10 Ways to Improve Interpersonal Skills
at Work Everyone Must Know
See also: Improving Communication
Good interpersonal skills will make you appear professional and confident. Interpersonal skills are essential for success in many aspects of life, whether in the workplace or in personal relationships.
Improving your interpersonal skills can help you become a better communicator, build stronger relationships, and make more money.
At work, having strong interpersonal skills can help you collaborate with colleagues and lead teams effectively and efficiently.
The following post will teach us how to improve our workplace interpersonal skills. Let's have a look!
What Are Interpersonal Skills?
First, you must know what interpersonal skills are.
Interpersonal skills include both verbal and non-verbal communication. They make you able to communicate and interact with others. If you improve your interpersonal skills, you can become a star employee of your organization.
1. Participate in Team Building Activities
Team building activities not only offer fun but also improve your interpersonal skills. Team building cooking classes, fun sessions, office trivia quizzes, and other similar activities will improve your communication skills and strengthen the bond between colleagues.
Participating in these activities will give you quality time with quality learning. Besides, better interpersonal communication builds a strong relationship with co-workers. As a result, you can avoid conflicts and improve work productivity.
2. Manage Your Emotions
Work isn't a place where you can show your emotions. Whether you're stressed or happy, you need to control your emotions. This is necessary to improve your interpersonal skills.
Besides, controlling your emotions when interacting with colleagues and customers will be good. If you stay calm and respectful to others, it will help you to avoid misunderstandings.
So, if you get emotional at work, take a deep breath and manage your emotions!
3. Practice Active Listening
Listening to someone is an act of respect!
Healthy conversations go both ways. You cannot expect someone to share things with you if you don't even listen. Listen, understand, and give feedback. Sometimes you may be listening but not listening.
Active listening involves paying attention to what another person is saying, and you should focus on the words and body language of others. Practicing active listening can improve your interpersonal skills at work.
When one does complete the conversation, respond to them in an open-minded and non-judgmental manner. This helps foster understanding and trust between you and your colleagues or bosses.
4. Be Assertive
Being assertive at work is vital to improving your interpersonal skills. This means you should have the courage to speak up for yourself and what you believe in.
In other words, you must speak confidently and not talk about things you don't know. If you do this, there could be an embarrassing moment in store for you.
Besides, you should stand up for others when they cannot do so themselves. This way, you will improve interpersonal skills and foster relationships.
5. Choose Language Carefully
At the workplace, you should choose the correct language. This means you must choose the right words to express anything and avoid using any offensive language.
Using the correct language and vocabulary will improve your interpersonal skills. However, if you use the wrong words or an inappropriate tone, it can create a huge mess. So, your communication should always be practical and cordial at the workplace. In addition, you must avoid using a condescending tone at work.
6. Try to Get Feedback about Your Interpersonal Behavior
Feedback helps you to develop your personality and interpersonal skills at work. If you want to improve your communication skills, you must ask your peers for feedback. You must also have the courage to deal with any negative feedback. If you get a negative comment about your behavior, you should work on this area instead of becoming frustrated.
You can foster good relationships and promote collaboration by better understanding your behavior.
7. Improve Your Body Language
Body language and vibes are actual! Even if you maintain a poker face at work, your body language will still reveal your emotions. Your body language can reveal a lot about your personality and your interpersonal skills. It is therefore an essential component of effective communication.
Your gestures, posture, head and hand movements or whole body movements can convey messages and feelings without the need for words. Improving your body language can help you build better relationships with colleagues, express yourself more clearly, and make a good impression in the workplace.
8. Support to Others
Nothing is more excellent than supporting others in a difficult time at the workplace. Empathy is a beautiful trait that draws other people towards you. It improves your interpersonal skills and enhances collaboration.
Working with colleagues allows individuals to learn how to communicate better, collaborate and manage conflicts. So, if you find someone in pain or conflict, start a conversation and see if you can help. Even if you can't help to resolve their problems, you can try to help with support and kind words.
9. Maintain a Positive Approach to Criticism
Let's face it, it takes self-restraint not to talk back when struck with criticism at work. It may only need a single remark to derail your day. Life is not always smooth; it is an infinite-way street. However, you can sail through difficult situations smoothly if you have excellent interpersonal skills.
Learn the difference between constructive and deconstructive criticism. Search for the critic's intentions beyond the initial facade and convert that criticism into positive action. This skill is invaluable in not losing your temper and bringing even more criticism on yourself.
So, avoid exploding when hit with an unpleasant remark and maintain your cool.
10. Hire a Mentor
If you can't work on yourself, you must hire a mentor. Hiring a mentor to improve your interpersonal skills is an excellent way to gain the experience and knowledge you need to excel in this area.
Mentors have succeeded in their careers so that they can provide advice based on their experiences. A mentor can help develop better communication skills and build strong relationships with others.
Conclusion
To sum up, interpersonal skills are crucial to success in a competitive job market. Employers always appreciate individuals who can communicate effectively with colleagues. You can become a valuable asset to any organization by developing your interpersonal skill set. So, if you want to improve your interpersonal skills, this guide will significantly help you.
About the Author
Malia Jane is an investigative writer excelling in diverse niches. She has contributed her skills to several blogs, articles, and websites. With a sound knowledge of current trends in business, she is passionate about simplifying the complex world into engaging words.