Many people skills make up what we call “interpersonal skills.” These soft skills can be learned, and you can improve with practice.
In this post, we will define interpersonal skills and give examples of how they can be used in everyday life.
What are interpersonal skills?
Interpersonal skills are the abilities we use to interact with others. They help us communicate effectively, build relationships, and resolve conflicts.
Some examples of relevant interpersonal skills include:
- Verbal Communication skills
- Non-verbal communication skills
- Active listening
- Empathy
- Collaborative problem solving
Why are interpersonal skills important
Good interpersonal skills matter because they help us interact with others effectively. They make it easier for us to achieve our goals and build strong relationships.
Good interpersonal skills can help us at home, work, and socially.
Example of interpersonal skills
Here’s a list of examples of interpersonal skills, as promised:
Interpersonal Communication skills
Communicating clearly and effectively is perhaps the most important interpersonal skill. It includes verbal and nonverbal interpersonal communication skills and active listening.
Verbal communication skills
Knowing how to talk to others clearly and effectively is the most basic of all interpersonal skills. This involves speaking in a clear, concise, and easy to understand.
It also includes using the right tone of voice, listening carefully, and responding appropriately.
Nonverbal communication skills
Nonverbal communication is just as important as verbal communication. It includes things like body language, facial expressions, and eye contact.
Conflict management skills
Conflict is a normal part of any relationship. Conflict management skills help us to resolve disagreements constructively.
These interpersonal skills include active listening, mediation, and compromise.
Conflict management skills involve the ability to recognize and understand different points of view, as well as the ability to find common ground.
It also includes remaining calm and constructive in a conflict situation.
Empathy skills
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It’s an essential skill for building solid relationships and resolving conflicts.
Regarding being empathetic to other workers, it’s important to remember that everyone is different. What might be helpful for one person may not be helpful for another.
Some tips for being empathetic to others include:
- Listening carefully and asking questions
- Understanding their point of view
- Empathizing with their feelings
- Offering support and understanding
Leadership skills
Leadership skills are essential for any leader, whether leading a team at work or a group of friends. These skills include the ability to inspire, motivate, and guide others.
Some tips for being a good leader include:
- Being decisive – Leaders need to make decisions quickly and efficiently.
- Being clear and concise – Leaders need to be able to communicate their vision and goals. Being organized – Leaders need to keep track of tasks and deadlines.
- Being empathetic – Leaders need to be able to understand and share the feelings of their team members.
- Setting a good example.
- Motivating others.
- Building relationships.
Listening skills
Active listening is a crucial communication skill. It involves paying attention to the person speaking and understanding and responding to what is being said.
Active listening is a key component of effective communication.
It involves paying attention to the person speaking and understanding what they are saying. Responding in a way that shows you are listening and understanding is also essential.
Active listening can help to build better relationships, resolve conflicts, and learn more about the other person. Here are some tips for being a better listener:
- Pay attention to the person speaking. Make eye contact and focus on what they are saying.
- Do not interrupt. Allow the person to finish talking before responding.
- Paraphrase what the person has said to show that you understand.
For example, “So, you’re saying that you feel your work is not valued.”
- Respond in a way that shows you are listening and understanding.
For example, “Thank you for sharing that with me. I can see how that would be frustrating.”
Negotiation skills
Negotiation is the process of finding a win-win solution to a disagreement. It involves active listening, compromise, and creative problem-solving.
Negotiation skills are essential for resolving disagreements and finding a win-win solution. They involve listening, compromise, and creative problem-solving.
Listening is key to negotiation.
It involves paying attention to the other person and understanding what they are saying. Compromise is also essential, as it allows both parties to feel like they have won something. Creative problem-solving helps to find a solution that meets both parties needs.
Positive attitude interpersonal skills
A positive attitude is essential for success in any area of life. Positive attitude skills include being optimistic, setting goals, and taking action.
Having a positive attitude at work is essential for success.
It involves being optimistic, setting goals, and taking action to achieve them.
Being optimistic allows you to see the best in people and situations.
It helps you to stay positive even when things are tough.
Setting goals gives you something to strive for and helps you to stay focused on what is essential. Taking action ensures that you are doing everything possible to achieve your goals.
Teamwork skills
Teamwork is the ability to work together towards a common goal. It involves communication, collaboration, and compromise.
Teamwork skills are essential for success in any area of life. They involve communication, collaboration, and compromise.
Communication is key to teamwork.
It involves sharing information and ideas with others clearly and concisely.
Collaboration means working together towards a common goal.
This can be done by sharing tasks, cooperating, and helping each other.
Compromise is essential, as it allows both parties to feel like they have won something.
