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Interpersonal Skills Explained

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American Management Association Interpersonal Skills Training Programs.

Whether you’re a salesperson, accountant, HR representative, or in IT—interpersonal skills in the workplace should be an invaluable part of your skillset. These “people skills” help us complete the part of the job that requires us to interact with other people to come up with solutions to a problem and AMA has interpersonal skills training programs that can help you gain real-world, effective strategies to better communicate and relate to your coworkers, customers, and peers.

Regardless of your specific industry or seniority within your company, everyone can benefit from learning interpersonal skills. And we have programs for every level, from entry-level to manager.

What are Interpersonal Skills?

We define “interpersonal” as relationships and communication between two or more people. Whereas “intrapersonal skills” is how you communicate to yourself. It’s a soft skill (a skill that is desirable in every profession) and is used to communicate thoughts, ideas, and emotions. You use interpersonal skills in everyday life when you talk to your family, go to the coffee shop, or work with a team of your peers.

Interpersonal skills can also include two forms of communication—verbal and non-verbal communication. It’s all about how we relate to another person, and both facets of interpersonal skills are key in relating to others in the workplace.

Examples of Interpersonal Skills

Active listening

Listening with the intent to learn and empathize rather than respond is a key non-verbal interpersonal skill. It demonstrates that you are a willing, open participant in the conversation and signals mutual respect and trust to the other person.

​Conflict management

In the workplace, there are bound to be instances when two or more peers do not see eye-to-eye on a given situation. Excellent interpersonal skills give you the tools to diffuse the situation so that it does not erupt in anger or hostility. Good conflict management resolves the issue in a manner that is agreeable to both parties and provides long-term stability in the workplace.

Teamwork

Even the most isolating of professions still requires a degree of teamwork. Your ability to function and contribute to a team is a valuable interpersonal skill from which companies can benefit. Teamwork is about listening and leaning on each other’s strengths and ideas to come up with a solution to a problem that the group can execute.

There are many more attributes that can be categorized under interpersonal communication skills. They include:

  • Flexibility
  • Dependability
  • Patience
  • Leadership
  • Empathy
  • Emotional intelligence

Learn Effective Interpersonal Skills

Unlike hard skills, such as Microsoft Excel® proficiency, soft skills like interpersonal communication are hard to quantify. There’s not a numerical measurement to grade your interpersonal effectiveness. It is something that you gradually build and then gauge the reactions of others.
Here are some methods with which to improve your interpersonal communication skills:
1. Observe and reflect upon successful interactions. If you have had a good conversation with a peer or customer, take note of what you did to help make that interaction a positive one.
2. Ask for feedback. You can ask your supervisor or coworkers how you perform in interpersonal conversations. Then, you can take the feedback and work on improving for next time.
3. Practice communication skills outside of work. Use everyday life as an opportunity to build your interpersonal skills. Ask for help the next time you are at a place of business and notice how others demonstrate interpersonal communication skills.
4. Try active listening. Instead of thinking of what to say next, listen to understand the other person in the conversation. It’s a great way to practice empathy and to absorb the message of others.

Advance Your Interpersonal Skills with Our Top Courses

Get started. The Communicating Up, Down and Across the Organization course is for business professionals who want to be strong, passionate, and effective communicators. Learn how to communicate with senior managers, direct reports, and other colleagues.

Build a successful career. In the course Building Better Work Relationships: New Techniques for Results-Oriented Communication, you’ll learn how to develop self-awareness, analyze situations, and consciously select and use productive communication strategies.

Influence and persuade. In the course Expanding Your Influence: Understanding the Psychology of Persuasion, you’ll learn about the psychology of what truly prompts us to say yes or no.

How AMA Will Help You Advance Your Career or Organization with Interpersonal Skills

You can find countless articles and quick self-help classes to improve interpersonal skills but AMA offers in-depth, expert-led training courses that equip you with strategies to advance your interpersonal skills in the workplace and beyond. There are thousands of professionals like you who wanted to improve their interpersonal communication and took our courses.

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