You are about to hack into the best way to obtain the key to your dream career. Have you ever thought that there is a set of skills that are effective in any domain you choose to work in? These skills fall into the mental or interpersonal category that some are born with. But few are aware of how much they value, so it’s important to spot your personal assets from the beginning and work on them.
Interpersonal skills will not only help you climb the career ladder, but they will also improve the quality of your personal life. By mastering them, you will get to become a better self and reach any goal of yours.
Why have the interpersonal skills won so much ground in any chosen career?
Most of the jobs today have shifted from physical work to the office environment. Along with this change, the employee has become a link in the working chain. The employee is now interconnected with the system as a whole: clients, colleagues, and management. Working alone is not an option anymore, not even for programmers, cooks, or clerks. And this is where your interpersonal skills come in. By gaining control over your work relations and connections, you will easily mold your future exactly the way you want it. So let’s begin to disclose these skills!
1. Negotiation
This is the skill you need to help you stand up for yourself. No one should ever just speak up their mind on what they would rather do to whomever they meet. This is definitely not the professional attitude your employer seeks in you. For a perfect negotiating dialogue, start by detecting the benefits of your wish. Will this action you are in favor of bringing mutual content?
After answering that question, choose the right words to describe your point of view, adopting a calm and understanding tone. It is of utmost importance to also pay attention to your negotiating partner. Many times, you will have to compromise, but do not jump to conclusions. Take a step back and see the bigger picture. Will the terms of the negotiations bring you the desired outcome while keeping a good relationship with your partner? Then, congratulations, you have just finished an ideal negotiation dialogue.
2. Leadership
Self-confidence, charisma, and hard work are the main elements that a leader should acquire. This skill will bring you the most desired work position: manager. You might think that a manager has too many advantages for an equal work ethic, but behind a happy, successful manager stand many struggles, failures, and obstacles. There is quite a lot of effort in becoming a leader, and no one should take it lightly.
The main goal of a leader is that of creating the perfect team: one that works like a well-oiled machine. And this is where the hard work begins. To accomplish this, one needs to find and select the ideal candidates for him (not too under or overqualified), create a solid strategy, organize training sessions, and clearly communicate how they want things to work out.
3. Taking Responsibility
This skill should be studied by every adult out there: take the blame for your own actions. You must be aware that every action has a set of consequences among which there is always the risk of failure. Own your actions, take the risk and coldly analyze the situations they trigger after they are implemented. Learn from your mistakes and develop strategies to avoid these situations in the future.
Being afraid of failure is also a dark spot on your interpersonal skills. You will definitely win the appreciation of others if you take the courage to carry out that bold marketing strategy that no one dared to even think about. There are chances that you might fail, but how else can you out better yourself?
4. Positive Outlook
So, you have a strong team, and nobody has ever questioned your work ethics, but do you still manage to find your inner joy? There will always be a higher goal to achieve, that you can be sure of. You will always chase after self-improvement and self-contentment, and if you don’t start enjoying this ride, you will lose yourself in this game of life. Exercise spotting the good side of any event or “fake it till you make it” as people say. Your good mood will influence everybody around you and improve their performance. Not to mention that positive thinking can help you find a job, which will launch you into a new career path.
Studies found that positive people are better at problem solving and they have a better life quality. So, what is there to lose if you choose to be happy?
There are many other mental and interpersonal skills. Make an in-depth research about them and get to know your own special skills better. Nobody is perfect which means that there is always room for improvement. Never stop learning and believe in yourself!
Author bio: Amanda Wilks is a Boston University graduate and a Contributing Editor at Customer Survey Report. She has a great interest in everything related to job-seeking, career-building, and entrepreneurship and loves helping people reach their true potential.
