Great interpersonal skills start with your relationship with yourself . How do you see yourself ? Do you like and accept yourself ? Are you at peace with yourself ? How do you see others ? Positively , or negatively ? Consequently , how do you show up ? How do people experience you ? place where people can be themselves or do people walk on eggshells around you , expecting you to explode any time ? To have good interpersonal skills you need to be pleasant , confident and comfortable in your own skin .
LEADING YOU
Master Interpersonal Skills : Succeed In Personal And Professional Relationships
By Caroline Nyamwaya Mwazi
Look around you . People are everywhere ! On the streets , at work , at home , in the neighborhood , at the supermarket , the night club , in church , the temple and mosque . Yet , despite people being everywhere , many relationships suffer . Almost any one you meet will admit to one or more broken or strained work or personal relationships , somewhere in their history .
As technology continues to reshape human interactions , people skills remain essential . It is said that a spoonful of honey attracts more flies than a gallon of vinegar . We appreciate people who are easy to get along with , and enjoy being around them , yet we neglect to consistently embody good interpersonal skills , which have been defined as the ability to communicate or interact well with other people . Good interpersonal skills lead to enhanced relationships , increased job satisfaction , better work and performance results , faster career advancement , reduced stress and improved overall well-being . Many jobs require superior interpersonal skills , and all leadership roles do .
Interpersonal skills are learned through socialization , which includes family and school interactions growing up , which shape our view of ourselves and the world . Our personalities also influence how we relate with others , with the task-oriented people with choleric and melancholic personalities tending to score lower on interpersonal skills than the more relational people with sanguine and phlegmatic personalities . That said , if you are not naturally relational , you are not stuck , without hope . You can choose to improve your interpersonal skills through practice . Let ’ s see how .
Your relationship with yourself
Great interpersonal skills start with your relationship with yourself . How do you see yourself ? Do you like and accept yourself ? Are you at peace with yourself ? How do you see others ? Positively , or negatively ? Consequently , how do you show up ? How do people experience you ? Are you friendly and approachable ? Do you create a safe
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Great interpersonal skills start with your relationship with yourself . How do you see yourself ? Do you like and accept yourself ? Are you at peace with yourself ? How do you see others ? Positively , or negatively ? Consequently , how do you show up ? How do people experience you ? place where people can be themselves or do people walk on eggshells around you , expecting you to explode any time ? To have good interpersonal skills you need to be pleasant , confident and comfortable in your own skin .
Emotional Intelligence
Psychology Today defines emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and those of others . This starts with self-awareness and self-regulation , but also includes relationship management of which an important element is empathy - the ability to see the world from another person ’ s point of view and emotions , and respond accordingly . Everyone wants to be seen , heard and understood . Empathetic people easily move from their own world and feelings into other people ’ s worlds and have high awareness of their own feelings and those of others .
A good way of making people feel seen , heard and understood , is to practice active listening - intentionally listening , with not just your ears , but with your eyes , your mind and your heart , paying attention to the other person ’ s words , tone , facial expression , body language and emotions . It ’ s about focusing and fully absorbing what the other person is saying , and how they are saying it , asking clarifying questions and responding appropriately , recognizing and validating their emotions without judgment . Empathy also involves thinking about the impact of your actions on others , and whether you would want that experience yourself .
The other part of relationship management is social skills . Simply put , being a nice
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