpersonal skills feature strongly in any skill set of a doctor, nurse or consultant. They must be able to communicate and use non-verbal communication to offer reassurance and put patients at ease. Medical professionals must also be able to discuss sensitive issues with their patients, and bedside manner is very important.

Financial Planning

As with a broker, financial planning requires knowledge and exceptional communication and interpersonal skills. Financial planners will assist their clients in areas such as investments, insurance and planning for retirement to name a few, so they must be able to establish a certain degree of trust. Listening is crucial, so that they can understand clients’ requirements and then recommend suitable products and services.

Sales

Relationship management is a key element of many sales roles - done well, it can lead to new and repeat business from recommendations or referred customers. Sales professionals must also be confident making cold calls and deploying strong negotiation and listening skills to find out the requirements of the client, before offering suitable products and/or services.

How to Emphasise Your Interpersonal Skills in Your CV

Now that you understand what interpersonal skills are and the industries in which they are most useful, you should be able to identify a few of them that you possess. Once you have, be sure to emphasise them in your application documents and then, if successful, at interview.

When drafting your CV, look carefully at the job description and person specification to see if any specific interpersonal skills are mentioned. Start your CV with a clear and concise profile section that describes your main attributes. This should be followed by a strong career history section, again incorporating your interpersonal skills via your professional experience, academic studies and voluntary work.

In your cover letter, you can expand this further by explaining how you used these skills and the impact that had on the business. Perhaps your strong communication skills secured a sale, or your successful relationship management resulted in excellent customer feedback.

If you are invited to an interview, emphasise your interpersonal skills and show the recruiter how you use them. Elements such as workplace etiquette, professionalism and self-confidence all come into play here. Any others, such as listening and collaboration, can also be explained using relevant examples from your work or academic studies.

How to Communicate with Clarity & Confidence

Whether you are an introvert who agonises over what to say - or an extrovert who has no trouble talking, but often struggles to listen - 'Confident Conversation' harnesses existing personality strengths in order to employ practical tools for effective and eloquent communication.

Communication is an art, and anyone--whether shy or outgoing--can improve his or her conversational skills. Much of your success in life is going to come from your ability to communicate well with other people. Successful people know how to communicate and have taken a lot of time to improve communication skills.

How to Communicate with Confidence is a straightforward article to making good conversation that works in any situation--and works for any personality type. Highlighting the art of give and take and stressing the importance of listening, this article gives confidence to those who hesitate to strike up a conversation. Author Kranti Gaurav shows readers that they don't have to have a stockpile of great stories to tell in order to make good conversation. Instead, he encourages an "explorer" mind-set and gives readers the tools they need to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Social intelligence, which is the ability to interact well with others, is one of the highest paid and most respected intelligence in our society.

So, how do you communicate more effectively with others?

My favourite word in communication is clarity.

Almost all our problems in life come because of lack of clarity. We say things but they don’t come out clearly. To be clear, stop and think, and then proceed slowly.

Another great way is to rephrase or repeat something if it’s clear that they didn’t get the message.

I speak Hindi & English. One of the things I’ve learned is if you say something in your limited language and someone doesn’t seem to understand it, rephrase it and say it again.

If they still don’t understand, rephrase it and say it again until that person says, “Ha! Now I understand.”

There are also ways to communicate with clarity in stressful situations as well:

Having A Conversation

Effective communication starts with being clear in your own mind about what you want to say. Then be clear when you deliver the message, saying it slowly and patiently. Finally, make sure that the other person hears the message that you sent.

When you communicate with another person, this is what happens:

You send a message into the air in the form of words.
The words are then received by the other person who interprets them in their own mind based on their own thoughts, feelings, and so on.
The other person formulates a response and sends the response back.
You then receive the response, translate that into meaning and significance.
You send back your response.
Noise In Communication
Between these two responses there is noise. Noise can be physical noise like trucks, a TV, people talking, mechanics, etc., but it can also be internal noise.

The person could be hungry or distracted. It can be emotional noise. The person could be unhappy or excited. The person could have other noise influencing them that causes them to interpret what you say in a different way.

If you think about this, communication requires sending the message and having it received. The message is checked, and sent back. The message is received, and then checked. It’s better to be sure at every stage of the transaction that people are sending and receiving with tremendous clarity.

The Best Question To Get Clarity
Here is my favourite question of all…

When somebody says something that you’re not sure about say, “How do you mean, or how do you mean exactly?”

They will always expand on what they just said and make it clearer and easier for you to understand and respond to. Try asking this question when you’re not sure of something to get all the clarity you need. For most people, great conversation doesn't come naturally. Whether you're an introvert who agonises over what to say or an extrovert who has no trouble talking--but forgets to listen--you'd probably like to improve your conversational skills. By harnessing the strengths of your personality style and employing practical tools for success, you will be able to
· start, continue, and end a conversation
· listen more effectively
· enjoy yourself in the process

If you . . .
don't know what to say,
feel like you can't start a conversation,
or wish you could speak up more often,
. . . you might be an introvert.


If you . . .
usually dominate the conversation,
can wax eloquent about almost any subject,
or find yourself talking more than listening,
. . . you might be an extrovert.


Either way, with the right attitude and a little know-how, you can excel in the art of confident conversation.

7 Ways to Communicate With Confidence Even if You're Nervous

Communication is everything in life and business. In each interaction it is not what you communicate but how you communicate that makes all the difference. Business interactions range from big egos and hot-headed temperaments to people who are too insecure to speak up. Neither creates productive conversations that result in movement towards greater success. Communication must be respectful to be received well by your counterparts. You must cultivate the emotional control, insight, charisma and courage to voice your ideas and respectfully champion them.

