When you want to make a positive difference in your opportunities at work, one of the best steps to take is developing interpersonal skills. As you take steps to improve yourself, the results show up in your efforts at work.
A Go-Getter Attitude
A cheerful outlook on life isn’t enough to guarantee you a good job or a chance at a promotion, but a positive, outgoing attitude can increase your odds. Your ability to remain positive and enthusiastic even when faced with difficult situations is a skill that employers really value. You can improve your outlook by
- listing the things you’re grateful for
- replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts
- sitting and standing up straighter
- smiling more often, complaining less
- treating others kindly
In addition to boosting your view of life in general, you can increase your ability to deal with difficulties. You’ll become more resilient when you feel a sense of purpose in your life, put together a strong social network, accept change more readily, and spend time on your physical well-being.
Teamwork and Leadership Skills
Even if your current position is at the lowest rung on the ladder to CEO, there are plenty of opportunities to interact helpfully and positively with your coworkers. Employers are often looking for workers with leadership skills, such as motivation, positivity, and creativity. Impress your coworkers and improve your opportunities by handling your responsibilities well, responding positively to feedback, recognizing solutions to problems, and cooperating with others around you.
One of the keys to being a better team player is recognizing your strengths and weaknesses and the strengths and weaknesses of your coworkers. Volunteer to assist a fellow employee when you have a skill he or she lacks. Ask for help when you recognize that a coworker does a job better than you can. Make sure you’re reliable and eager to help. These skills will help you advance in the workplace and will attract friends outside of your employment circle.
Communication and Interpersonal Skills
One of the most important areas of personal improvement to tackle is communication. How well do you express yourself in a one-on-one situation? Can you get your point across positively and clearly in a text or email? Don’t forget that effective communication requires listening, not only to prepare your response but to fully understand the message from your coworker or employer. There are several things you can do to practice self improvement in communication.
- Pay attention to your body language. Non-verbal cues provide a lot of information and may contradict your verbal message if you aren’t careful. Make sure you’re also recognizing the verbal cues of the people you’re speaking with.
- Recognize any habits that may distract from your message. Do you have pauses, “ums,” or “ahs” in your conversations? Make a mental note of these instances, so you can cut them out in the future.
- Practice important conversations with a friend. When you want to ask for a raise or reprimand an employee, create a script and practice your words and nonverbal cues, so you can relax when you finally have the conversation.
Any efforts you make in improving yourself can boost your chances of employment success. Focusing on those skills your employers want to see is even better. Most employers make use of performance evaluation software and that makes it easy for them to assess your work integrity. So, improve your work performance on a consistent basis.
As you recognize your growth, your confidence and willingness to tackle new challenges also increases. Your coworkers and leaders will also recognize your growth.
