Since we are living in today’s fast-changing–world, which is interconnected and ever-changing, it is important that are aligned with technical skills in the long run to drive success at your workplace. Interpersonal skills are generally referred to as “people skills,” which are attributes that shape personal abilities and have a positive effect on one’s career growth. This skill enables an individual to coordinate with the team members, and employees- often called soft skills.

It contribute to professional growth include communication, interpersonal skills for leadership, emotional intelligence, work ethics, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management. People now feel that these skills are “must haves,” not just “nice to haves.”

In this blog, we discuss ten key interpersonal skills that can give a boost to your career: interpersonal skills communication, empathy, and conflict resolution.

Understanding about the need for Interpersonal skills?

Interpersonal skills are a personal trait that improves our existing knowledge to understand other people’s perspectives in the workplace. Basically, it helps in making a healthy relationship with people, termed as “being good with people”. It ranges from effective communication and active listening to working collaboratively in teams, driving interpersonal competencies that assist individuals in their career growth and general productivity at the workplace.

“Soft skills are often overlooked, but they can make or break your career,” Peggy Klaus highlighted strongly.

Why do interpersonal skills have significance in the workplace?

It is not only assist individuals with normal day-to-day tasks, but they also open up opportunities to higher performance and larger professional opportunities. Effective interpersonal connections make the interpersonal skills activity easier to accomplish and progress in a career.

These skills also can help protect your job when times get tough and can make your team work better.

Improving these skills can make customers happier, help in negotiations, and increase sales. They also help in handling difficult situations and making good work decisions.

DO YOU KNOW: A ZipRecruiter job outlook report in 2022 shows that 93% of employers purport that soft skills play an important role in hiring decisions.

(Source: Guy Berger, Ph.D.)

The graph shows that interpersonal soft skills are highly valued by employers and significantly impact various aspects of career success, from adaptability to networking.

Top 10 Interpersonal Skills to Boost Your Career

It becomes very important to understand different types of interpersonal skills, both for personal and professional development. A few of the key types are listed below:

1. Communication: The Foundation of Workplace Interactions

• Practice active listening- respond to both verbal and non-verbal messages, including body language, asking questions to clarify the message, and showing your understanding.
• Be clear and straightforward with communication.
• Avoid the use of jargon and reframe your language according to your audience.
• Give and receive feedback thoughtfully; make specific suggestions and be open to learning.

2. Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking: Your Inner Compass

• Meet challenges with interest- break down the complex problem into manageable parts.
• Gather facts from many sources, then decide; don’t drive with your feelings.
• Open to new ideas and thought processes. Give suggestions and think out of the box.

3. Teamwork: Better Together

• Be an active team player; use your skills in contributing to the realization of common goals by helping others.
• Conduct conflicts constructively. Identify common ground and preserve good relations always.
• Get everyone involved and hammer out solutions that benefit all.

(Source:bestcolleges)

4. Adaptability: Riding Storms for Transformation

• Find fresh problems and exhilarating opportunities for growth rather than obstacles.
• Flexibility in using approaches as necessary; keeping an open mind to new experiences.
• Bounce back from failures with will and learn what went wrong.

5. Emotional intelligence: Man’s interpersonal boundary

• Be aware of your emotions and know how they drive your behavior. This explains the way you make decisions.
• Understand others’ points of view, even if you disagree.
• Be graceful in moving about social events; hopefully, you will foster relationships and motivate others.

(Source: monarch)

6. Time Management: Your Productivity Power Tool

• Emphasize the most important tasks there would be such that less critical work would not distract you.
• Plan out your day and set some realistic goals. Furthermore, breaks down large tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces.
• Whenever possible, delegate to free up your time for greater responsibilities.

7. Leadership Styles: The Craft of Motivating Action

• Lead from the front; even if you are not the manager, set an example.
• If needed, be confident in your choices, especially under difficult conditions, knowing the facts and options.
• Help others be their best by recognizing accomplishments and creating a positive atmosphere.

DO YOU KNOW? According to ZipRecruiter job postings, interpersonal skills communication remained at the top position of soft skills in demand, coming in at 6.1 million job listings in the year 2022.

8. Cultural Intelligence: A Means for Global Success

• Accept those cultures, values, and ideas different from you, while showing respect for them.
• Be able to adjust the behavior and bearing of communication in most cross-cultural settings.
• Show respect for each person; be careful not to assume and stereotype.

9. Networking: Your Map to Prospects

• Establish actual relationships with like-minded individuals or those that might be rather beneficial to you.
• Networking is the act of encouraging support and seeking it; hence, it becomes a two-way transaction simultaneously.
• Show interest through an online presence in relevant groups in a professional manner.

10. Positive Attitude: Sunshine of Your Career

• Stay positive and focus on corrections instead of problems.
• Passionate for the job one produces and the people one surrounds.
• Strong in the face of challenges. Rising from the mistakes, move with determination.

Employers are looking out for people with the best Interpersonal learning: 92 percent of talent professionals and hiring managers now believe that soft skills are as important as—maybe more important than—hard skills. Therefore, interpersonal skills benefit you in any workplace, so focus on the building of your soft skills. And it will set you up for success.

“The Power of Interpersonal Communication Skill in Enhancing Service Provision,” a study by Nwokorie, E. C., and Okeke, C. C., attempts to establish the centrality of interpersonal communication skills in improving service delivery. They test the significance of Interpersonal connection in the areas of active listening, empathy, conflict resolution, customer satisfaction, and organizational performance.

Elevate Your Career with Interpersonal Skills Training from AITD

Nowadays, job marketing is changing, and having an effective People skill is required to stay in this competitive market. Companies want people who can fit and align themselves across different industries. It enable these people skills to perform their activities effectively by managing a good, healthy work-life balance. These are the productivity and efficiency-enhancing skills at workplaces.

Interpersonal training and Interpersonal skills development help us to align better in team efforts. When individuals work together, they will understand and develop trust amongst each other and generate more output. By continuously learning and working on these skill sets, you can enhance your career and be a recognized asset to your company.

Looking ahead at your workplace, you have to possess skills such as communication, leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, adaptability, and emotional intelligence.

To ensure one is better off at the workplace, you should enhance your current skill sets. Other alternatives allow you to upskill through online courses, e-books, and interpersonal skills courses.

Amity Institute of Training & Development (AITD) offers you integrated interpersonal skills training in building those much-needed interpersonal relations that will help in growing your career. Upskilling and working on these skills and learning them now will be beneficial for you today, tomorrow, and the upcoming future.

Key Learnings

1. Interpersonal skills form an important part of career growth in the Indian job industry.
2. 85% of jobs have a large component of Interpersonal Team building.
3. Employers highly rely on emotional intelligence and soft skills.
4. Effective communication and teamwork are the two major soft skills in demand.
5. Interpersonal understanding lead us to build an excellent working environment.