Tips to Improve Your Interpersonal Skills

8/2/2019 Tips to Improve Your Interpersonal Skills

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Tips to Improve Your Interpersonal Skills.

Recently i had a job interview with an International company, and despite testing technical /

professional skills, a great importance on the interview process was given to the "Interpersonal

skills".

Interpersonal Skills is one of the elements how you are perceived by your manager and coworkers,

which play a large role in things as minor as your day-to-day happiness at the office and as major as

the future of your career.

No matter how hard you work or how many brilliant ideas you may have, if you cant connect with the

people who work around you, your professional life will suffer.

Here are some tips, on how to improve our Interpersonal Skills.

Smile. Few people want to be around someone who is always down in the dumps. Do your

best to be friendly and upbeat with your coworkers. Maintain a positive, cheerful attitude

about work and about life. Smile often. The positive energy you radiate will draw others to

you.

Be appreciative. Find one positive thing about everyone you work with and let them hear it.

Be generous with praise and kind words of encouragement. Say thank you when someone

helps you. Make colleagues feel welcome when they call or stop by your office. If you let

others know that they are appreciated, theyll want to give you their best.

Pay attention to others.Observe whats going on in other peoples lives. Acknowledge

their happy milestones, and express concern and sympathy for difficult situations such as

an illness or death. Make eye contact and address people by their first names. Ask others

for their opinions.

Practice active listening. To actively listen is to demonstrate that you intend to hear and

understand anothers point of view. It means restating, in your own words, what the other

person has said. In this way, you know that you understood their meaning and they know

that your responses are more than lip service. Your coworkers will appreciate knowing that

you really do listen to what they have to say.

Bring people together. Create an environment that encourages others to work together.

Treat everyone equally, and don't play favorites. Avoid talking about others behind their

backs. Follow up on other people's suggestions or requests. When you make a statement or

announcement, check to see that you have been understood. If folks see you as someone

solid and fair, they will grow to trust you.

Resolve conflicts. Take a step beyond simply bringing people together, and become

someone who resolves conflicts when they arise. Learn how to be an effective mediator. If

coworkers bicker over personal or professional disagreements, arrange to sit down with

both parties and help sort out their differences. By taking on such a leadership role, you

will garner respect and admiration from those around you.

Communicate clearly. Pay close attention to both what you say and how you say it. A clear

and effective communicator avoids misunderstandings with coworkers, collegues, and

associates. Verbal eloquence projects an image of intelligence and maturity, no matter

what your age. If you tend to blurt out anything that comes to mind, people wont put

much weight on your words or opinions.

Humor them.Dont be afraid to be funny or clever. Most people are drawn to a person that

can make them laugh. Use your sense of humor as an effective tool to lower barriers and

gain peoples affection.


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See it from their side.Empathymeans being able to put yourself in someone elses shoes

and understand how they feel. Try to view situations and responses from another persons

perspective. This can be accomplished through staying in touch with your own emotions;

those who are cut off from their own feelings are often unable to empathize with others.

Don't complain. There is nothing worse than a chronic complainer or whiner. If you

simply have to vent about something, save it for your diary. If you must verbalize yourgrievances, vent to your personal friends and family, and keep it short. Spare those around

you, or else youll get a bad reputation.

Communication starts with good interpersonal skills. You must express yourselffreely and effectively in a way that empowers you without compromising therights of the others. The following steps will show how conflict resolution, angermanagement and assertive expression are all interpersonal skills that you canmaster to improve your relationships with othersHow to Develop Interpersonal Skills |eHow.comhttp://www.ehow.com/how_2060517_develop-interpersonal-skills.html#ixzz1sBIIHDU5

Instructions

1.Effective Communication

o 1Recognize that people want you to listen to them. They want this courtesy more thanagreement with them.

o 2Listen to yourself as you begin to communicate. Make sure that you understand what isbeing communicated to you by repeating what was said in your own words. Respond

rather than react as this will allow you to address the situation in a positive way.o Sponsored Links

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o 3Improve the way you listen. Focus understanding the words that are being said ratherthan thinking about your response. Don't speak until you fully understand that wordsthat were just spoken.

o 4Summarize your understanding of the communication. Clarify any questions with theother person.

2.Assertive Communication

o 5Direct your message only to the person you intend to communicate with. Deliver your

message to that person only.
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o 6Say what you think and feel. Be as clear and specific as possible when you state what youwant.

o 7Encourage others to give you feedback. Ask them to be specific and clear. Thisinterpersonal skill helps others to understand that you are expressing your opinion orfeeling instead of a demand.

