Maintaining harmony in work with other people can be difficult at times. Perhaps you make mistakes every day, you like to argue, are incapable of compromising, and you are difficult to communicate with.
Of course, it is possible that the problem is in other people, then more often than not it is better to take a closer look at yourself and see if there is room for improving our interpersonal skills. By improving your interactions with your peers, you can be successful in your career development.
We talk about interpersonal skills all the time, but what are they really?
Career advancement is important to us, and interpersonal skills can be broken down into several areas. As you improve each of them, you will have a holistic approach to working with other people. These areas include:
- Communication skills;
- Teamwork skills;
- Negotiation and persuasion skills;
- Conflict resolution skills;
Communication skills: speaking is only a way, but not the only one
Active listening: This may be an underestimated skill, because we are too fixated on what we want to say and how to get it. Being an active listener is a good way to show respect, interest, and understanding.
You can demonstrate this by: paraphrasing to show understanding; ask open-ended questions, ask follow-up questions, maintain eye contact, nod and use short phrases like “understand,” “of course,” “I know,” when the other person is speaking.
Word Selection: The words you use can be incredibly important. When chosen wisely, others will understand you better and there will be less misunderstandings.
It can be helpful to interact more with people and think about how you communicate your thoughts. Ask for feedback to understand if you could express yourself more clearly and find your weak points.
Non-verbal communication: we speak not only in words. Body language can have a big impact on how other people perceive us. You can give yourself away if your words do not match your facial expressions and gestures.
Smiles, eye contact, posture, timbre of voice, observing other people's reactions to your statements, tilting your torso to show interest are all ways of communicating positive communication. Paying more attention to your body language will make you appear friendly, reliable, and good-natured.
Humor: Humor can help you bond with people and make others more comfortable in your presence. A positive reaction in the form of laughter or a joke during a conversation will make communication more relaxed. Just be sure it doesn't look offensive or offensive.
Teamwork Skills - Become a person who is enjoyable to work with
Flexibility: Understanding and adjusting to differences of opinion with others is a key skill to develop. Knowing different points of view allows you to expand your thinking. Plus, other people will feel that you respect their opinions.
Responsibility: Take responsibility for your role in the team. Of course, it's easier to shift everything onto other people and then blame them for things going wrong. Understanding your responsibility and role in the team before you get involved is critical to effective communication and positive results.
Stress Management: Stress is responded to in different ways, but dealing with it will help you at work. Try meditation and relaxation techniques in situations like this.
Feedback Ability: React positively to feedback, even if it is negative. See this as an opportunity to improve yourself, not to be discouraged.
Positivity: People respond better and are more attracted to a positive person. In other words, the positive also attracts the positive, and the negative attracts the negative. Therefore, a joyful and positive attitude not only helps us when interacting with other people, but also increases our self-esteem.
Negotiation skills and persuasion - no one should be the loser
Look for win-win situations: When negotiating, focus on maintaining a good relationship. In other words, be sure to separate people from the problem. Make sure to provide multiple alternatives for both parties before deciding. This way you can limit disagreement and hostility.
Compromise: Don't go ahead just to get your way. Be willing to compromise and analyze other people's opinions. This way, you are more likely to gain respect and the result will be in your favor.
Defending Your Position: Developing persuasion skills means being able to defend your position in a calm and positive manner. Promote your point of view in a non-hostile manner so as not to annoy other people. Developing this skill will build respect and show that you are not a mattress.
Conflict Resolution Skill - Extinguish hotbeds before they escalate into conflict
Empathy: It is very easy to be misled that the most important thing in career advancement is to be first. Being empathic is a key skill for building trust and respect among colleagues. Understand other people's perspectives and do not judge or reject their view of things. This will help you see the problem in a different light and find solutions in other situations.
Social Awareness: Being sensitive to potential conflicts will allow you to identify and prevent them before it's too late. It can save you a lot of time and effort, clearing the way for your career goal.
By looking at each area of communication separately, you can dramatically improve your interpersonal skills, form good relationships at work, and move further in your career. Trust and respect from others should not be discarded or underestimated. Hard work and the ability to get along with colleagues are the keys to success.
We recommend watching:
And this video is about what you don't need to do in order to become successful and rich:
