For any human being to function properly in society, it is incumbent that the individual acquire effective interpersonal skills.

Respect: Probably the most important of interpersonal skills is the ability to show respect to everyone you come into contact with. Showing respect is not the easiest skill to exercise at all times, especially if there has been disagreements between a group of people. It is thus necessary that respect be taught at an early age, so that when the child becomes an adult it has become a natural character trait.

Listening: Interpersonal skills are firmly rooted upon the foundation of being able to listen effectively. Listening is the key to understanding what the next person is thinking; it is shown in their words so the only thing needed to understand it is to listen properly and think about what they are saying.

Speaking: Human beings communicate by talking to each other. This is the primary form of communication that is learned automatically by most people from infancy. Mastering a language does not necessarily imply that someone has mastered the art of speech in terms of effective interpersonal skills. Speaking is a skill that must be practiced in connection with listening and respect, amongst other interpersonal skills, in order for it to become an effective interpersonal skill.

What is empathy? Not everyone has the ability to place themselves in another individual’s situation. Empathy is something that we are born with, it is the reason we feel bad when someone else cries in front of us, but many people are not able to truly empathize. This is probably because of the fast-paced society we live in, from a young age we are taught to look after our own interests and we forget that we are not alone in this world. Empathy is an essential interpersonal skill that should be taught to people from a very early age.

Sympathy: While it is important to be able to empathize, sympathy is a skill which is not beneficial at all times. Thus it is essential to develop a deep sense of sympathy, knowing when it is necessary to exercise it and when it does more harm than good.

Body talk: While speaking with our mouths is not the easiest interpersonal skill to master, non verbal communication is probably the hardest skill to even acquire. From our posture to the way we move our hands and feet, everything about your body communicates and plays a prominent role in interpersonal skills. 

Conflict avoidance: The best form of conflict resolution is conflict avoidance, which means preventing conflict from occurring in the first place. This does not mean, however, that the introvert’s avoidance behavior should be exercised. On the contrary, the introvert allows himself to become a victim of conflict by trying to avoid confrontation when he is maltreated, and this is not conflict avoidance. To effectively avoid conflict, one should be open and honest while maintaining a high degree of respect for the fellow individual, thus avoiding misinterpretation, misunderstandings and false conclusions, which are all the most common causes of conflict. 

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