Developing Strong Inter-personal Skills At Workplace

Raghav is an excellent employee and was expecting a promotion to the managerial position this year. However the result of the interview proved to be disastrous for him. The role was offered to the other candidate. The reason was his poor interpersonal skills to impress the interviewer.If he had the desired inter-personal skills he would have got the promotion as a Manager.Each person has different levels of interpersonal skills. Many may not be even aware of the flaws in their interpersonal skills and consider themselves to be good.The most important question here is why interpersonal skills are so important.????Interpersonal skills are essential skills required for interacting and connecting with people.It refers to a person's ability to interact effectively with other members of the organisation like peers, subordinates and superiors. Interpersonal skills plays a pivotal role for professional success and help one to excel at the workplace. The growing importance of good interpersonal skills cannot be denied in the present age of information and technology. People who constantly work on developing strong interpersonal skills are usually more successful in every sphere. In various job situations, the manager would require better interpersonal skills.Following are some of the important interpersonal skills needed at the workplace:

• Strong communication skills
• Good negotiation skills
• Ability to resolve conflicts in time
• Motivational skills
• Willingness to learn
• Personal integrity
• Team skills
• Ability to manage behavior in personal interactions
• Ability to influence the behavior of others positively
• Ability to listen attentively to others
• Willingness to be accountable
• Readiness to accept feedback
• Ability to learn from mistakes
• Readiness to share knowledge with others
• Ability to respect everyone in the organisation

IMPROVING INTER-PERSONAL SKILLS

 Robert Half International, Executice Director Paul McDonald also admitted the importance of interpersonal skills. He said "while strong interpersonal skills are essential at all levels, they are particularly critical for managers". Interpersonal skills are extremely important for managers as they have to interact with employees as a mentor and as a boss, peers,superiors.Interpersonal skills can be improved by repeated practice.Without good interpersonal skills it is difficult to perform one's duties efficiently. But how can we attain these skills????. Following are few important points which are helpful in developing strong interpersonal skills

1. Willingness to Learn: As a baby, we began learning our mother tongue by listening and observing. Similarly listening attentively to what the other person says guarantees the effectiveness of interpersonal talks.Be alert and watchful when you are talking to others.When we listen, we should be aware of our own prejudices and biases so that wrong conclusions can be avoided.A clear distinction should be made between listening and hearing.Try to listen with a broader outlook and understanding.
2. Assertiveness: Assertiveness is fundamental to successful negotiation. It is the ability to express your point clearly without getting aggressive.Assertive people are able to express themselves others can respect and understand without losing their own point of view. Assertive people are able to work well with uneasy people and restless situations.Assertiveness is imperative for manager to work effectively in an organisation.
3. Accepting Responsibility is Win Win!!: Accepting responsibilities can help people to scale the unprecedented heights in their careers. Managers often have to encounter situations where they have to accept additional responsibilities from their Seniors. Saying "NO" or running away from such situations is not the solution.Greater progress in your life is possible to the extent you are shouldering the given responsibility. In-fact people who take up additional responsibilities are able to learn new set of skills which could be beneficial in advancement of their career.
4. Be a Team Player: A team player is someone who seeks excellence beyond their capacities.Team players always believe in teamwork which produces synergy.Employees who are effective team players are committed, flexible,cooperative and supportive in achieving the organisational goals.Try to be an effective team player which requires a little sacrifice and helping other team members.Try to actively participate and stay engaged to support others in the time of need.
5. Strong Communication:Effective verbal and non-verbal skills are always needed at the workplace.Strong communication skills is a prerequisite condition for excelling at the workplace.Effective communication empowers employees, provides clear direction for achieving planned goals and increases productivity. Effective communication reduces unnecessary competition and helps employees work harmoniously.Communication builds confidence level and helpful in exhibiting self esteem.Constantly improving your communication skills can help you to carve a niche for yourself at the workplace. 
6. Managing Conflicts: Conflicts generally arise when there is opposition to ideas or when there is mis-communication. Conflicts needs to be managed judiciously and their effective management is inevitable to the working of any organization.Sometimes personal conflicts occur at the workplace which are detrimental to the efficient functioning of the organisation.There are various approaches which can be resorted to in conflict management.It includes: avoiding the conflict when confronted by it, by collaborating or compromising to reach the desired agreement.
7. Positive Approach can do wonders!!:No one likes to work with a person who keeps long-drawn and downcast face.Employees who are optimists can cope stressful situations effectively than those who are pessimists. Positive people are more likely to be successful than the negative ones.In one study it is found that when optimists encounter disappointment instead of giving up they are more likely to focus on the area which will resolve such situation. Try to look on the bright side and remain cheerful. Maintaining a positive approach will keep you focused and helpful in combating stressful situation.