Training for Interpersonal Communication Skills

Foster a more cooperative workplace through employee interpersonal skills training

Interpersonal communication skills in the workplace are as vital to your company's success as how much money the business earns and how talented your employees are. A company can't thrive if its employees can't understand each other, or worse, are often in conflict. So, by improving interpersonal communication skills among your staff, you may also improve your company's productivity, performance and bottom line.

As you're planning training for interpersonal communication skills, take an inventory of your staff's strengths and weaknesses. Interpersonal communication skills include:

1. How to listen effectively.
2. How to disagree without arguing.
3. How to offer constructive criticism without embarrassing or offending.
4. How to negotiate.
5. Any behavioral and interpersonal skills that affect relationships with people inside or outside the company, including clients / customers, coworkers or vendors.
   

 

Assess your employees' behavioral and interpersonal skills

Before implementing employee interpersonal skills training, it's important to evaluate how knowledgeable and adept they are in this area. Some employees maybe interpersonal communication superstars--they'll likely need little training, and can even serve as a role model for their colleagues. Others may intensive coaching just to feel comfortable interacting with a wide variety of people.
Try: Employees can take an online interpersonal communication skills assessment at Optimal Thinking, Queendom.com, or at the Portland Community College website.

Send employees to interpersonal communication classes

If you find that there's room for improvement, interpersonal communication courses can help your employees develop better interpersonal communication skills. Many colleges and technical skills offer training in interpersonal communications in business. You can also order educational videos and lead your own training, or sign up for online courses that employees can complete individually and on their own time.
Try: CDi Communications offers an interpersonal communication skills business training video program that covers everything from how to listen to how to identify and clear up mistaken assumptions. Training videos from Employee University cover both verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Learning Tree International offers three-day communication skills classes around the country.

Hire a consultant to conduct on-site interpersonal skills training

If you want to conduct company-wide interpersonal skills training, a consultant can provide intensive coaching to small groups or your entire staff, right at your workplace. Some consultants also include an assessment as part of their services.
Try: Ridge Training offers coaching for managers and leaders, staff, teams, sales professionals, service professionals and trainers. Topics covered include candor, listening skills, managing difficult conversations and straight talk. Booher Consultants offers on-site coaching in interpersonal communication skills for making presentations, and also offers course materials for a wide variety of other communication skills training programs.

 

• If you use assessments as part of your interpersonal communication skills training, share and explain employee results individually. By showing employees what their tests reveal about their communication skills, you help them play a more active and educated role in their personal and professional development.

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