Your ability communicate and make a lasting impression on someone is an invaluable skill at work, and how your peers in the office feel about you could have have a major impact in your career, on top of your everyday life. So here are five valuable tips to help you boost your interpersonal skills at work, in order to set a brighter career path for yourself.
1. Smile
People are generally attracted to happy and positive people, mainly because they’re seen as the ‘life of the party’. Your upbeat and can-do attitude can get you far, and if you’re feeling down, don’t try pulling others down with you either. If someone’s having a bad day, they might end up looking to you for a dose of positivity too.
2. Say ‘Thank You’
Never, ever forget that a little politeness can take you a far. Whenever someone in the office (colleague, manager or even the tea-lady) lends you a hand with something, don’t forget to thank them for their efforts. Life can sometimes be hectic that we forget all our manners, and being thought of as someone who is rude and ungrateful, that can definitely risk your chances of a career advancement.
3. Be Considerate
Apart from keeping it all about work, knowing what your colleagues for who they are, and not the position they hold in the workplace. Get to know them, their family, and even show them you value their thoughts by asking for their opinions on certain things. And if they need help, offer a helping hand if you can.
4. Stay Away From Gossip
Being involved in a gossip will affect you, no matter where you go. Gossip is generally the hardest thing to avoid, especially among females. But don’t lower yourself down by talking about people behind their backs. You can always choose to back out from the gossip session, or if you insist on solving the problem, you can encourage communication between the colleagues, so that they can get to the bottom of it once and for all.
5. Be a Team Player
While doing things on your own will get things done faster, getting things done as team not only boosts your social skills, but it can also boost workplace morale. Everyone in the office thrives on a little friendly environment to keep them going, so work together to get a project done. Get to know each other in the process, and forget any means of hierarchy. Consider their suggestions, make sure everyone is designated a role they’re happy with, and don’t act like one person’s opinion is worth more than the other. This will also boost you leadership skills, and if it’s noticed by your seniors, your chances of getting a better position is higher.