We all have interpersonal skills, as they relate to how we interact with others in our everyday lives. To a professional, they’re as important as the hard skills they’ve learnt during their career. So, they represent an area that everyone should work on to improve their chances of success at work.
What Are Interpersonal Skills?
Well, it’s an umbrella term covering many aspects, from conflict management to empathy and respecting your colleagues. What’s more, you’ll tend to find that those who rise into management are highly adept at mastering these elements. So, they matter.
What is the importance of interpersonal skills in the workplace?
If you work for a company, then being able to interact positively in any given situation is key, which is why a mastery of those interpersonal skills is something that hirers look for. That said, rather than waffle on, let’s look at 5 important examples of what we meant to provide some context.
Skill #1 - Teamwork
If you’re a sole trader or entrepreneur, you’ll be working with other people. Working well with your colleagues is immensely important, as it’s how things get done. Cooperation is a prerequisite for any role, so it’s a skill you need to develop.
Skill #2 - Having a Positive Attitude
As short courses online on the subject show, a positive attitude is something that you’ll find help whenever you’re at work. It’s something that helps with teamwork, and it also allows an individual to cope with stressful situations that arise during your working day. It will usually rub off on your colleagues, too, given time, which is excellent for everyone.
Skill #3 - Having Respect For Others
As they say, respect is earned, not given and a great way to earn it is to be respectful to the other people you work with. You don’t need to take tafe courses to learn how to be respectful with those you encounter, as it basically means being polite, patient and careful with your words. It also means letting others finish speaking before you respond.
Skill #4 - Giving People Personal Space
Interpersonal skills aren’t just verbal either, as what you do with your body also matters. In order for people to feel comfortable around you, you need to afford them their personal space, which means staying roughly an arms-length away at all times. Also, contact can be an issue for some people, even if it’s a simple touch on the arm - so it’s best to just not do it.
Skill #5 - Be an Active Listener
In a professional setting, your colleagues will expect you to listen to them when it’s about something important. Although, if you’re on your phone, not looking at them or doing something else while this is happening, you’re not likely to understand everything - plus, it’s rude! So, make eye contact, nod and ask questions to show you’re paying attention.
Enhance Your Interpersonal Skills With OCA Online Courses
Your interpersonal skills say much about you, so improving yours stands you in good stead for success at work. The good news is that doing so is easy, thanks to CPD endorsed online courses from OCA that put control firmly in the hands of the learner. Our video-based modules can be taken at a pace that suits you.
With a personal mentor that’s available 5 days a week and flexible payment options that allow you to spread the cost, our training offers a next-level experience - as you can see by viewing our student study demo. It covers more than 20 industries, from animal care to beauty to business marketing.
If you’d like to see our cheap, affordable course library visit our website www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au today, or for advice from our friendly team, call us on 1300 611 404 or drop us an email at support@onlinecourses.com.au, and we’ll reply as quickly as we can.
