How can you describe your interpersonal skills effectively?

Good interpersonal skills require effective communication, active listening, empathy, adaptability, conflict resolution skills, and the ability to build positive relationships. Developing self-awareness and understanding social cues contributes to strong interpersonal skill. However self-knowledge is the foundation.

Here are some examples of interpersonal skills: Listening attentively Working in a team environment Being responsible Being dependable Exhibiting leadership qualities Motivating others Being adaptable Exercising tolerance Practising empathy Collaboration Conflict management Empathy Positivity Building relationships Communication Leadership Receptiveness to feedback Supporting great ideas and motivating colleagues In the workplace, strong interpersonal skills can help you successfully problem-solve, adapt to change and handle daily responsibilities.

Interpersonal skills, often referred to as people skills or soft skills, play a crucial role in our personal and professional lives. Some strategies to articulate the interpersonal skills are: 1. Choice of the right word - Begin by selecting powerful and descriptive words that accurately reflect your interpersonal strengths. Instead of using generic terms 2. Providing of Concrete Examples - Back up your claims with tangible examples from your past experiences. 3. Quantify the impact of your interpersonal skills - For example, mention how your effective teamwork resulted in a specific project being completed ahead of schedule or highlight improvements in team dynamics that positively affected productivity.

Respect, earning respect, accountability, full transparency. I wear everything on my sleeve and I do it in a respectful manner. Accountability is huge, sometimes it's better to own it, it typically defuses angry customers and clients. My philosophy... During conflict, there are only so many options. Leaders lay it out and see it through to its resolution. You must treat your employees respectfully, but hold them to a standard as well.

Identifying your key skills requires you to converse with yourself even before you get into a professional environment (networking event, interview etc). Reflecting and meditating on your interpersonal skills indeed bring your skills to life and allow you to take ownership of them. I find some people shy about talking about their skills and have no idea how those skills came about and how they impact those around them. Make it a habit to "Reflect and meditate on your skills"

YES YES YES! This is something I encourage all of our candidates to do when going for interviews. I've also seen it called it the CAR method (context, action, result), but the gist is the same. When I've prepped candidates, those who craft their answers in this manner tend to be more successful in the interview setting with the client feedback being positive. It allows you to create a story, show your line of thinking, and open the interview up to be more of a conversation versus a Q&A period.

I personally like to add a “T” at the end of “STAR” to instead create “START”. The final “T” stands for takeaway where you wrap up your example by showing what you learned from the experience. Your authentic “STAR” examples may not always show “successful” behaviours or accomplishments but instead can be an opportunity to showcase how you used previous experiences as learning opportunities - to grow from and develop yourself which can establish conversation and further the dialogue with your interviewer.

In a simple way you just have to do swot analise of your self with that thinking you will easily describe your skills with clear example of how you manage to solve any problems personal or professional

Applying the STAR method is instrumental in effectively describing interpersonal skills. Situation—Describe the context or scenario. Task—Outline your role or responsibility in that situation. Action—Detail the steps you took, focusing on your interpersonal skills. Result—Conclude with the positive outcome or impact. For instance, in a challenging team project, the situation could be conflicting opinions. Your task was to facilitate collaboration. Actions included conducting team meetings, actively listening to concerns, and proposing compromise. The result was improved team cohesion, demonstrating your effective interpersonal skills through a clear and structured narrative using the STAR method.

- Lay out the situation - Highlight the task - Share how you took action - Discuss the results The STAR interview method might seem a little overwhelming at first. But with just a little preparation and strategy, you’ll soon view behavioral interview questions as less of a burden—and more of an opportunity to emphasize your awesome qualifications.

The entire framework for our interpersonal relations is built upon story telling. For this reason, I avoid telling people what skills I have, and instead focus on the experiences I have had in my career. The consequence? A deeper interest in my skill set, as well as a more human-to-human connection.

Being specific and concise is crucial when describing interpersonal skills. Clearly articulate particular instances where your skills were demonstrated. For example, instead of stating, "I have good communication skills," specify, "In a cross-functional team, I streamlined communication channels, reducing project completion time by 15%. This illustrates concise and impactful communication skills in a real-world context, providing a clearer and more convincing portrayal of your interpersonal strengths. Avoid vague statements and focus on concrete examples to effectively communicate the depth and impact of your interpersonal skills.

Being specific and concise is a major skill that I am currently working on! Many times, I fall short of being concise. The reason for this is that I am not always the most confident in my abilities. However, it’s not about me, it’s about the end goal. I am just the hands and feet where as the system is the path to get me to meeting this end goal. Remembering this may take a while, but that’s where repetition comes into play. I try to practice not beating around the bush because if you beat around the bush, you will get no where. Focus on the end goal, follow whichever system that is the path to get there. And lastly, asking direct questions will get you direct answers and vice versa.

