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Interpersonal Skills
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Learning Objectives
• When you have completed this module you will
be able to define the key concepts associated
with Interpersonal Skills and you will be able to:

• Identify the main obstacles to the effective use of

Interpersonal Skills

• Understand the nature of the components of the

interpersonal process
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Learning Objectives

• Understand a range of techniques that are

required as Interpersonal Skills

• Use these techniques to build an effective

interpersonal process

• Explain the benefits of having excellent

Interpersonal Skills
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Interpersonal Skills and the Organization

In today’s business world organizations do not

compete with their products

They compete through using their most valuable

resource, their people, to maximum effect

Interpersonal skills are vital to allow this to happen

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Organizational Context

• The organizational context of how interpersonal

skills are used can be shown by the vast number
of interpersonal interactions such as:
Meetings Coaching

Delegation Problem Solving

Motivation Selling

Facilitation Leading
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Introduction
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Introduction

Working Together

Technical & Emotional

Competence

Traditional Assets

Emotional Capital

Knowledge Capital
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Working Together
• The success of an organization is dependent upon the
people within it working well together

• Internally
– In teams
– Across teams
– Within and between departments and business units
• Externally
– With suppliers
– With Customers
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Working Together

• Take the relationship viewpoint:

– Effective relationships within the organization
– Effective relationships with suppliers
– Effective relationships with competitors

• To gain real competitive advantage through such

relationships in the long term is dependent upon
your level of interpersonal skills
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Technical V Emotional Competence

• Technical competence allows you to get to the starting
line in terms of dealing with:
– Customers
– Colleagues
– Suppliers

Technical competence is an ‘expected’

• Emotional competence -the ability to read, understand

and interact with people is what makes the difference in
the long term
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Tactful Conversations

•
T = Think before you speak
A = Apologize quickly when you
blunder
C = Converse, don’t compete
T = Time your comments
F = Focus on behavior – not
personality
U = Uncover hidden feelings
L = Listen to feedback
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A Matter of Attitude

Go For It Let’s Both Win

Let’s Trade
Confidence

Run Away Yes Boss

Confidence
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Building Relationship

•Become genuinely interested in other people

•Call people by their names
•Talk in terms of the other person’s interest
•Smile
•Listen