Emotional Intelligence skills
Emotional intelligence is the ability to be aware of and understand your own emotions and the emotions of others. It’s essential for managing relationships, resolving conflict, and achieving success.
Emotional intelligence It’s an essential skill for managing relationships, resolving conflict, and achieving success.
Self-awareness is key to emotional intelligence.
It involves awareness of your emotions and how they affect your thoughts and behavior.
It also involves understanding the emotions of others and how they affect their behavior.
Self-regulation is another crucial aspect of emotional intelligence.
It refers to the ability to control your emotions and respond constructively.
Influencing skills
Influencing skills are the ability to convince others to take a particular course of action. These skills include persuasion, negotiation, and effective communication.
Influencing skills involve persuasion, negotiation, and effective communication. Persuasion is convincing others to take a particular course of action. This can be done by using logic, reason, or emotion.
Negotiation is the process of finding a win-win solution to a disagreement. It involves listening, compromise, and creative problem-solving.
Effective communication is key to influencing others. It involves sending clear and concise messages that all parties understand.
Self-confidence skills
Self-confidence is the ability to believe in yourself and your abilities. It’s an essential skill for achieving success in any area of life.
When you have self-confidence, you are more likely to take risks and achieve your goals. You also feel better about yourself, which allows you to build better relationships with others.
Reliability skills
Reliability is the ability to be depended on to do what you say you will do. It’s an essential skill for maintaining relationships and achieving goals.
When you are reliable, people know they can count on you to do what you say.
This helps to build trust and respect.
It also makes it more likely that people will want to work with you and help you achieve your goals.
Openness to feedback skills
Openness to feedback is the ability to accept and learn from criticism. It’s an essential skill for personal growth and development.
Accepting feedback is not always easy.
However, it’s essential for personal growth and development.
When you are open to feedback, you are more likely to learn from your mistakes and become a better person.
Feedback also helps you to understand other people’s perspectives and to grow as a leader.
Respectfulness skills
Respectfulness is the ability to treat others respectfully, even when disagreeing. It’s an essential skill for maintaining relationships.
Being respectful doesn’t mean you have to agree with everyone.
It means you should treat others with kindness and respect, even when you don’t see eye contact.
Respectfulness is an integral part of emotional intelligence.
When you are respectful, you are more likely to build trust, resolve conflict, and succeed.
Assertiveness skills
Assertiveness is the ability to express your needs and wants respectfully and clearly. It’s an essential skill for maintaining relationships and settings.
Being assertive is not the same as being aggressive.
Assertiveness is about expressing yourself honestly and respectfully without hurting others.
It’s an essential skill for maintaining relationships and achieving success. Assertive people are more likely to get what they want without sacrificing their relationships.
Collaboration skills
Collaboration is the ability to work together towards a common goal. It involves communication, compromise, and respect for others.
Good things can come out of collaboration.
When people work together towards a common goal, they can achieve more than they could alone.
Collaboration allows people to share ideas and perspectives, leading to new and innovative solutions.
Sense of humor skills
A sense of humor is the ability to laugh at yourself and the world around you. It’s an essential skill for managing stress, building relationships, and enjoying life.
Having a sense of humor can help you to manage stress, build relationships, and enjoy life.
It takes some pressure off when you can laugh at yourself and the world around you.
It also allows you to see the lighter side of things and to build better relationships with others.
Problem-solving skills
Problem-solving skills are the ability to find creative solutions to challenges. It’s vital for managing stress, achieving goals, and resolving conflicts.
Solving problems is a day-to-day task, So expanding those skills is vital if you want to manage stress, achieve goals and resolve conflicts.
There are different ways of solving problems.
Some people prefer a systematic approach, while others prefer to be more creative.
The important thing is to find a method that works for you and that you feel comfortable with.
Decision-making skills
Decision-making skills are the ability to make decisions quickly and confidently. It’s an essential skill for achieving success in any area of life.
Being able to make a decision is vital for your success.
The ability to make decisions quickly and confidently will help you to achieve your goals.
There are different ways of making decisions.
Some people prefer to think things through carefully, while others prefer to go with their gut instinct.
The important thing is to find a method that works for you and that you feel comfortable with.
Public speaking skills
Public speaking skills are the ability to speak confidently in front of an audience. It’s an essential skill for achieving success in any area of life.
Being able to address an audience publicly is essential for your success.
The ability to speak confidently in front of an audience will help you to achieve your goals.
There are different ways of public speaking.
Some people prefer to speak extemporaneously, while others prefer to read from a prepared text.
The important thing is to find a method that works for you.
Adaptability skills
Adaptability is the ability to change and adjust to new situations. It’s vital for managing change, achieving goals, and resolving conflicts.