Describe a specific situation where you demonstrated the skill. Explain the task or challenge you faced. Detail the actions you took to address the task or challenge.

I’m my experience, non-verbal cues such as eye contact, smiling and active listening have really made me more credible to whoever I was talking to even if I was quite limited in knowledge of the conversation. Being passionate and enthusiastic let’s who ever you are talking to be passionate and enthusiastic which is truly a gift nowadays! It leaves room for you to listen and for the other person to talk. In a world where everyone is so “busy” and always onto the next activity, just taking the time to really make eye contact, smile and validate someone’s conversation with you leaves an impact. It shows leadership. I truly believe that confidence is often quiet and I thank the leaders that I’ve been blessed to meet show me this.

Surely it is important to show enthusiasm and confidence, but not only in words but also your body language. In any interpersonal communication it is expected of you to be friendly, warm, confident and emotionally stable. However it is equally important to have congruence between the words you speak and presentation of your self, specially your body posture and gestures. Research shows when words and Non-verbal signals are incongruent, people rely on nonverbal message and disregard the verbal content.

Interpersonal skills are like a mix of good vibes, confident body language, and knowing your stuff. It's not just about what you say but how you say it—with confidence and positivity. When you bring all that to the table then ideas flow and personal growth just becomes a part of the journey.

Real confidence is a difficult state to embody, as it is often hard to differentiate from arrogance. I find that authenticity & enthusiasm is at the core of true confidence. When I speak from a place of passion, with a desire to share insights that have impacted me, confidence blooms. On the contrary, if I am looking to prove something, or looking for external validation, arrogance can slip in.

Displaying enthusiasm and confidence is vital in conveying interpersonal skills. When discussing your strengths, infuse passion into your descriptions. For instance, instead of merely stating, "I have strong leadership skills," convey it with enthusiasm: "Passionate about leadership, I initiated and led a mentorship program, fostering professional development among team members. This not only exhibits confidence in your abilities but also emphasizes your genuine excitement for utilizing your interpersonal skills in impactful ways. A dynamic and enthusiastic tone enhances your communication, making your description memorable and compelling to others.

Good communication blossoms within the container of safety and trust. If you want to be heard with generosity and not criticism, there must be an established trust between you and your counterpart. Whenever possible, I always try to humanize the people I am networking with. I use their name to remind them they are more than a job title, I make vulnerable statements to remind them that imperfection is okay, and most importantly, I listen. Only then can I know that when I speak, this person will truly hear me. Remember that communicating interpersonal skills IS the interpersonal skill itself in action.

It is good to describe the skills and give concrete examples or recent experiences to show how you apply them. Thus, it is not a “supermarket” skill list, it is more an story

I think the very best way to showcase your personal skills is to illustrate how they benefit you getting your work accomplished. As an early riser, I get my exercises done first thing in the morning, which energizes and motivates me! I arrive at work alert and ready to go! I get so much accomplished the first thing in the morning. Everything goes smoother! As an avid organizer, my first “order of business” is to prioritize my day! Crossing off one task after another gives me a feeling of great satisfaction! Nothing slips through the cracks! These are just some of the skills I have and how they benefit me at work. Everyone has their own skill set and uses them in beneficial ways. Showcase your specialties! Everyone is watching!

Consider additional elements when describing interpersonal skills. Firstly, provide context—explain where and how you applied these skills. For example, instead of just stating, "I possess effective teamwork skills," specify, "In a collaborative project, I facilitated open communication and consensus-building, ensuring the team achieved project goals cohesively." Secondly, showcase adaptability—describe how you tailored your interpersonal approach to different situations. Lastly, highlight continuous improvement—mention instances where you sought feedback and actively worked on enhancing your interpersonal skills. These considerations add depth and nuance to your description, offering a more comprehensive view of your interpersonal prowess.

The 3 C’s! Curiosity- enter a conversation with curiosity, withholding judgment, and both/all of you might be pleasantly surprised at what you learn and are able to innovate and navigate. Connection-connecting with the person with whom you are speaking is an essential skill for success. This may be eye contact or a head nod. Commitment- commit yourself to meeting each other where you are rather than where you want them to be. Enter the conversation without an agenda or an expected outcome. It is amazing and refreshing to see the energy and outcome of conversations when we consider these areas. I have found success both professionally and personally, especially with my own kids!