Interpersonal Communication Skills

You may have the most impressive line-up of degrees and may boast of refined skills, but if you do not have the right interpersonal skills to complement your credentials, you are pretty much a lost case. Whether you are brimming with energy for an important presentation, chairing a conference or simply running for a plum job offer, you cannot expect to get ahead without good people skills. Remember, people can act difficult and can cold shoulder your views and opinion. Nevertheless, if you know the art to convey your message clearly, then even the toughest opposition can become a pushover for you. Strong interpersonal communication skills are a necessary tool to evade workplace conflicts and even stub away personal miscommunications. The key objective is to interact with others in a positive way and ultimately get them to know you better and appreciate you. Remember, nobody fancies an aggressive, loud, rude and snob person. In case you do not have the required interpersonal skills, you better buck up to make the most of your abilities. Read on to know more on effective interpersonal communication skills.

You may have a million-dollar look and mouth a million worth words, but if you do not have ears for your audience, then your soft skills are pretty much a bummer. Remember, effective communication begins with effective listening and one of the best ways to make the most of it is to belt up and listen. Listening is deemed as one of the crucial parameters of all interpersonal dealings. Not only does it leave you with a fair idea of others’ feelings, views, opinions and ideas, it also encourages others to revert to you with concentrated attention and zeal.

 

You may possess the daintiest of demeanors and may be the suavest of talkers, but if you cannot connect to your audience and appreciate their views, you are definitely on the losing end. One of the most endearing traits of successful interpersonal skills is deference. If you cannot respect others and make them feel comfortable, you will be deemed as a schmuck who blows out lots of smoke. The cue is to pay attention to people and make them feel worthy.

 

Your body blurts out oodles about you, so you better mind what it says! Body language is one of the crucial parameters of non-verbal communication and an effective instrument of interpersonal communication. Imagine being turned off a job or a deal just because your body language did not respond convincingly or worse did not back your words! So, you better buck up your tone, posture and gesture to convey the right message.

 

Handing criticisms is an impressive quality, but can be easier said than done! It is easy to bump into people with different opinions and ideas. But, that doesn’t really have to bog you down. Remember, criticisms can be constructive too. Just take criticisms with a pinch of salt. Who knows it may be aimed at your betterment! The mantra is to adapt to the situation and learn to toy the dynamics of the conversation. Also, while handing out criticisms, make sure you do it tactfully, without offending anybody’s sentiments. In all cases, stay calm and preserve your dignity.

 

While it is good to be perceived as a nice guy, understand that being treated like a pushover at the expense of your career, confidence and interpersonal relationships is not worth it! Stop being a walkover and assert your worth by learning to say ‘no’ and expressing yourself ardently. Remember, you may have the skills and abilities, but if you cannot stitch a few words to assert your worth and make yourself appear valuable, then your deeds and feats are useless. Asserting is a sign of the winner! So, roll your tongue and speak out your worth.