Possessing and applying skills that improve your relationships with other people are two important features for becoming a successful employee or employer. Those workers who have natural talent for establishing friendly communication with their colleagues will be more popular and probably climb faster on the business ladder. So, let’s analyze the most desirable characteristics at a workplace and see how they can be improved.
Straightforward communication
Being able to communicate in a concise and efficient way increases your chances to distribute tasks in a faster and clearer way. Workers who have problems with their verbal skills are less likely to reach managerial positions in a company. On the other hand, verbal extroverts might go to wide in their explanations, which is also not a preferred feature. It is important to know how to funnel the most important information bits for your team members or colleagues, to establish fast and effective communication.
No hysteria, only Zen
Probably one of the most important things in an office is to never shout at your colleagues or your employees. Also, yelling at bosses should be avoided at all costs. Talking to your co-workers in a calm way will give them a feeling of security and it will certainly boost their self-confidence.
In addition, staying relaxed will also help you keep your mind in balance. Imagine how stressful it would be to shout at someone every single day.
Flexibility instead of rigidity
Modern employers and employees should share at least one common feature – flexibility. More and more companies are trying to create comfortable and relaxing atmosphere in their offices. While casual organization of work space serves as the foundations for such atmosphere, it is relaxed and flexible managers and workers who give it a smooth finish. Indeed, the times when CEOs were autocrats who did not care for their workers’ opinion are far behind us. Today productivity is not boosted through rigidity, but through flexibility.
Empathy and understanding
Although these two skills might sound more related to the hippie movement than to modern business affairs, showing empathy and understanding for other people’s problems at a workplace can be a great advantage. For instance, a colleague of yours needs to stay at home because his child is ill. Showing empathy means that you will cover his share of work for that day. If you scratch his back, he will scratch yours. So, together with empathy, here we have traces of understanding your own and your colleagues’ needs. Nurturing collegial relationships will make everybody feel much better at their workplaces.
Power of anticipation
Those workers and team leaders who develop the sense of anticipation will have a huge advantage over their non-proactive fellows. For example, being able to predict what is going to happen in or with a company comes in handy when it is time to judge your potential business partners. Proactive workers will react to a problem before it comes on business stage and causes troubles for the entire company. For instance, a proactive worker will insist on attending events on safety, to know how to deal with an emergency if one day it strikes their company.
Efficient leaders
The best move for a small business or company is when one of their colleagues becomes their manager. Somebody who has been through ups and downs with other workers will know when to be strict and when to allow more freedom to his or her employees. However, such people cannot always take a neutral position if they let their emotions govern their decisions. In order to sharpen their great managerial skills, it would be wise for them apply for leadership training sessions and learn more about different ways of becoming a righteous, empathic and efficient leader.
By learning how to develop your soft business skills, you increase the overall quality of your work. If you are a naturally skilful worker, keep up the good work. However, if you realize that you have difficulties with some skills, courses and further education can help you improve them.