what are interpersonal skills 
interpersonal skills are the behaviors and tactics a person uses to interact with others effectively people use interpersonal skills all the time when dealing with others whether in the workplace in social situations or within a family in the business world the term generally refers to an employee s ability to work well with others interpersonal skills range from ways of communicating and listening to attitude and deportment investopedia madelyn goodnightunderstanding interpersonal skillsinterpersonal skills are often referred to as people skills social skills or social intelligence they involve reading the signals that others send and interpreting them accurately in order to form effective responses individuals show their interpersonal skills all the time simply by interacting with others everyone has a personal style and an interpersonal style some people are more successful than others at using interpersonal skills for specific desired results interpersonal skills may be based in part on personality and instinct however good ones can also be introduced to people and improved upon while interpersonal skills can be developed they cannot be learned solely from a textbook for some people they should be practiced used daily observed and then tweaked that is to say these skills may come naturally to certain individuals but others have to work at cultivating them this cultivation often happens through continuous interaction with other individuals in many organizations employees with strong interpersonal skills are valued for their pleasant demeanor and positive solution oriented attitude these employees are seen as team players who work well with others to achieve a goal in more human terms everyone likes being around them that s a welcome attribute in any social interaction including those involving work interpersonal skills are strongly linked to a knowledge of social expectations and customs whether that knowledge is inherent or learned people with the strongest interpersonal skills adjust their tactics and communications as needed depending on the reactions of others to their messages and meanings those without good interpersonal skills can still succeed in business if they are allowed to work in areas that don t require regular interactions with a variety of people these areas might include research development coding and system testing examples of interpersonal skillsthe many types of interpersonal skills that can lead to great outcomes at work include benefits of interpersonal skillsthe importance of solid properly used interpersonal skills in the workplace can t be overstated their benefits provide advantages for individual employees and companies as a whole these benefits can include can interpersonal skills be learned normally social or interpersonal skills are learned by taking part in daily group activities through specific daily actions involving others and by watching other people succeed or fail in simple interactions everyday life within a family at school at church or on the playing field offers a wealth of opportunities to be introduced to and practice your interpersonal skills these skills can be picked up naturally and used with sincerity the best interpersonal skills are never forced even if they are used with specific purposes in mind they are a tool for positive results and living whether at work or within a community or a family strong interpersonal skills are prerequisites for many professional jobs and for a successful career using interpersonal skills in the job searchinterpersonal skills are highly valued in the business world job seekers should use every opportunity to show their interpersonal skills on resum s and at interviews some of the highly valuable interpersonal skills for business that you can display include on a resum a job seeker can highlight the interpersonal skills they have as they relate to the skills sought by the employer they can underscore those accomplishments that tie directly to important interpersonal skills for instance they might highlight an example of teamwork that got a task done to rave reviews successfully communicating useful ideas to others at a stressful time or building relationships that underpinned a positive financial outcome it can be difficult for an interviewer to gauge a prospective employee s actual ability to perform a particular job in one potentially short interview therefore candidates should put their interpersonal skills to work during any such opportunity to meet bear in mind that one of the most important interpersonal skills could be simply making a connection with the interviewer be friendly empathetic understanding and enthusiastic then look for opportunities in the conversation to drill down to some specifics for instance sharing your positive interpersonal skill experiences on a resum and during job interviews in this way can help a company determine how well your skills would fit not just the job that you ve applied for but also within the larger organization using interpersonal skills in the workplacestrong interpersonal skills such as negotiating problem solving and knowledge sharing can be the main requirements for certain jobs other interpersonal skills seen as essential for all employees include to showcase these skills try to get involved with colleagues to solve problems volunteer to take on tasks that no one else will or be enthusiastic about tasks you re given that you may not enjoy be confident and positive in every dealing with colleagues or managers ultimately being successful with interpersonal skills in the workplace comes down to coming up with and using ideas smartly to build good relationships with others it s difficult to imagine a company thriving if its employees do not have interpersonal skills most jobs are not isolated and require interaction between many individuals within a firm these can be colleagues on your level or those more highly placed in the firm such as a managing director or ceo poor interpersonal skills can be a detriment to an individual and to the workplace overall even if an employee does their work well poor interpersonal skills could limit their career development at a firm it could even be a factor in their termination remember that people want to work with individuals that they like and whose personalities improve their workday strong interpersonal skills help every employee and company according to research firm gartner just 8 of communications executives feel that their staffs have the communications skills that are necessary to meet their companies business needs 1