I hate this class
Interpersonal Communications – Monday 3:15 – Amanda Schroeder
I. What Are Interpersonal Skills?
A. Definition of Interpersonal Skills – The knowledge to successfully conduct interpersonal relations
B. What that means – Being able to get along with and knowing what to say to people, no matter what their personality, background, or culture.
II. Why are Interpersonal Skills important to have?
A. Keeps a calm and enjoyable home, school, or work environment
B. Prevents accidental insults, cultural bloopers, and pinches from happening
C. Helps you to understand and react pleasantly and properly to criticism, whether it be negative or positive
III. Why are Interpersonal Skills Important to have at Work?
A. Reduces risk of conflict
1. If you have good interpersonal skills, you have a better chance of resolving conflicts in schedules or with coworkers quickly and without many problems.
2. It is also possible to prevent large scale conflicts by taking care of the pinches before stone walls are built
B. Pinches and Stone Walls
1. Pinches are little insults or irritations that the pincher may not even notice
2. The pinched often build stone walls to block feedback from the pincher in the future
3. The pinched might lash out at the pincher later, after enough unresolved pinches have taken place
C. Preventing Pinch Problems
1. Calmly resolve the issue by bringing it up with the pincher before anything else happens. Chances are, it was an honest mistake, and they didn’t even know you’d be insulted by their comment.
2. If you feel you can’t say anything to them because they might feel insulted, try to think of a way to bring it up in passing conversation rather than directly stating it.
3. If you feel you can’t say anything to them because they might lash out at you, remember:
a. Do not insult them – keep calm.
b. If they criticize you back, listen, but throw out the ones made in anger
c. If they wish to start a heated argument, remain calm and/or call a mediator. You never know, you could have been pinching this person all along!
IV. Team Work
A. Positive Attributes
1. Many new and creative ideas shared
2. Decisions made that everyone is content with
B. Negative Attributes
1. Social floaters take credit but don’t help
2. Group think drowns out possible ideas by assuming that you’d be criticized
C. How Good Interpersonal Skills will help
1. Confidence to give ideas and share constructive criticism
2. Ability to take criticism of ideas well
3. Checks and balances of participation and loafing from team members