The 20 People Skills You Need To Succeed At Work

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Jacquelyn Smith Forbes Staff
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o you thin! you"re qualified for a particular job, fit to lead a
team, or entitled to a promotion because you ha#e e$tensi#e e$perience and hi%hly de#eloped technical s!ills&
'ell, it turns out that while those thin%s are crucial to your professional success, it"s imperati#e that you also
ha#e %reat soft s!ills(more commonly !nown as )people s!ills.*
)+eople s!ills are, in short, the #arious attributes and competencies that allow one to play well with others,*
e$plains says a#id +arnell, a le%al consultant, communication coach and author. )'hile on the surface these
may be summed up by notions such as ,li!eability," or ha#in% a ,%ood personality," when you start to loo! at what
ma!es one ,li!able," for instance, you"#e opened +andora ,s -o$.* -ut more often than not, these attributes come
in the form of effecti#e, accurate and persuasi#e communication, he says.
.eri /oc!ett, chief e$ecuti#e of 'hat"s For 'or!&, a career site for women, a%rees. She says0 )+eople s!ills come
down to how people interact with each other, from a #erbal and1or non2#erbal perspecti#e3 they are non2technical
in nature. 'hen we thin! of people s!ills, words such as personality, empathy, and tonality come to mind.*
/a#in% good people s!ills means ma$imi4in% effecti#e and producti#e human interaction to e#eryone"s benefit,
says 5ynn .aylor, a national wor!place e$pert and author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant; How to Manage
Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job. )+eople want to connect on a humane le#el in the office3 the
alternati#e is a sterile en#ironment with low producti#ity. So, the more you demonstrate these abilities, the faster
your career will ad#ance. It"s the ,office diplomats" with stron% emotional intelli%ence who are most li!ely to be
stron%, effecti#e corporate leaders. .hey reali4e that trustin% relationships built on diplomacy and respect are at
the heart of both indi#idual success and corporate producti#ity. 6n ounce of people sensiti#ity is worth a pound of
cure when it comes to daily human interaction and miti%atin% conflict. -y de#elopin% these s!ills, you"ll reduce
bad beha#ior in the office, and your positi#e approach will be conta%ious.*
'ise mana%ers !now that they need a team with stron% people s!ills, she adds. )7i#en the choice between a
sa##y job candidate or, similarly, an employee see!in% promotion ( the one with e$cellent people s!ills and less
technical ability will usually win the pri4e #ersus the con#erse.* /a#in% %ood people radar is harder to teach than
technical s!ills, but is a requisite for lon% term, effecti#e leadership, she says.
Here are ! "#eo#le s$ills% and attributes you&ll need to succeed at wor$'
The bilit" to relte to others. )/a#in% the ability to relate to others and their position or #iewpoint is crucial in
business,* /oc!ett says. )-y ha#in% a well2rounded personality and set of e$periences, it"s usually possible to
relate to almost anyone.* Sometimes bein% able to relate to others simply means that you"re willin% to a%ree to
disa%ree with mutual respect3 lettin% them !now you understand their position.
Stro#/ commu#ictio# skills. .his is the most fundamental people s!ill because it encompasses your persona
and ability to %et alon% with other collea%ues, persuade others to listen to your ideas, and much more, .aylor says.
)If you ha#e a %ift for the spo!en and written word, you will always put your best foot forward. -ein% articulate is
hi%hly pri4ed in today"s wor!place, when time is at a premium and technolo%y requires constant communication.*
+arnell says articulation is a #ery important )people s!ill.* )Illusory transparency refers to the notion that as we
spea! to others, we belie#e that they are of the same mindset as us, and are processin% thin%s e$actly as we
would. 8#en if this were possible ( which it"s not ( it would be incredibly challen%in% because of semantic
ambi%uity,* he e$plains. )9ni#ersal quantifiers for instance ( all, any, e#ery, etc. ( are systematic #iolations of
accurate communication in that they are rarely true in a literal sense, and lea#e si%nificant room for translation.