1. Be clear on your views

It takes confidence to share your ideas in the workplace, especially if your goal is to influence and impress colleagues outside your immediate team, including those who have seniority. To be confident when communicating with your boss, a senior executive or a prospective customer you have to be clear on your views. The more clarity you have going into a conversation the more your ideas will be received with thoughtful interest.

When communicating, never worry about stepping out of line. All that can happen is your viewpoints will be considered and then turned down, so you haven’t gained or lost anything. In finding the courage to communicate, however, you develop more confidence in your opinions then if you had never expressed them. If you believe that your ideas can make a significant contribution, then voice them. It is worth the risk.

2. Be prepared

You cannot weaken once you go in for the kill and express your ideas or opinions. Get right to the point. Clarity and directness give you power and authority, especially when you're trying to communicate with higher level executives. State your ideas with a bold but not obnoxious clarity.

Never lead with an apology or any type of excuse which shows insecurity. Start your communication with a strong, confident “I” statement backed up with evidence in support of the validity of your ideas or opinions. Evidence or research will help you not to falter because you have reliable information to reference if you are called upon to prove yourself. Each time your view is challenged it gives you an opportunity to reaffirm the validity of your ideas. View these challenges not as rejections, but as welcomed opportunities.

3. Stick to your guns

Be prepared to stand firm for your ideas whenever necessary. It may be intimidating to stand up to dissenting views, particularly if the opposition is coming from those in higher positions. Keep in mind ideas that are the most worth sharing are the ones likely to be bordering on the edge of controversial. Whenever you present something new, expect to be challenged, then rise to the occasion by citing the evidence and research forming your position.

Show your conviction without being defensive or aggressive, both of which advertise a lack of confidence and undermine the validity of your idea to the powers that be. When confronted or questioned, first acknowledge the other person’s point of view, then firmly and cordially demonstrate the valid reasons you see things differently.

4. Provoke questioning

Senior executives value thoughtful input from others. They thrive on ideas which provoke innovative dialogue. They like to be challenged and to challenge back when they share opposing views. This type of dialogue inspires each person to generate and put forth only their best ideas. Whenever you get the opportunity to generate and contribute to a critical thinking conversation, engage in this dynamic with a spirit of cooperation and open-mindedness.

When you are cooperative and open minded you inspire dialogue that builds solutions. It is best to be involved in the game rather than to stay quiet or allowing yourself to become internally combative. The more cooperative you can be and open to new additions to the ideas you’re presenting, the more interesting you become to those above or below you. It shows great character to bend and be flexible while also sticking strongly to what you believe about your ideas and opinions. You remain approachable yet steady, having the ability to get others to question and ponder more deeply what you bring to the table.

5. Show respect

People are people. If you approach senior executives with an “underling” disposition your ideas and opinions will not be taken seriously. Your attitude, approach, nonverbal energy and tone of voice reveal everything. Respect yourself first by showing confidence and then always be respectful when sharing your ideas.

There is an unconscious habit in most people to defer to those who have more power but if you defer to them, they will not respect this about you. Do not let your uppers take control of the conversation or let them silence you. Show your respect by only sharing your best ideas with them. Conversely, when you address those less senior to you, show an equal degree of respect. Listen to them carefully, acknowledge their opinions, and build upon their ideas in whatever way you can.

6. Be genuine

It takes extraordinary courage to be confident in yourself while sharing your ideas, especially if you work on a team where you aren't necessarily seen as the type to voice ideas or opinions. Sometimes that isn't always personal. It may be the culture of the team or company. As you look around at your peers, you may feel there's a normal way of dressing, speaking, looking, and acting and it can be compelling to maintain status quo. Keep in mind, however, great successes never obey status quo. Further, there's no need to resist corporate culture in your effort to become a more powerful communicator. You can stay in line with what works, still be bold in who you are and state your opinions and ideas.

Authenticity is a contagious character trait. The more genuine you allow yourself to be regardless of company culture and the more willing you are to put what you think out there, the more successful you will inspire your team to be. Be willing to risk. Have the courage to utilize your spontaneity, creative energy, vigor, and sense of humor. Suppressing those qualities won't serve you, your message, or your company.

7. Listen Twice, Speak Once 

As the old saying goes: "You have two ears and one mouth for a reason: so listen twice as much as you speak."

So while the other person is talking, give him or her your undivided attention. Don't be thinking of what you're going to say next, or you’re likely to miss what the person is saying. That can be lead to bigger embarrassment than asking too many questions. Take a chance and keep trying for what you want. It's only a matter of time before you get it. The only way to learn good communication skills is by practising. Hanging back in the shadows and playing it safe leads nowhere.

In any type of communication your emotions can confuse and derail you. Go into each interaction knowing your emotions cannot be trusted. You may feel shy, insecure and uncertain. Deal with this like a pebble in your shoe. It is uncomfortable but you have to ignore it. These emotions must be overcome for your ideas to be heard, respected and then utilised. You cannot let these lower level insecurities or any defensiveness be a part of your equation. Go into each interaction with a smile. This makes it appear as if you have it together. Be well-groomed and possess a sense of humour. If you act confident enough, you will become confident enough. Dress the part, play the role and say what you need to say as it if is absolute truth. This is how you will close every deal and climb the corporate ladder.

Thank you so much Guys.

Stay Fit, Take Care & Keep Smiling :-)

God Bless !!

Kranti Gaurav
XLRI Jamshedpur