In today’s world, you must have the ability to adapt to change, even if it is not a change you like.
The ability to adapt will help you to manage change, achieve goals and resolve conflicts.
There are different ways of being adaptable.
Some people prefer to plan for change, while others prefer to go with the flow.
The important thing is to find a method that works for you and that you feel comfortable with.
Flexibility skills
Flexibility is being open to change and willing to try new things. It’s essential for managing change, achieving goals, and resolving conflicts.
Having the power of being flexible is a critical element in managing change, achieving goals, and resolving conflicts.
The ability to be flexible will help you to manage change, achieve goals and resolve conflicts.
There are different ways of being flexible.
Clarity and directness skills
Clarity and directness are the ability to communicate clearly and concisely. It’s essential for managing relationships, achieving goals, and resolving conflicts.
You should always think before you communicate. That way, you can ensure that your message is clear and concise.
There are different ways of communicating clearly.
Some people prefer to use short, simple sentences, while others prefer to be more verbose.
Benefits of strong interpersonal skills
The benefits of strong interpersonal skills are many and varied. They can help you in your personal life, as well as your professional life.
Some of the benefits of strong interpersonal skills include (and other interpersonal skills):
- improved communication
- better relationships
- increased self-confidence
- greater life satisfaction
- better collaborative skills
- higher job satisfaction
- stronger teamwork skills
Can interpersonal skills be learned?
Yes, interpersonal skills can be learned. Many books, articles, and online resources can help you understand and improve your interpersonal skills.
You can also take classes or workshops to learn new interpersonal skills.
How to weave interpersonal skills into your cover letter?
For job seekers, it’s essential to highlight their interpersonal skills.
This can be done by including examples of how you have used these interpersonal skills in the past.
For example, you might mention how you successfully negotiated a contract or communicated effectively with a difficult client.
You can also mention your willingness to learn and develop new interpersonal skills.
For example, you might say you are willing to attend workshops and classes to improve your skills.
Including these examples and statements in your cover letter will help the hiring manager see that you have the necessary interpersonal skills for the job.
Showing interpersonal skills on a resumé
Interpersonal skills can be showcased on a resume in several ways.
One way is to list the skills you have in a section titled “Skills.” Under this heading, you can mention your specific interpersonal skills, such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.
Another way to showcase your interpersonal skills is to include examples of times when you successfully used them.
For example, suppose you successfully resolved a conflict with a coworker. In that case, you could mention that under the “Experience” section of your resume.
This will show the hiring manager that you have the necessary skills for the job.
Including specific examples of your interpersonal skills will help the hiring manager see that you have the skills they are looking for.
Showing interpersonal skills during an interview
One way to showcase your interpersonal skills during a job interview is to discuss a time when you successfully used them.
For example, suppose you successfully resolved a conflict with a coworker. In that case, you could mention that under the “Experience” section of your resume.
This will show the hiring manager that you have the necessary skills for the job.
Including specific examples of your interpersonal skills will help the hiring manager see that you have the skills they are looking for.
For example, you might say you are willing to attend workshops and classes to improve your skills. You can also mention your willingness to learn and develop new interpersonal skills.
Talking about your interpersonal skills during a job interview can help set you apart from other candidates. It can also show the hiring manager you have the skills they are looking for.
How to assess your interpersonal skills?
One way to assess your interpersonal skills is to ask others for feedback. This can be done by asking friends, family, or coworkers for their honest opinion about your interpersonal skills.
Another way to assess your skills is to look at your past successes. For example, if you have successfully resolved a conflict with a coworker, this demonstrates excellent problem-solving skills.
You can also take a self-assessment quiz to help you determine your strengths and weaknesses in interpersonal skills. The quiz can be found online or in books about interpersonal skills.
Once you have assessed your skills, you can begin improving the areas that need the most work.
How to improve interpersonal skills?
There are a variety of methods for improving your interpersonal skills. One way is to take classes and workshops to acquire new people skills.
You may also read books or enroll in online courses about interpersonal relations.
Another option is to practice your new abilities in a safe setting.
For example, you might try resolving an issue with a friend or family member. This will allow you to evaluate your new talents and get input from others.
Finally, be patient! It takes time and effort to enhance your social people skills. Keep at it, and you’ll notice results soon enough.
Final thoughts
This article covered +28 good interpersonal skills and gave you actionable tips on improving them.
Some final thoughts to leave you with:
Interpersonal skills are essential for both personal and professional relationships.
Assessing and improving your interpersonal skills can take time and effort, but it is worth it!
The most important interpersonal skills include communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.
And remember, practice makes perfect! The more you use your interpersonal skills, the better you will become at them.
Do you have any tips on how to improve interpersonal skills? Let us know in the comments below!