8ffecti#e communicators are #ery careful to understand these systematic #iolations, and a#oid them or
accommodate them when necessary.*
Ptie#ce with others. )If you"re patient with others and can !eep a le#el head in stressful situations, it will
definitely be noticed by mana%ement and percei#ed as a #ery stron% asset,* says 6my /oo#er, president of .alent
:oo. )'hen your boss is forced to deal with a situation where people ha#e lost their cool he or she will certainly
remember the troublema!ers when the ne$t promotion comes a#ailable.*
The bilit" to trust others. ;ou can only accelerate your career if you"re trustworthy. )'ithout it, you can"t %et
projects done or %et cooperation,* .aylor says. )No one can operate in a #acuum for lon%.*
0#owi#/ how #d whe# to show empth". 1/a#in% the ability to place yourself in someone else"s shoes is a
!ey people s!ill,* says <yan =ahn, a career coach, founder of .he /ired 7roup, star of >.?"s Hired( and author
of Hired( The )uide for the *ecent )rad. It allows us to create relationships with others, pro#ides insi%hts into
people"s moti#es and allows us to predict responses.
)@ffer support, sympathy and feedbac! in your daily business life,* .aylor su%%ests. )It will brin% you positi#e
emotional returns ( part of ,corporate !arma."* If you contribute to a dehumani4ed company, both you and your
employer will ha#e limited %rowth potential, she says.
/oc!ett reminds us that thin%s are not always blac! and white, and in order to ha#e effecti#e relationships with
others we need to show compassion where appropriate. )In a perfect world there would be no hiccups, but life
happens and !nowin% when to show compassion when others face challen%es is important.*
Acti.e liste#i#/ skills. /earin% someone and acti#ely listenin% to them are two different thin%s, /oc!ett e$plains.
>ost people hear someone spea! and start to form a response in their mind Aor worse, startin% tal!in%B before the
person finishes what they"re sayin%. ).he !ey is to acti#ely listen, which ta!es more time but produces better
results. It means you listen without interruption and then ta!e the time to thin! and form a response before
replyin%. It ta!es practice, but it pays off.*
.aylor says the a$iom )we were %i#en two ears and one mouth* spea!s #olumes. )-e a %ood listener and remain
sensiti#e to the needs of your wor!ers and boss. .his people s!ill can be practiced3 and once honed, you"ll see the
difference in the positi#e reaction of those around you.*
2e#ui#e i#terest i# others. +eople !now when you"re truly interested in them, =ahn says. )If you"re not
showin% a %enuine interest ( as!in% thou%htful questions and considerin% about their answers ( your interaction
can actually ha#e an opposite effect to the one intended. .a!e care to remember names, dates and important life
e#ents.*
3le4ibilit". -ein% )li!able* or ha#in% a )%ood personality* are hi%hly contin%ent and conte$t dependant
attributes, +arnell e$plains. );our prison2bound uncle"s personality may not be li!eable at the .han!s%i#in% table,
but it may ser#e him well once incarcerated. Supreme communicators ha#e a !een ability to shift %ears when the
conte$t calls for it, and a deep well of communication options to choose from. .his way, they can respond
accordin%ly to what the current situation requires.*
.aylor a%rees. She adds0 )If you can bend your own rules and beliefs, you are by definition a ,%ood people
person."*
2ood jud/me#t. 7ood jud%ment is a !ey people s!ill that comes directly from learnin%, listenin% to others and
obser#in% the world around you, =ahn says. )It allows you to wisely select friends and associates, determine
reactions and responses, and ma!e sound decisions.*
+arnell adds0 )+ay attention to your %ut ( it often has somethin% #aluable to say.*
The bilit" to persude others. .here"s a %ood chance that at some point in your career you"ll ha#e to sell others
on your ideas, products or ser#ices. 'hether you"re up for a promotion, pitchin% a project, or sellin% clothin% in a
retail store, you need to be able to form a stron%, con#incin% ar%ument for why you, or your products, are the #ery
best, or the )ri%ht* one.
