Interpersonal Skills Training

What are interpersonal skills and how can you go about improving them. The definition of interpersonal skills say that they refer to a series of communicative and mental patterns you can apply during a conversation with another person with the purpose of obtaining certain effects or results.

Interpersonal skills can help you reduce or eliminate conflict in various situations and increase participation or assistance from others in completing specific assignments or obtaining information about a given subject. 

What can interpersonal skills training teach you?

Well, one thing you can learn is how to engage with people. For example, one short question you can ask someone before engaging him into a conversation is:

“Excuse me, are you busy?” 

This allows the receiving individual to asses their own current task and make their own judgment regarding the importance of their work instead of just entering your discussion

 

10 ways to improve your interpersonal skills.

1. Smile

Maintaining a positive, cheerful attitude about work and about life in general is very important. Smiling even when you’re sad will give you a boost and will create various reaction in your body that will change how you feel. Try to smile as often as you can and you will definitely notice a change for the better. One saying I always liked was this: “Smile, It confuses people” 

2. Be appreciative

I am sure you like it when someone appreciates you or your work. That’s why it is important to find one positive thing about all your work colleagues and let them hear it. Say thank you and you’ll be seen as a better person. 

3. Pay attention to others around you

Don’t be self-involved and self-centered. No one likes someone who talks only about herself or her problems. Observe the happy milestones of others around you and express your concern and sympathy for difficult situations or for serious problems.

4. Practice active listening

This can be done by restating, using your own words, what the other person just said to you. This will help you understand better what the other is talking about and gives you the ability to ask useful questions and have a meaningful conversation.

 5. Bring people together

This one mainly refers to treating everyone equally and not playing favorites. Treating one person better than the other will not make you look good and eventually people will begin to dislike you.

 6. Resolve conflicts

Being able to resolve conflict in any given situation is a skill that everyone who wants to improve their people skills should develop. Try to be an effective mediator, listen to wht everyone has to say and resolve conflicts by finding solutions and compromises that will please everyone (or as many people as possible)

 7. Communicate clearly

Try and state clearly what you want and what your needs are. If you have the tendency to blurt out everything that pops in your mind people will start to stop listening to you and they won’t put much weight on your words.

 8. Sense of humor.

Don’t be afraid to be funny whenever you have the chance. Clever remarks and jokes can boost your popularity simply because most people are drawn to a person that can make them laugh.

 9. Put yourself in their shoes

Try to understand how others feel before judging them or jump to any conclusions. Try to view situations and responses from another person’s perspective if you want to develop your interpersonal skills

 10. Don’t complain

As I said earlier, nobody likes a person who only talks about himself. Especially if all they do is complaining about this and that. If you do feel the need to verbalize your grievances, try to talk to your closest friends and family because they are the only ones who won’t judge you, understand you and can give you an honest advice.

 

Now you know what interpersonal skills are and you discovered 10 ways to improve them. Keep them in mind and apply them in your day to day life and you’ll see how people will start to look at you differently.