Improving People Skills: Get Ahead In Life With Interpersonal and Communication Skills That Work!

Day in and day out, whether at work or running our own business, we have to interact with people. We may talk face-to-face, by phone or Skype, by email, or on popular virtual gathering places like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Never before have we had so many ways we can connect to people, and never has it been so critical to make your presence strong and consistent no matter the platform.

Did you know every relationship begins with you? Every person you deal with will present you with different interpersonal challenges but how you handle them and communicate is up to you. Much has been written about how we can influence our work relationships but for now, let's look at a quick review of best practices in people skills.:

• Hear with an active ear. This is an essential skill for workplace communications. Our jobs are demanding, we have a lot to get through in a day and a lot of people to talk with. If we short-change our interactions results can include mixed messages, incomplete information and impaired productivity. When you have to interact with someone, be it the mail clerk or someone on your leadership team, you need to engage in active listening and really 'hear' what they're saying, rather than jumping the gun to give your response. If you think about it, there really is a difference between 'listening' and 'hearing'.

• Speak clearly and be concise. There is nothing worse than someone taking 25 minutes to explain a sales concept or give a debriefing on the next in-house professional development initiative when it could have easily been communicated in less than 10. Everyone is busy and you have to respect their time.

• Be approachable. If you constantly keep yourself at arm's length from your employees or colleagues, you're sending a message that you're difficult to approach. All that does is cast out negativity which, in turn, is counter-productive. Let people know they can come to you with problems and that you'll do your best to be objective and help them find a solution quickly and efficiently.

• Foster team spirit. People resonate with workplace camaraderie. They like to know they're being supported in their jobs. It helps them stay motivated and engaged. Do everything you can to instill this in those around you. A happier workforce is a very productive one.

At the end of the day, relationships are at the core of any business. People within your company are essential to your success, and the people coming to you for service and solutions are counting on the fact that your company stands behind what it says it can do. By taking stock of your people skills and working to improve them as necessary, you can ensure it's a win-win for all.

Workplace Communication - 7 Steps to Turn Resistance Into Cooperation and Gain Respect

Employee resistance to change in the workplace is nothing new. Leaders and managers accept the pushback that comes when rolling out new procedures, changes in operations, shifts in hours, status, or even the loss of a prime parking space. How you deal with resistance makes the difference between gaining cooperation and respect and being viewed as an uninvolved, autocratic administrator.

Whether the resistance comes from a single dissenter or an entire department, use the following 7 steps to gain cooperation and respect:

Step1. Clearly state what you want, when you want it and how it will affect individual jobs. Use a firm but neutral or positive tone of voice. Refrain from conveying disappointment, anger or defeat. Your particular situation or location will dictate the appropriate vocal expression.

Step2. Decide beforehand how much time you will allot to objections, groaning and griping. Inform the person or team you are addressing about the time limit. Let them vent.

Step 3. Listen to understand concerns. What underlying emotions are behind the complaints? What are the real fears behind the protests? Often the real fears will not be voiced in the initial session and until further questioning your understanding may be based on false assumptions.

Step 4. Check your perceptions by reflecting back your understanding of the concerns. Do not allow another round of protests, rather simply check for confirmation.

Step 5. If appropriate, ask for suggestions. Not every circumstance will allow for this but to the degree that employees feel engaged in the process the quicker the cooperation. Once again, do not allow suggestions to go on forever and keep the conversation on suggestions only-not grousing. Be involved. Listen and list possibilities without judging. Put it all down. Be open to viable proposals.

Step 6. Suggest a review or an opportunity to revisit the impact of the change after a test run or implementation. This is a good practice to put into place whenever a new procedure or shift has taken place, regardless of the initial response. Small changes made at this re-visit may prevent a complete breakdown if left unchecked. This is also an excellent opportunity to increase face-time, engage employees and learn something new.

Step 7. If these steps fail, explain the costs of noncooperation. Change is what makes an organization stay competitive, robust and profitable. Dissenters may be in the wrong position or job so act accordingly.

Cooperation comes when people know and feel they are part of something bigger. Employees understand that changes occur but welcome the opportunity to influence the outcome and success. However, just because you communicate openly and involve employees by asking for suggestions, does not mean they make the final decision. Be a leader-listen, learn and then implement.