Ne/otitio# skills. 7ood ne%otiatin% s!ills are beneficial with both internal and e$ternal discussions, /oo#er
says. )Internally, job offers and salary discussions %reatly benefit from solid ne%otiatin%, as well as when it"s time
to pitch a new idea or sway cowor!ers to your way of thin!in%. 8$ternally, both #endors and customers often
require ne%otiations and you can really become the hero when you are successful in either scenario.*
The bilit" to keep # ope# mi#d. ).o create trust and respect in others, people need to !now that their point of
#iew and feedbac! will be considered and used,* =ahn says. -ein% !nown as someone who !eeps an open mind
also ma!es you more approachable and easier to wor! with.
A /ret se#se of humor. )'ho doesn"t enjoy lau%hin%& It"s ,the %reat diffuser" of tension and conflict. If you can
jam the system of tension or routine with le#ity, you will thri#e in your job,* .aylor says. )It was once said that
,nobody e#er died of lau%hter," and if you can retain some li%htheartedness in your job, you"re li!ely to %et more
air time durin% meetin%s and o#erall.*
0#owi#/ "our udie#ce. =nowin% what, how, and when to say thin%s to others is critical. For e$ample, if
someone just loss their job, it"s probably not a %ood idea to tal! about your promotion. .his seems tri#ial, but it"s
one of the primary reasons why people encounter communication brea!downs with each other, /oc!ett e$plains.
5o#est". .he sayin%, )honesty is the best policy* is not only true, it"s essential in buildin% trust amon% your
collea%ues, .aylor says. )@nce you lose it, it"s almost impossible to re%ain.
=ahn a%rees and says people want to wor! with those that they !now they can trust. )/onesty is the foundation of
any relationship, particularly in business.*
Awre#ess of bod" l#/u/e. .he importance of body lan%ua%e cannot be emphasi4ed enou%h, since it ma!es up
the majority of how we communicate with others. ).he reality is, we"re communicatin% with people all the time
e#en when we"re not spea!in%. -ein% mindful of what our %estures, e$pressions, #oice, and appearance are
communicatin% can %reatly help or harm our people s!ills,* /oc!ett says.
Procti.e problem sol.i#/. 'or! is a series of problem sol#in% situations, but if you"re proacti#e, you"ll ta!e the
pressure off your boss and collea%ues, .aylor says. .his is a %reat people s!ill to ha#e in the wor!place.
(edership skills. If you can moti#ate a team and help those around you do their best wor!, you"ll be more
successful e#en if you"re not in mana%ement, /oo#er says.
2ood m##ers. )9sin% ,please" and ,than! you" %oes a lon% way in the realm of people s!ills,* .aylor e$plains.
'hile seemin%ly ob#ious, some need little reminders. =eepin% a post it with a smile or another icon can remind
us that wor! is more than %ettin% somethin% accomplished, it"s how we %et it accomplished.
The bilit" to be supporti.e #d moti.te others. )+eople want others to belie#e in them, re%ardless of how
successful they mi%ht be. -y showin% support in the form of encoura%ement, you can put someone bac! on trac!
or !eep them headed in the ri%ht direction,* /oc!ett e$plains.
.aylor says0 )Not only should you praise and reco%ni4e your staff, all the while bein% accessible and upbeat. ;ou
should also be moti#ational around your boss and collea%ues. 8mployees at all le#els want to be around
enthusiastic people with dri#e and hi%h ener%y.*
1'hen wor!ers !now how to conduct themsel#es with people sensiti#ity, their career outloo! is much more
enhanced,* .aylor says. )8mployees who are aware of the ,human factor" in the wor!place understand how to %et
thin%s done.* 6ssumin% the wor! is satisfyin%, it"s how people feel at wor! that will determine their loyalty and
contributions.
/oc!ett concludes0 )Nowadays many of us li#e in two worlds, the real and di%ital one. >a!e sure that your
people s!ills are consistent across both.*
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