Humans in general want to feel that they are being understood and respected despite the content of a conversation. When you do not have good interpersonal skills, it can prevent you from being an effective communicator.
It is of great importance to developing skills that do not only come to play in your professional life but also in your personal life.
What are interpersonal skills?
These are skills that involve the interaction and exchange of information between two or more people. It could be verbal and/or non-verbal communication
Many soft skills require interpersonal skills which include:
- Conflict resolution
- Negotiation
- Teamwork
- Empathy
- Decision-making and problem making
It is important to develop your interpersonal skills because you interact with others daily, it’s essential for networking, career development relies on it, employees seek this skill in prospective employees.
These are some ways to improve your interpersonal skills:
Practice Empathy
Being empathetic means that you are able to identify and understand other people’s emotions. When you understand how others feel, it will be easier for you to communicate your thoughts in a way that they would understand.
To develop empathy, you need to see yourself in the other person’s position. Another way to develop empathy is to practice listening to your colleagues without interrupting them.
Never ignore other’s emotions but always address them. When communicating, your body language should depict sincerity.
Have a Positive attitude and work environment
People would always want to be around you if you are friendly and have a positive outlook. Even when the company is in a difficult situation, you have to maintain a positive spirit. You must not be an incredibly social person but must develop some type of positive rapport with the team and others at the workplace.
Recognize others expertise
One way to build trust is to let your colleagues know you value their skills. You can do this by asking for their help on some tasks and projects. Let them know when they have done a great job so that they would know they are appreciated.
Show an interest in colleagues
Because you see and work with people every day, you may be aware of their personal lives. Finding out what is important and dear to them could help you build a positive relationship with them.
Become self-aware
Self-awareness is the ability to accurately know your emotions, strengths, limitations, actions and understand how these affect people around you.
You can improve your self-awareness by keeping a diary of the situations that have triggered emotions in you. Receive feedback from staff that can say how others perceive you. Also, observe the response others have to your behavior.
Handling difficult colleagues
You may have a member of the team but do not allow this to get in the way of your performance. You can manage this by finding one good professional characteristic in that person that would make it easier for you to interact with them. Look for and remind yourself one thing the other person is good at and dwell on it.
Be Assertive
Be confident in expressing your needs and opinions in a fair and honest way while considering the view of others.
People would find it easier to like and respect you if you’re assertive while communicating rather than aggressive. They are more likely to trust you and the conversation will flow smoothly.
Be An Active Listener
Active listening involves listening beyond the words being spoken, you understand the message being communicated. Do not listen in anticipation or preparation for what to answer. Listen to understand.
When freelancers and employees work on these suggestions, they would considerably improve their interpersonal skills and work better with their teams. Sign up on Bixex here to connect with business owners and freelancers from different parts of the globe.
Read Also: Easy Ways To Build Teamwork and Collaboration skills.