Interpersonal skills are traits that you rely on when interacting and communicating with others. Interpersonal skills are invaluable for a number of reasons. Even now that most businesses are supported by messenger software, verbal skills are still needed to work effectively with colleagues and bosses.

In this article, we will explain what interpersonal skills include, why they are so important, and how they can be strengthened. We also talk about how these skills can be used in different jobs to give you an example of how these skills can be used in the workplace to help you increase your productivity and progress by increasing interpersonal communication.

What are interpersonal skills?

Individual interpersonal skills include the ability to communicate and build relationships with others, commonly referred to as “individual skills”. 

These skills cover a variety of scenarios in which communication and collaboration with others are essential. Interpersonal skills include the intrinsic characteristics of individuals as well as how they learn to manage certain social conditions. They also help you in the job interview process and can have a positive impact on your career advancement.

Some interpersonal skills include:

• Active and effective listening ;
• Teamwork;
• Responsibility ;
• trustworthy;
• Leadership ;
• Motivation ;
• flexibility;
• Patience ;
• ٍempqthy

Strong interpersonal skills in the workplace are assets that help you with complex tasks, make changes, and do everyday tasks.

The importance of interpersonal skills

Having strong interpersonal skills will help you in the job interview process because employers are looking for people who can communicate well with others; They also help you understand others and take an effective approach to working with others so that you can succeed in any job; For example, although a software engineer can spend most of his or her time independently, he or she may need to work with other programmers to bring the product to market effectively.

This is especially true for companies that have specific frameworks for doing things. Employers are looking for employees who can do their jobs well and also communicate well with their co-workers.

1. Establish effective communication

Effective communication is the cornerstone of any business’s success. You need interpersonal skills to communicate well. Interpersonal skills are essential for proper communication, exchange, information, and skills with your colleagues; In addition, they make each other respect and respect each other’s opinions and suggestions. Communication through interpersonal skills leads to better performance in responsibilities, better task management, and getting things done on time.

2. An open feedback loop is created

Most companies try to create a dynamic environment so that they can adapt very quickly to internal and external factors. To do this effectively, you need an open and constructive feedback loop. There needs to be a constant connection between the person doing the work and the person delegating the work. Once a person has completed the assigned tasks, he/she can provide feedback on the work steps; At the end of the work, the supervisor comments on the quality of the work and asks the person to make the necessary corrections. This cycle or loop is continuous.

The reasons for breaking the feedback loop are different, but the role of interpersonal skills in this is undeniable; for example:

• One or both parties are not friendly;
• One or both parties are not present at work, mentally and physically;
• The supervisor does not have a good ability to communicate with subordinates.

Very destructive behavior that happens a lot is that the supervisor only gives feedback after doing the work; Especially when the employee requests feedback during the work, but the supervisor ignores his request. This can affect productivity, morale, and quality of work. There is nothing worse than working on a project for hours and then having an observer question everything and ask them to start over. Thus, interpersonal skills create interpersonal relationships and interpersonal communication also creates a dynamic environment with a constructive feedback loop.

3. There are more opportunities

By connecting with managers and co-workers and having interpersonal skills, you will achieve more exciting opportunities in the workplace and in the field of activity. If you can have a good influence on your boss, he will also give you good resources to do the job or even offer you a better position with higher responsibilities and privileges in the company. These are big positive points for your career advancement.

4. Connects you to others

With good interpersonal skills, managers and co-workers recognize you as a good person; As a result, they will be more comfortable interacting with you and more likely to seek your help and advice; It also makes it easier for you to work with people; These skills help you interact better with others; As a result, the level of productivity increases.

5. Shows your social awareness

Good interpersonal skills show that you are interested in the well-being of colleagues and customers, and as a result, you gain their trust and confidence; For example, good emotional perception and intelligence can help you cope with difficult social situations; بین Interpersonal skills can also help you make good decisions and judgments about important work issues.

6. Customer satisfaction increases

Being diplomatic is one of the essential characteristics of a job, and not only do your colleagues benefit from your tact, but customers see that you take their benefits into account. You are fully aware of the needs of your customers and are interested in finding solutions to their problems. Customer satisfaction also pleases the boss. Your ability to make positive connections does not go unnoticed by your superiors and superiors.

7. They build trust

According to the American Psychological Association, a quarter of employees in the United States do not trust their employer, and only 50% of them are comfortable with their boss. Lack of transparency can discourage employees.

If your team members feel deprived of participation in the company’s activities and activities, and important personnel decisions, such as hiring and firing, are made without any transparency, they will definitely be discouraged and look for another job. Stress from potential and sudden unemployment can lead to distrust of their management and decisions. Even if employees are not looking for other jobs, this distrust causes them to work at a lower capacity due to the existing stress. So having interpersonal skills and creating effective interpersonal relationships also builds trust in the organization.

8. Helps to improve and maintain personal relationships

Interpersonal skills are very effective, useful, and profitable when they improve your valuable relationships. Not only is it important to have personal relationships in the workplace, but also to maintain professional relationships. Maintaining these relationships is often more challenging because it requires a variety of tasks, such as consistency, follow-up, and ongoing empathy. The best way to maintain interpersonal relationships in the workplace is, to be honest, and consistent.