3.Conflict Resolution

o 8Ask yourself how the conflict affects you and why it is important. This answer willdetermine what you will say during the confrontation.

o 9Maintain a positive attitude and communicate positive intentions. Always include theother party.

o 10Discuss the problem, giving the other party time to speak. Employ good communicationand listening skills. Respect the needs of the other party.

o 11

Consider alternative solutions to the problem at hand. Choose the solutions that arebeneficial to both parties. Ensure that the solutions are fair and specific.

o 12Plan a follow up evaluation of the solutions. You want to make sure the solutions areworking to the satisfaction of all parties.

4.Anger Management

o 13Become more attuned to your feelings. Learn to recognize the anger as it occurs.

o 14Avoid misdirecting your anger towards others who are not causing you to be angry. Beaware if the cause is from someone, something or inside yourself.

o 15Diffuse your anger by first taking a deep breath. Walk away from the situation untilyou've had a change to calm down.

o 16


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Express yourself responsibly and appropriately to the person who is causing you to beangry. Help the person to understand why their behavior is causing you to react withanger. Do not accuse the other person. Instead use "I statements" to express yourself in anon-threatening way.

o 17Participate in daily activities that help you to deal with anger. Try exercising andmediating.

Improve your communication skills with our unique approach

Many of our training techniques come from our creative background and have been designed to increaseyour personal impact in the shortest possible time.

You'll develop new skills in a safe, supportive environment where we help you try things out for yourself

and then develop what works best for you.

And you'll learn by doing, not just listening. In our workshops you will be on your feet, actively developing

your new skills, working with others.

Unleash the power of your voice

With our practical voice exercises you'll quickly learn tospeak with more confidence, clarity and conviction.

Your voice coaching will also: help control your nerves;

focus your thoughts; and

improve how you come across to your audience.

Master the effective use of body language

Our trainers are also specialists in helping you use body language powerfully in non-verbalcommunication and to achieve a stronger stage presence.They'll help you make the most of your posture, gesture and use of eye contact to create a moreconfident and engaging style.

Practical, down to earth training to build your skills

Our trainers will give you practical, constructive feedback to help you grow in confidence and buildyour skills as your training progresses.

You'll develop your skills using our highly effective, practical exercises and youll start to find these

new techniques become natural to you.

Weve designed our courses to develop your key presentation and communication skills step by step.So youll be always stretched, but never overwhelmed.
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Continue learning back in the office

During your training we'll give you a manual full of practical advice and further information to

help you consolidate what you've just learned.

Our training comes with a FREE Follow up Service. If you have any questions about a forthcomingpresentation, meeting or you just want to discuss something covered in your training, just contact us

and we'll be delighted to help you.

Several of our presentation skills courses now include our free SKILLSPLUS eMentoringprogramme for 6 months after the course

Introduction

Leadershipcan be defined as one's ability to get others to willingly follow. Every organization needs

leaders at every level. Leaders can be found and nurtured if you look for the following character traits.

A leader with vision has a clear, vivid picture of where to go, as well as a firm grasp on what success

looks like and how to achieve it. But its not enough to have a vision; leaders must also share it and

act upon it. Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric Co., said, "Good business

leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive it to

completion."

A leader must be able to communicate his or her vision in terms that cause followers to buy into it. He

or she must communicate clearly and passionately, as passion is contagious.

A good leader must have the discipline to work toward his or her vision single-mindedly, as well as to

direct his or her actions and those of theteamtoward the goal. Action is the mark of a leader. A

leader does not suffer analysis paralysis but is always doing something in pursuit of the vision,

inspiring others to do the same.

Analysis

Integrity is the integration of outward actions and inner values. A person of integrity is the same on

the outside and on the inside. Such an individual can be trusted because he or she never veers from

inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. A leader must have the trust of followers

and therefore must display integrity.

Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and

harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity. A leader who is centered in integrity will be more

approachable by followers.

Dedication means spending whatever time or energy is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A

leader inspires dedication by example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the

vision. By setting an excellent example, leaders can show followers that there are no nine-to-five jobs

on the team, only opportunities to achieve something great.

Magnanimity means giving credit where it is due. A magnanimous leader ensures that credit for

successes is spread as widely as possible throughout the company. Conversely, a good leader takes
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personal responsibility for failures. This sort of reverse magnanimity helps other people feel good

about themselves and draws the team closer together. To spread the fame and take the blame is a

hallmark of effective leadership.

Leaders with humility recognize that they are no better or worse than other members of the team. A

humble leader is not self-effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. Leaders with humility alsounderstand that their status does not make them a god. Mahatma Gandhi is a role model for Indian

leaders, and he pursued a follower-centric leadership role.

Openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of

thinking. Good leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others ideas, as well as

accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of. Openness builds mutual respect and

trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can

further its vision.

Creativity is the ability to think differently, to get outside of the box that constrains solutions.

Creativity gives leaders the ability to see things that others have not seen and thus lead followers innew directions. The most important question that a leader can ask is, What if ? Possibly the worst

thing a leader can say is, I know this is a dumb question ...

Fairness means dealing with others consistently and justly. A leader must check all the facts and

hear everyone out before passing judgment. He or she must avoid leaping to conclusions based on

incomplete evidence. When people feel they that are being treated fairly, they reward a leader with

loyalty and dedication.

Assertiveness is not the same as aggressiveness. Rather, it is the ability to clearly state what one

expects so that there will be no misunderstandings. A leader must be assertive to get the desired

results. Along with assertiveness comes the responsibility to clearly understand what followers expectfrom their leader.

Many leaders have difficulty striking the right amount of assertiveness, according to a study in the

February 2007 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published by the APA

(American Psychological Association). It seems that being underassertive or overassertive may be the

most common weakness among aspiring leaders.

A sense of humor is vital to relieve tension and boredom, as well as to defuse hostility. Effective

leaders know how to use humor to energize followers. Humor is a form of power that provides some

control over the work environment. And simply put, humor fosters good camaraderie.

Intrinsic traits such as intelligence, good looks, height and so on are not necessary to become a

leader. Anyone can cultivate the proper leadership traits.

What does work experience involve?

Work experience is any paid or voluntary time that you spent in a workplace to get to know it better. There are many types

of work experience, which can range from a one-off visit to a workplace, to cadetships that last months.

Work experience also includes anything from from mowing lawns, helping on the marae, babysitting, and working as a

volunteer, to part-time work and on-the-job training.


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What are the benefits of doing work experience?

Work experience lets you see if you'd enjoy doing a job on a day-to-day basis

Learning about a job or industry, and making contacts

During work experience you can see first-hand what happens in a typical day on the job. Getting a realistic idea of the

positive and negative parts of a job helps you make a more informed choice.

Meeting people in the job means you can ask them questions, such as what they like best about their job, how they

ended up in their line of work, and what qualifications they have.

Meeting people in the job also helps you to start building a network of contacts in an industry you like, which can help

you find a job later on.

You can learn about related jobs in the same field, which could give you more ideas about what kind of career you

might go into.

Improving your job opportunities later on

Job advertisements often ask for people with experience. Work experience can be the kind of experience an employer is

looking for. It also proves you were motivated enough to find out about their industry.

Doing work experience lets a potential employer see what kind of person you are - and you also get to find out about

the employer. If the employer likes your attitude and you are a good fit for the company, there could be a potential job

offer later on.

Getting more out of school - and earning NCEA credits

Work experience can help you see what school subjects relate to the job you are interested in. It might even help you

stay motivated and do better in those subjects.

You can earn New Zealand Qualifications Framework credits through programmes such as Gateway. Not only are you

working towards a workplace qualification, but these credits count toward NCEA as well.

"At school I did work experience as a hotel receptionist and in a travel agencywhich helped me

pick out what I actually wanted as a career. After school I decided to move away from home and

start my study to become a flight attendant."

Chelsea Harmer, Completed Airline Qualification

What types of work experience are there?

Gateway
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School-run work experience programme for Year 11 to 13 students involving one day a week in an industry work

placement.

You work on assessments for National Qualification Framework credits that also count towards NCEA.

To get into the programme you need to go through an interview process with your school, then an interview with the

employer.

Other programmes similar to Gateway are offered in some schools. Talk to your careers adviser to find out more.Lampen Workchoice Days

A Year 12 programme where you spend a day at two businesses of your choice.

The Workchoice Day is held nationwide, usually in May.

The employer usually gives a presentation about working in their company or industry and you can try out aspects of

the job.

Check with your careers adviser about whether your school takes part in this programme.

Lampen Workchoice Trust website - information about Workchoice Days

Job shadowing

This is a type of informal work experience where you are buddied with someone who can show you around a job.

Job shadowing can be organised by you or your careers adviser.

Job shadowing lets you see what a job is like, see if its right for you, and puts you in touch with people working in the

industry.

Industry events and competitions

Competitions such as science fairs give you a chance to do some practical work while still at school.

You can see if you enjoy working in certain areas, and build up your skills. Plus, winning a competition would look

great on your CV!

Check for competitions at Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI)The Online Learning Centre, or ask your careers adviser or

teachers.
http://www.workchoice.co.nz/http://www.workchoice.co.nz/http://www.workchoice.co.nz/

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Tips to Improve Your Interpersonal Skills