Interpersonal skills are important because they enable individuals to communicate
In the words of Beatrice Vincent “The people with whom you work reflect your own attitude. If you are suspicious, unfriendly and condescending, you will find theses unlovely traits echoed everything about you. But if you are on your best behaviour, you will bring out the best in the persons with whom you are going to spend most of your working hours."
nterpersonal skills, the most common word often talked about nowadays, is a specific type of social skill. It’s how an individual speaks, listens and acknowledges others and acts accordingly. Interpersonal competencies help an individual interact, communicate and collaborate with others effectively. As part of an individual’s development as a human being, we need to communicate with others at some point in time. Throughout each stage of an individual’s life, an individual is faced with different and new circumstances in which they meet people and connect with them so that they can grow and develop an understanding and outlook on life.
Interpersonal skills are traits one can rely on when one interacts and communicates with others.
Practising good interpersonal skills help an individual to communicate more effectively with friends and family. Be it workplace or home, individuals at every stage are required to communicate and interact with a wide range of people - be it from suppliers or customers to immediate colleagues, teams, managers or any other co-worker. The individual’s ability to do so effectively can make the difference between a successful working life, and one spent wondering what went wrong. There are several obvious jobs and careers such as financial advisors and brokerage, Computer programmers and developers, and Healthcare provision including doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals where interpersonal skills are vitally important. Being able to listen to; what one is saying and what they are not articulating’ enables a person to provide recommendations that match their competencies. Often at times, people are not truly paying attention to a conversation by planning their next point or sentence. Practicing the art of Active listening which is a means to be fully concentrated on what is being said is one of the most fundamental components of communication. Also, it improves performance, and effectiveness, and helps others achieve their full potential. Along with that attending workshops or online classes, seeking opportunities to build relationships, being thoughtful about ways of interactions, seeking mentorship and setting goals for oneself can provide structure thereby making the learning efficient.
Interpersonal skills are not only valuable for a leader, but they are such values that one uses in everyday life. Discovering, practising and mastering these skills will lead to the production of better teams. Interpersonal skills are important to live a happy and successful life. In every footstep of a person’s life, the interpersonal skills of an individual are tested and observed, and those who have excellent interpersonal skills are always successful in both professional and personal living. The best step to form good and healthy interpersonal relationships is in the early years since the support and efforts received at that age will affect the ability to socialise and communicate for the rest of life. Remember, interpersonal skills are important because they enable individuals to communicate effectively and build positive relationships with others. When an individual improves their communication, empathy and relationship-building skills, they can enhance their emotional intelligence, increase self-awareness, and develop a better understanding of themselves and others. Be it emotional support or material support, every person must feel that they are being reciprocated. By being assertive, one can express themselves clearly, logically and with common sense. It is henceforth worth spending time developing good interpersonal skills.
(The writer is an educator)