9. You will become an effective leader

Articles and articles written on interpersonal skills have repeatedly spoken about their importance in effective management and leadership. The ability to build and improve interpersonal relationships, building trust, and clear communication are among the core skills of effective leadership. A leader who is not able to communicate effectively with his team will undoubtedly fail in the long run, and capable team members will change jobs in the short term.

10. It will encourage empathy

As mentioned above, empathy is an important characteristic of leadership. Knowing what creates a distraction for employees in the workplace or outside of it will help you to communicate effectively with them. Every employee has their own life, concerns, challenges, and troubles; Understanding them promotes loyalty, improves morale, and facilitates positive communication.

Examples of interpersonal skills

Unlike technical or hard skills, interpersonal skills are soft skills that are easily transferred. Employers value interpersonal skills because they play a positive role in creating a positive work environment and helping to maintain an effective workflow.

Here are some interpersonal skills that you can use to identify interpersonal skills that are valuable to your employer and may already be present in you:

Active listening

Active listening means listening to others for the purpose of gathering information and interacting with the speaker. Active listeners avoid distracting behaviors when talking to others. This can mean turning off or turning off your laptop or cell phone while listening and asking questions when needed.

trustworthy

Trustworthy people can be trusted in any situation. Reliability includes things like punctuality or commitment. Employers value trusted people and delegate important tasks to them because they trust them.

Empathy

A person’s emotional intelligence means the ability to understand the needs and feelings of others. Employers hire caring and caring employees to provide a positive, high-performance workplace.

Leadership

Leadership is an important interpersonal skill that involves effective decision-making. Effective leaders also have many other interpersonal skills such as empathy and patience to make the right decision. Both managers and others can use leadership skills. Employers value people who have a sense of ownership of the organization and strive to achieve common goals.

Teamwork

The ability to work in a team is invaluable. Teamwork involves many interpersonal skills such as communication, active listening, flexibility, and responsibility. Important tasks are often assigned to those who have the ability to work in a team and the potential to be promoted.

Jobs that require interpersonal skills

Every job you apply for requires some kind of interpersonal skill. Some jobs rely more on interpersonal skills than others; for example:

• Teacher:  Teachers need very strong interpersonal skills to work with each other, principals, students and parents. An empathetic and patient teacher can help students learn and progress;
• Administrative Assistant:  The administrative assistant must be a very reliable person. The administrative assistant is in regular contact with clients and one of his most important tasks is to develop interpersonal skills;
• Nurse:  Calming and caring for patients is a key skill of nurses. Having a variety of interpersonal skills, especially empathy and patience, is essential in this industry;
• Marketing Manager:  Marketing requires several technical and soft skills. Interpersonal skills are an important part of marketing and marketing management because marketing professionals must not only manage the development of marketing campaigns but also work with customers and sales teams;
• Customer service:  Customer service requires very strong personal skills. Customer service people spend most of their working hours with frustrated, confused, or angry customers. Having communication skills, especially patience, empathy, and active listening, are essential elements of this job.

Methods of improving interpersonal skills

Although it may seem easy to acquire interpersonal skills when interacting with others on a daily basis, developing a specific plan will help you improve them quickly.

Use the following methods to improve your interpersonal skills:

Attend online workshops or classes

There are many workshops, online classes, and videos on how to improve interpersonal skills. Many are free and some are non-free;

Look for opportunities to build relationships

If you are telecommuting or do not have much opportunity to develop interpersonal skills, you can join a new group. You can choose a group related to your job or a group related to a specific industry; You can even choose a group that has a similar interest or hobby;

Think about ways to improve your interactions

Take the time to review your interactions. Think of ways in which you could have more effective interactions. Pay attention to the words you say, your reactions, or your body language ;

Ask your friends or colleagues for feedback

Ask a third party about your skill level and the specific methods you can use to improve. Ask your trusted friends or colleagues to make constructive criticisms of your interpersonal skills;

See positive interpersonal interactions with others

It is also helpful to observe people using interpersonal skills. See positive interactions between those around you and apply the qualities you admire in your relationships;

Seek guidance

Ask the person you trust, admire and respect to help you improve your interpersonal skills and advance in your career. This is a very effective way to learn. Set goals for yourself so that you can create a clear structure that makes your learning more effective.

Interpersonal skills, in addition to effective communication, also affect team performance and create participation, effectiveness, and teamwork in the company. You need to be able to communicate with others at work to increase your productivity. Good interpersonal skills give you a lot of respect and make you stand out from the crowd. Do you think that your interpersonal skills need to improve as well? Write us about your experiences.

About KSRA

The Kavian Scientific Research Association (KSRA) is a non-profit research organization to provide research / educational services in December 2013. The members of the community had formed a virtual group on the Viber social network. The core of the Kavian Scientific Association was formed with these members as founders. These individuals, led by Professor Siavosh Kaviani, decided to launch a scientific / research association with an emphasis on education.

KSRA research association, as a non-profit research firm, is committed to providing research services in the field of knowledge. The main beneficiaries of this association are public or private knowledge-based companies, students, researchers, researchers, professors, universities, and industrial and semi-industrial centers around the world.

Our main services are Based on Education for all Spectrum people in the world. We want to make an integration between research and education. We believe education is the main right of Human beings. So our services should be concentrated on inclusive education.

The KSRA team partners with local under-served communities around the world to improve the access to and quality of knowledge based on education, amplify and augment learning programs where they exist, and create new opportunities for e-learning where traditional education systems are lacking or non-existent.