The Benefits
Developing ‘people skills’ is important in today’s world because people are always interacting at work and in their social lives. These skills consist of habits and techniques which determine how you are perceived, and how far you will advance in your career.
Interpersonal skills are crucial to maintaining relations within a business, as they are the backbone to maintaining a positive environment and atmosphere. Without these skills, relations inside a business become hostile, resulting in workplace dissatisfaction and conflict.
What Are They?
Interpersonal skills are defined as ‘the behaviours and feelings that exist within all of us that influence our interactions with others’. These interactions are typically split into:
• Authoritative.
• Outgoing.
• Quiet.
• Passive.
• Dominating.
By assessing your interpersonal skills, business relations can be greatly improved. This is done by analysing your communication skills, assertiveness skills, conflict resolution and anger management with the goal of improving interpersonal relationships with those around you.
Techniques for Improvement
One-on-one communication builds good people skills. Many people feel uncomfortable when trying to improve their skills, yet most people are quite understanding when someone is actively trying to engage them in a positive way.
Follow these techniques to strengthen your skills:
• Make eye contact – Smile and be confident. When you speak, do not use a monotone voice. Smiles are contagious and will win over many people without a word. A warm smile shows you are friendly, open, and ready to communicate.
• Listen to the other person – Everyone wants to be heard and understood, so actively listen and think about what is said. Ask questions if you do not understand something and try not get side-tracked. If you’re still unclear, ask again.
• Be honest – Answer yes or no without feeling embarrassed. Be assertive but remain aware of other opinions and feelings.
• Stand up for yourself – If you disagree, calmly say so. You are allowed to have an opinion.
• Call the person by name – Be sure to use their name throughout the conversation. This will make them feel important to you, as people like hearing their own name!
• Interact with others frequently – Use every opportunity you have in a group setting to improve your people skills. As you meet more people, you will grow and adapt to a wide variety of social situations and personalities.
• Work together with others – In a group setting, you can bond with other people and improve your skills by coming together with a common goal in mind. By helping others meet their needs, you are building trust and learning the art of compromise which will help you in many areas of life.
• Avoid interrupting – Wait patiently for them to finish. Cutting a person off mid-sentence antagonizes them and gives the impression that what they are saying is invalid or non-essential.
Continue to Improve
Developing people skills is vital during a person’s life. Whether the individual is in school and trying to get along with bullies, or a leader in a corporate office, these skills are vital to communicating effectively. The skills assist you in showing consideration, sympathy and interest in others. People skills also determine whether you can express your needs effectively and be strong enough to stand up for your rights.
Practice your people skills daily and stay positive. If you’re having a bad day, don’t make others feel bad. Looking on the bright side will make people feel better about their own situation as well as yours. Eventually, it will become second nature to be friendly and open with everyone you meet.
We Can Help
Hunter Global Business Solutions can give you the best guidance to improve your people skills in the workplace and in everyday life. We provide advice to help you reach your business goals effectively, with ongoing support and professional expertise.
Call us on 01636 701386 for more information or fill out our contact form to discuss any further queries you may have.
