4 Principles of Great Interpersonal Communication Skills

Interpersonal communication is an important skill across all facets of your career. Whether you’re aware of it or not, interpersonal communication is present when you’re interviewing for a job, talking with your co-workers, or asking for a promotion.

Even when you do well across the ‘hard’ skills, such as data analysis, accounting, programming, you still won’t fare as well if your “soft” business skills aren’t up to snuff.  And a big ‘soft skill’ is your interpersonal communication – the ability to empathize and communicate with others in a personal, positive way will help you work effectively with your co-workers, team members, and your leaders.   Once you have an understanding of how best to articulate yourself both verbally and through non-verbal cues, you’ll be better off professionally (and in your personal life!) ...  read more

New Interpersonal Communication Style Quiz

interpersonal skills quiz

Only 20% of professionals get 100% correct on this quiz.  Are you in the top 20%? Find out in just 2 minutes by taking the quiz below.

Your interpersonal communication style can directly affect your work reputation and your overall work effectiveness.  Your communication style pertains to

  • How you speak to someone one-on-one or in a group setting.
  • How you discuss work-related topics or personal topics at work
  • How you carry yourself in a formal and casual communication with others.

13 Questions Quiz

While it may be true that everyone is entitled to their own communication style, it is important to realize that certain styles are more acceptable and beneficial to you than others in the Western business world.   Take 2 minutes to take this quiz now – find out how your interpersonal skills stack up against what’s expected! ...  read more

How to be Successful at Work – 3 Questions Answered

The most frequently asked question I receive from readers is some version of how to be successful at work or in my career.   Below is the latest question I received in this category.   Ying, a Chinese immigrant working in the US used the Ask Me Anything tool inside the Soft Skills Gym to send me the following questions.   I want to share my response to also help others in similar situations. ...  read more

#4 Most Common Mistake People Make at Work

life is an echo

It took me about six years to learn how not to make this mistake at work. In some ways, I am still learning how to avoid it, as my instinct as an engineer and an overachiever is to tell people that I am right when I feel that I am right. 

You may say, “if you are right, why can’t you tell people so?” Well, I can tell you right now, even when you know you are right, it’s better not to lead with it unless you don’t care about breaking relationships. Guess what? No one wants to be told that they are wrong, especially in front of other people. ...  read more